Who can see the budget: what contractors and designers see

Who sees what

• The owner sees and keeps the budget: the total, expenses, categories, receipt photos, the Excel export.
• The designer sees the same budget as the owner: they run the property and work out the budget together.
• Contractor/foreman doesn't see the budget. It's one role for all tradespeople: tiler, electrician, plumber, painter.

On properties where people were invited earlier, you may come across old roles. A “Viewer” sees what they saw before, including the budget: this role was given to people close to the owner. An “Inspector” checked the work, not the money, and doesn't see the budget. New viewers and inspectors can't be invited: more in “Inspector” and “Viewer” roles.

What exactly is closed to a contractor

• the whole “Budget” tab;
• the property budget and how much is left;
• expenses and budget categories;
• photos of till receipts;
• what the app learnt from receipts for the property passport - purchases and prices.

It's closed on the server, not just hidden on the screen. If someone logs in as a contractor, the property's expenses aren't loaded onto their phone, and anything that may have got there earlier is wiped by the app.

Besides the budget, contractors and foremen on someone else's property don't see the “Inspiration” board: it's the shared idea board of the owner and the designer.

What a contractor sees

• the renovation route: stages and items, Master Kistya's tips for the stages;
• checks, item photos, comments and review remarks;
• the property's tasks;
• the property's documents and photos on the “Documents” tab;
• notes in the feed, if the property's plan includes it.

A contractor doesn't change the route or the survey - the owner and the designer do that.

How to make sure the budget is closed

Ask the contractor to open the property and look at the tabs at the bottom of the screen. They'll have “Home”, “Stages”, “Documents” and “Profile” - with no “Budget”. In the web version, the contractor's property menu has no “Budget” section either. If the contractor does have the tab, check their role in “Property members”: most likely they were invited with the wrong role.

Careful with documents

All property members see the “Documents” tab, including contractors. The budget is closed, but files in “Documents” aren't. If you put a contract with prices, a supplier's invoice or a receipt scan there as a file, the contractor will see it.

A receipt scanned with “Scan receipt” on the “Budget” tab stays in the budget and isn't visible to the contractor. The contractor usually knows the contract with themselves anyway. Documents you don't want tradespeople to see are better kept outside the property.

When you invite a contractor

Before creating a code for a contractor or foreman, the app warns: “Contractors and foremen can't see the budget” - “Contractors and foremen have no access to the property's budget, expenses and financial planning - only the owner and the designer see them”. Tap “Got it, create code”.

Each member's role is shown in “Profile” → “Property members”. How to invite is in Members and roles on a property.

How to show a contractor the figures they need

Sometimes a contractor needs to know an amount: for example, how much has already been paid for a stage. You don't have to share the whole budget for that.

• Tell them or write the amount - in the act for the stage or in a comment on a stage item (comments work on the “Team” and “Team PRO” plans).
• Export the budget to Excel with the “Excel” button on the “Budget” tab and send the file or part of it yourself if you want to show more.
• Record payments to the crew as expenses with a category and a comment such as “advance”, “for the stage”, “final payment”. The contractor won't see them, and you'll have the full picture. How to pay by stage is in Paying the crew by stage.

If the designer should see less

You can't hide the budget from the designer separately: the “Designer” role sees the budget just like the owner. If someone helps you with the work rather than running the project, invite them with the “Contractor/foreman” role - then they won't have the budget.

What to do if

• The contractor asks where the budget is. That's by design: the “Contractor/foreman” role has no budget. Pass on the figures they need yourself.
• The designer can't see the budget. Check their role in “Property members”: they may have been invited as a contractor. Remove them from the property (press and hold their name → “Remove from property”) and invite them again with the “Designer” role. Their account role must be “Designer” too: “Profile” → “Settings” → “Role in the app”.
• I can't see the budget myself. Check your role on this property: on a property where you were invited as a contractor, there's no budget.

Checklist

• Members' roles are checked in “Property members”.
• Tradespeople are invited as “Contractor/foreman”, the designer as “Designer”.
• Receipts are scanned into the “Budget” instead of being put into “Documents” as files.
• “Documents” holds no files tradespeople shouldn't see.
• Payments to the crew are recorded as expenses with a clear comment.