> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hiveinspect.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sub Contractors on an Inspection: Add Them and Track Fees

> Add a sub contractor such as a radon or sewer scope partner to a Hive Inspect inspection, record their fee, see it on Earnings, and learn what clients see.

In the dashboard: open the inspection, then **Sub Contractors** (next to **Listing Agent**, below the client and buyer's agent).

A sub contractor is an outside company or person who does part of the job for you, such as a radon tester, a sewer scope company or a pool inspector. In Hive, a sub contractor is a contact you put on an inspection in the **Sub Contractors** role, with the fee you owe them for that job.

Hive uses the fee on the [Earnings](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/earnings.md) page, where it's taken off the revenue. The client never sees the fee.

## Add a sub contractor

### 1. Open the Sub Contractors section

On the inspection's order page, click **Sub Contractors** ("Additional service providers") to open it. It starts closed. When the inspection has sub contractors, a count shows next to the title.

### 2. Click Import from Contacts

The **Select Sub Contractor** window lists your contacts. Search by name, business or email, click the person, then click **Select Contact**.

![The Select Sub Contractor window with a Search contacts box and four contact cards showing name, business, email, phone and address; Dana Ortiz of Lone Star Radon is selected; Cancel and Select Contact buttons](https://mintcdn.com/hiveinspect-43c85ed1/r1ZUAZreNTS8GW7A/images/how-tos/sub-contractors-select.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=r1ZUAZreNTS8GW7A\&q=85\&s=2dfe65b5ddaf08ad1ef89774c8ab2ee7)

The sub contractor has to be in your **Contacts** first. To add them, see [Add a new contact](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/edit-contact.md#add-a-new-contact).

### 3. Enter the fee

In **Enter Sub Contractor Fee**, type what you pay them for this job in **Sub Contractor Fee**, then click **Add Sub Contractor**. Leave it blank for \$0. **Back** takes you to the contact list.

![The Enter Sub Contractor Fee window for Dana Ortiz of Lone Star Radon with 150 in the Sub Contractor Fee box, the note This is for internal tracking only, and Back, Cancel and Add Sub Contractor buttons](https://mintcdn.com/hiveinspect-43c85ed1/r1ZUAZreNTS8GW7A/images/how-tos/sub-contractors-fee.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=r1ZUAZreNTS8GW7A\&q=85\&s=aa417a08008a7ab7a45e0276c39fff37)

### 4. Check the total

Each sub contractor shows as a card with their business, email, phone and **Fee**. **Total Sub Contractor Fees** adds them up. Add as many as the job needs.

![The Sub Contractors section with a count of 2: Dana Ortiz of Lone Star Radon with a fee of \$150.00 and Marcus Bell of Bell Sewer Scope with a fee of \$90.00, each with a delete button, the Import from Contacts button, and Total Sub Contractor Fees \$240.00](https://mintcdn.com/hiveinspect-43c85ed1/r1ZUAZreNTS8GW7A/images/how-tos/sub-contractors-section.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=r1ZUAZreNTS8GW7A\&q=85\&s=08a74c6bff23d4f15376ab87740b9fca)

On an inspection that's already booked, Hive saves the change right away. On a new inspection, it's saved with the inspection.

## Change or remove a sub contractor

* **Remove:** click the trash icon on their card. They come off this inspection only. They stay in your **Contacts**.
* **Change the fee or the person:** there's no edit button. Remove the card, then click **Import from Contacts** and add them again with the new fee.

**Reorder** and **Generate Reinspection** copy the sub contractors and their fees onto the new inspection. Remove any who aren't on the new job.

