Bookkeepers in the Auburn-Opelika Area, AL Compared (2026)
Key Takeaways
- Too few firms reached 70% evidence coverage to rank (7 of 8, where a ranking needs 8), so the list is alphabetical.
- Pricing is hidden across the board: no firm here publishes a monthly price, and 7 of 8 don't mention fees at all.
- Compared with every firm we list, this group stands out on verified credentials: 3 of 8 hold a credential a third party confirms (38% against 13%).
Sources cited in this article: DNS check, Firm's own website, IRS preparer records, State accountancy board, and our published methodology.
15 profiles reviewed, 8 met the listing bar, 7 scored (evidence coverage of 70% or more). Fewer than 8 firms reached the scoring bar, so this is an unranked comparison. The bar is not lowered to make a ranking.
Firms on this page have offices in Auburn (5) and Opelika (3). The page covers 9 towns and cities in the metro area, and a firm elsewhere in Alabama appears on the state page.
How this list is built: Methodology · Disclosures · About · Report a correction
This page compares the 8 Auburn-Opelika bookkeeping firms that met our listing bar, alphabetically, because too few have enough checked evidence to rank. Narrow it by need first. The filters above the list cover remote service (1).
Comparison (unranked, alphabetical)
| Firm | Where | Services documented | Software | Pricing | Credentials verified | Coverage (%) | Evidence Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FocusPay Solutions | Auburn, AL | payroll coordination | QuickBooks | Quote only (stated) | Not verified | 74 | 22 |
| Himmelwright, Huguley & Boles Says it serves: construction, manufacturing, technology, medical | Opelika, AL Local + remote | payroll coordination, month-end close | Xero | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license | 74 | 38 |
| Jackson Thornton Says it serves: consultants, healthcare, manufacturing, technology, professional services | Auburn, AL | AP/AR, payroll coordination, month-end close | QuickBooks Online, Sage | Not verified | Not verified | 69 | Not scored |
| Justin Smith CPA | Opelika, AL | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license | 83 | 18 |
| Machen McChesney Says it serves: healthcare, professional services | Auburn, AL | monthly bookkeeping, payroll coordination, month-end close | Not verified | Not verified | Active CPA firm or individual license, IRS preparer record | 78 | 49 |
| NewStart Bookkeeping & Payroll | Auburn, AL | AP/AR, payroll coordination, month-end close | QuickBooks | Not verified | IRS preparer record | 78 | 32 |
| THE OFFICE ORGANIZER | Auburn, AL | AP/AR, payroll coordination, month-end close | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified | 83 | 16 |
| Whatley Bookkeeping | Opelika, AL | AP/AR | QuickBooks | Not verified | Not verified | 83 | 11 |
What the evidence shows
Pricing
None of these 8 websites shows a monthly fee. 1 of 8 says it works by quote, and 7 of 8 don't mention pricing. Get the monthly fee, the transaction volume it assumes and what counts as extra in writing.
Licenses and public records
Because Alabama publishes its records as open data, the checks for this group found 3 firms with an active CPA license or permit on Alabama's published register. The CPA records we matched belong to Himmelwright, Huguley & Boles, Justin Smith CPA and Machen McChesney. Each profile shows the license or permit number and the date we checked. Check any CPA claim yourself on the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy lookup.
Auburn-Opelika area in figures
Shares of the 8 firms listed, from accepted evidence only. A firm with no evidence for an item counts as not stating it. Median evidence coverage: 78%; median Evidence Score of the scored firms: 22.
| What the firms state | Share (%) | Firms (of 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Publish a price or starting price | 0 | 0 |
| State they price by quote | 12 | 1 |
| Say nothing about pricing | 88 | 7 |
| Hold a third-party-verified credential | 38 | 3 |
| State a reporting cadence | 12 | 1 |
| Describe onboarding | 12 | 1 |
| Offer catch-up or cleanup work | 0 | 0 |
| Work remotely (stated) | 12 | 1 |
| Mention QuickBooks | 38 | 3 |
| Mention Xero | 12 | 1 |
| Mention QuickBooks Online | 12 | 1 |
| Mention Sage | 12 | 1 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do any Auburn-Opelika bookkeepers publish their prices?
Not on their websites. 1 of 8 says it quotes each client, and the rest don't mention fees. Ask for the monthly fee and what it covers in writing.
Which Auburn-Opelika bookkeepers work in Xero?
Himmelwright, Huguley & Boles names Xero on its site. More firms here name QuickBooks, so ask which one a firm prefers before you switch anything.
Which Auburn-Opelika bookkeepers say which industries they serve?
3 of 8 name them on their own sites, among them Himmelwright, Huguley & Boles (construction and manufacturing), Jackson Thornton (consultants and healthcare) and Machen McChesney (healthcare and professional services). It's self-reported, so ask for a client reference in your trade.
Every place this page covers (9)
Auburn, Franklin, Loachapoka, Notasulga, Opelika, Shorter, Smiths Station, Tuskegee, Waverly.
Sources and further reading
Dates are when we checked. Report an error.
- DNS checkChecked Sep 26, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026
- Firm's own websiteChecked Sep 26, 2026
- IRS preparer recordsChecked Sep 27, 2026
- State accountancy boardChecked Sep 26, 2026
- Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy: license lookupAlabama State Board of Public Accountancy
- Alabama business entity searchState of Alabama
- How the Evidence Score worksBookkeeping Index methodology
- Commercial disclosuresBookkeeping Index