When you hire out work in Eano Pro — bringing in a sub, issuing labor to a vendor you partner with, or ordering materials — you start by telling Eano what kind of agreement it is: a Subcontract, a Work Order, or a Purchase Order. It’s a small choice at the top of the form, but it’s the one that keeps labor, scope-based work, and material purchases cleanly separated instead of lumping every outside agreement into a single pile.
This article covers why the distinction matters, what each kind is for, and how to create one.
Why the Kind Matters
Not every agreement with an outside party is the same animal. Hiring an electrician to wire a remodel is a different thing from sending recurring hours to a painting crew you already have a relationship with, which is different again from ordering a slab of countertop. Lump them all under one generic label and your records turn into guesswork — you can’t tell at a glance whether a given agreement was about a defined scope, ongoing labor, or a pile of materials.
Choosing a kind fixes that. Each agreement gets tagged for what it actually is, so when you look back — reconstructing job costs, reviewing what you owe a vendor, or just trying to remember what an order was for — the answer is right there. It’s the same instinct as keeping labor and materials on separate lines in an estimate: a little structure up front saves a lot of untangling later.
The Three Kinds
When you create a new agreement, the Kind field sits at the top with three choices. Here’s what each one is for and when to reach for it.
Subcontract
A one-time agreement where a subcontractor is hired to complete a defined scope of work on a specific project. This is your everyday “I’m bringing someone in to do this part of the job” agreement — clear start, clear scope, clear finish.
Example: hiring an electrician for a single remodel.
Work Order
A request for work from an external vendor, typically for labor. Reach for this when the work is more about hours and ongoing tasks than a single boxed-up scope — often with a vendor you work with regularly rather than a one-off hire.
Example: assigning recurring work to a painting crew you partner with.
Purchase Order
A request for work from an external vendor, typically for materials procurement. This is the one to use when you’re buying things rather than labor — ordering, sourcing, or having components fabricated.
Example: ordering countertops, cabinets, or fabricated components.
If you’re ever unsure, ask yourself what the agreement is mostly about — a defined scope of work, ongoing labor, or materials — and pick the kind that matches. And if you guess wrong, it’s not a problem; you can change the kind afterward.
How to Create One
Start a new agreement from the project you’re working on.
At the top, set the Kind — Subcontract, Work Order, or Purchase Order — using the description under each option as your guide.
Fill in the Work Scope and the rest of the details: the project, pricing, and any notes or attachments that spell out what you expect.
Choose your vendor from your list — or skip vendor selection for now and assign someone later, which keeps things moving when you haven’t lined up the partner yet.
Send it. The vendor receives a link by email and text to review the agreement and respond.
Before you can send work to a partner, they need to be in your vendor list. If you haven’t built that out yet — or want the details on what’s required to add someone — see How to Add Subcontractors/Vendors to Your Eano Account. And if your work is already laid out in your project scope, Import Scope Expenses lets you turn those line items straight into expenses tied to a subcontract, so you’re not retyping anything.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
You can change the kind. Pick the wrong one and you can switch it — the three kinds are labels on the same underlying agreement, not three separate tools to learn. Nobody’s locked into a bad first guess.
The kind is about clarity, not extra steps. Choosing it doesn’t add work to the process; it just tags the agreement so labor, scope, and materials don’t all blur into one category when you look back.
Vendor setup is quick to start. Adding a partner only needs basic contact information up front — you can fill in licensing, insurance, and any agreements later. The companion article on adding subcontractors and vendors walks through it.
Skipping the vendor is fine. You don’t have to choose a vendor at creation time. Build the agreement now, assign the partner when you’ve settled on one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a Subcontract, a Work Order, and a Purchase Order? A Subcontract is a one-time agreement for a defined scope of work on a project. A Work Order is a request for work from a vendor, typically for labor and often ongoing. A Purchase Order is a request for materials procurement rather than labor. The kind you pick simply reflects what the agreement is mostly about.
Where do I set the kind? At the top of the new-agreement form, in the Kind field, before you fill in the Work Scope. Each option shows a short description to help you choose.
What if I pick the wrong kind? No harm done — you can change it. The kind is a label on the agreement, so switching it doesn’t undo anything you’ve already filled in.
Do I have to choose a vendor right away? No. You can skip vendor selection when you create the agreement and assign the right partner later.
How does the vendor receive the agreement? Once you send it, the vendor gets a link by email and text that takes them to a secure page to review the agreement and respond.
How do I add a vendor in the first place? See How to Add Subcontractors/Vendors to Your Eano Account — adding a partner only takes basic contact info to start, with licensing and agreements added as needed.