## Where sub contractor fees show

| Where | What you see |
| - | - |
| **Sub Contractors** on the inspection | Each fee and **Total Sub Contractor Fees** |
| [Earnings](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/earnings.md) | The **Sub Fees** column (all sub contractor fees on the inspection added up), **Total** = Revenue minus Sub Fees, and **Total Subcontractor Fees** for everything you filtered. The sub contractor is listed under **Other Contacts**. |
| Earnings **Export to CSV** | The **Subcontractor Fees** column, and **Total Amount** after fees |

Sub contractor fees aren't part of [pay splits](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/pay-splits.md), the [Payout Report](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/payout-report.md) or the [Metrics](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/metrics.md) page. Revenue on Metrics doesn't take them off.

## Sub contractors vs your team

The **Select Sub Contractor** window lists your contacts, not your team. Use it for outside partners.

For inspectors on your team, add them to the inspection under **Inspectors** instead. See [Change or add the inspector](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/change-inspector.md). What you pay them is set with [pay splits](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/pay-splits.md) and shows on the [Payout Report](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/payout-report.md), not as a sub contractor fee.

## Emails to sub contractors

Hive emails sub contractors only through automations. There are two ways to set them up:

* **Recipient set to Sub Contractor:** the automation goes to every sub contractor on the inspection. The [starter pack](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/automation-starter-pack.md#if-you-have-a-team-or-subcontractors) has **Inspection Scheduled - Sub-Contractor** and **Inspection Cancelled - Sub-Contractor**.
* **A specific email address plus an add-on name filter:** emails one partner whenever an inspection has their add-on, even if you don't add them to the Sub Contractors section. See [Automate subcontractor emails](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/subcontractor-emails.md).

In your messages, `{{{sub_contractor_full_name}}}`, `{{{sub_contractor_first_name}}}`, `{{{sub_contractor_last_name}}}`, `{{{sub_contractor_email}}}` and `{{{sub_contractor_phone_number}}}` fill in their details. See [Placeholders](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/placeholders.md#realtors-and-other-contacts).

## What clients and agents see

Sub contractors are hidden from clients and agents:

* **Inspection review link** (the page the client opens to review and confirm the order): only clients, buyer's agents and listing agents are shown.
* **Client portal, Order Details:** shows **Client Contacts**, **Realtor Contacts**, **Inspector Contacts** and **Other Contacts**. Sub contractors aren't in any of them.
* **The report**, on the web and in the PDF: only agents are shown, on the cover and the **Agent Information** page.
* **The fee** is never sent to the client portal or any client page.

There's no setting to turn on or off. A sub contractor's name or contact details only reach a client if you put a sub contractor placeholder in a message, agreement or report text that the client gets. Check your automations and agreements for `{{{sub_contractor_` placeholders.

### What the sub contractor can see

A sub contractor is a contact on the inspection, so they can sign in to the client portal with their email. They see this inspection there, including its order details and its invoices. They can't see or sign the agreement.

## In the mobile app

The inspection's summary screen in the app lists sub contractors under **Sub Contractor Contacts**. Add, remove or change them on the web.

## Common questions

**The client says they can see our sub contractor. Can we hide them?** They're already hidden on the inspection review link, in the client portal and in the report. Check whether a message or agreement the client got uses a `{{{sub_contractor_` placeholder, and remove it.

**Does the client see what I pay the sub contractor?** No. The fee is for your own tracking. It's left out of everything the client and agents can open.

**Can I add a sub contractor who isn't in my contacts?** Not from this section. Add them under **Contacts** first, then click **Import from Contacts**.

**Can one of my inspectors be a sub contractor?** This section is for contacts. Put team members on the inspection under **Inspectors**, and pay them with pay splits.

**Why don't Earnings and the fee on the inspection match?** Earnings adds up every sub contractor on the inspection. Check **Total Sub Contractor Fees** on the inspection.

**Is the sub contractor fee taken off the price the client pays?** No. The client pays the inspection price as usual. The fee only lowers the **Total** on Earnings.

## Where to go next

* [Automate subcontractor emails](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/subcontractor-emails.md)
* [Earnings](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/earnings.md)
* [Edit a contact](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/edit-contact.md)
* [Contact tags](https://docs.hiveinspect.com/how-tos/contact-tags.md)


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