Have you ever wanted to rename a recommended contractor type or add a new type that better suits your needs? Now you can! This guide will walk you through the process.
These changes require appropriate permissions - typically administrator access. If you cannot modify these settings, contact your company administrator for assistance.
❗ Important: Changes to contractor types are applied company-wide, affecting all inspectors on your team.
Edit Default Contractor Types
On the default types screen, you can customize the display names of Spectora's pre-defined contractor types. 💡 Quick tip: Click on the video above to expand it in another window.
Click "Settings"
Scroll down to Report Options and select "Contractor Types for Repair Recommendations"
Click "Default"
Click the "Edit" button to the right of the contractor type you'd like to edit
Type in your Preferred Display Name
Contractor types are displayed in reports as "Contact a qualified (Contractor Type)," so keep this in mind as you customize their display names.
Click the blue "Save" button After you save, the table will refresh with your new Preferred Display Name. You'll see that name instead of the original when choosing Recommendations in your templates and reports from now on. 🔹Tip: You can also edit your default contractor types by navigating to Settings > Recommended Contractors, then clicking Contractor Types on the right-hand side 🔹Note: Certain default contractor types, such as 'Homeowners Association' and 'Inquire With Seller,' cannot be renamed. These options will retain their original names..
Hiding Default Contractor Types
Want to hide a default contractor type so it will no longer appear as a selectable option in your templates and reports? We'll show you how! 💡 Quick tip: Click on the video above to expand it in another window.
Click "Settings"
Scroll down to Report Options and select "Contractor Types for Repair Recommendations"
Click "Default"
Click the "Hide" button to the right of the contractor type you'd like to hide
The Status will switch to "Hidden," and the "Hide" button will turn into a "Show" button in case you want to make the contractor type visible again. 🔹Note: Certain default recommendations, such as 'Homeowners Association' and 'Inquire With Seller,' cannot be hidden or edited. However, these options will not appear in reports or the client portal unless explicitly selected.
Creating Custom Contractor Types
Creating Custom Contractor Types
The Custom Contractor Types page allows you to create new contractor types that will appear as options in your reports in addition to the default Spectora contractor types.
💡 Quick tip: Click on the video above to expand it in another window.
Click "Settings"
Scroll down to Report Options and select "Contractor Types for Repair Recommendations"
Click "Custom"
Click the blue "+ Add Custom Contractor Type" button in the upper right corner
Select an Associated Contractor Type from the drop-down menu
Type in their Preferred Display Name
Click the blue "Save" button
Once you have created a Custom Contactor Type it will show up in the table.
You can change or remove entries by clicking the "Edit" or "Delete" buttons to the right of the contractor you want to update.
🔹Tip: You can also add or edit your custom contractor types by navigating to Settings > Recommended Contractors, then clicking Contractor Types on the right-hand side.
Using Customized Contractor Types in Templates and Reports
After customizing display names and adding new types, these options will be available in the Recommendation dropdowns within the Template Editor and Report Editor. If you use our Recommended Contractors feature, the customized options will also appear in the contractor type list. Not sure how to set Recommendations on your templates and reports? Check out this article for the step-by-step! ✨ Note: If you're using our V9 app, remember to reset your app memory after making these changes. This ensures your customizations display correctly in the app and your reports. This step is not necessary for our V10 app.
Template-Level vs. Inspection-Level Settings
Template-Level Changes: To ensure dropdown options are consistently available in future reports, enable the setting in the report template. This ensures that the dropdown is visible for all inspections using that template.
Inspection-Level Changes: If you need to update the dropdown for a specific inspection, enable the setting directly in the inspection report. Note that template-level changes will not apply retroactively to ongoing inspections. After making the changes, refresh your report to see the updated dropdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove the "Contact a qualified..." verbiage from my contractor types?
Not at this time. If you'd like to see the ability to do this in the future, add your vote to the feature request!
If I share my template with another inspector, will my custom contractor recommendations be shared, too?
Only Spectora's default recommendations set in your template will be shared. Your custom contractor recommendations and preferred display names are unique to you and cannot be transferred. - Why are certain default recommendations like 'Homeowners Association' and 'Inquire With Seller' still visible?
These options cannot be removed or edited, but they will not appear in reports or the client portal unless explicitly selected.
Why is the Recommended Contractor dropdown missing?
The dropdown may be missing because it was turned off for the current inspection or disabled in the report template. To resolve this, enable the setting for the current inspection and ensure it is also enabled in the template for future use.
If you have any questions or feedback, write into our chat bubble or email support@spectora.com!
