Outsourcing sign installation
Requested
Facade signage installationLightbox installationFacade letter installation
Outsourcing sign installation to a self-employed sign installer
You outsource sign installation as subcontracting: you sell and produce, a self-employed sign installer does the fitting. Expect €35 to €75 per hour, depending on the work. Make clear agreements about the result, liability and how they present themselves to your end client.
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No subscription. You can start with your own sign installers today, in any region.
Why outsourcing installation feels tricky
- You don't want to hand over the relationship with your end client.
- An installation company charges half a day for a two-hour job.
- You don't know if the subcontractor is properly insured.
- Afterwards there's no proof of what was handed over.
Outsourcing through Signborn
- You keep the end clientThe job stays yours. The installer carries out what you agree, and you keep the contact with your client.
- Direct agreementFor each job you make a contract for services with the installer and pay them directly against their invoice. Signborn is an intermediary and not a party to carrying out the work.
- Checked subcontractorResponding is only possible with liability insurance that Signborn has checked. Installers list their KvK number and certificates themselves.
- Proof of handover for your clientPhotos with time and location and the end client's signature, in a report you forward yourself.
Types of work
- Facade signage installation
- Lightbox installation
- Facade letter installation
- Window lettering
- Van lettering
- Wayfinding / directional signage
- Height work (aerial platform / scaffolding)
- Removal of old signage
- On-site measuring
Outsourcing sign installation: how to get it right
Subcontracting, not hiring in
When you outsource as subcontracting, you're buying a result: three facade letters fitted straight and secure, a light box connected, twenty shop windows lettered. The installer decides how to do it and with which tools. That's different from hiring in someone who works alongside you under your direction. For that, the rules for agency work apply, and from 2027 the Wtta too.
Signborn only acts as an intermediary. You make the agreement directly with the self-employed installer. Signborn doesn't carry out any work and doesn't supply anyone.
Acting on your behalf with your end client
Many agencies want the fitter to introduce themselves to the end client on behalf of the agency. You can agree that per job: they quote your job number, call your contact person and don't leave any of their own advertising behind. Keep it to agreements about the result and communication. Your workwear, rotas or work instructions, as you would give an employee, don't fit with a self-employed professional under the Dutch DBA Act (Wet DBA).
Liability and insurance
The installer is responsible for their own work and has their own public liability insurance. Ask about care, custody and control cover: it's meant for damage to the things they're working on, such as your client's window or facade. Towards your end client, you remain responsible for what you sold. So record what was handed over, with photos and a signature.
What to put in the job
- The result: what will be placed, installed or lettered, with sizes and materials.
- Location, date and time window.
- Who arranges materials, the cherry picker and the permit.
- How the installer introduces themselves to the end client and who the contact person is there.
- The hourly rate or price per job, and what comes on top.
- How the handover is recorded and who signs.
Costs and payment
The installer sets their own rate and invoices you directly, with payment terms of 14 or 30 days. No money runs through Signborn. As the client, Signborn charges you a Signborn fee: 8% for a match, minimum €15 and maximum €150 per installer per job. Working with your own network? Then you pay Signborn nothing. The installer never pays anything.
How does Signborn work?
From job to invoice, in five steps.
Post your job
Address, date, sizes and what needs doing. You choose who sees it: everyone who fits, or only your own network.
New jobExample Window lettering
- Prinsestraat 41, The Hague
- Thu 15 Oct · 07:30
- 1200 × 300 mm · cut vinyl
Who sees this job?
Installers respond
Installers who fit by trade, certificates, region and calendar see your job and say yes or no. Saying no has no consequences.
You choose
Compare the responses, with your own network at the top, and choose one or more installers. Then the chat opens. With more than one installer, it's a single group chat.
Do the work and hand over
GPS check-in on site, handover with photos and location. You approve within 48 hours, or raise an objection.
HandoverExample Job sheet: 3 of 3 done
All done as briefed
Before During Done - On site07:24–11:38
- Signed off by your client11:41
Approve within 48 hoursBy Sat 17 Oct at 11:42- Job sheet for your own client: no amounts, in your own branding.
Invoice
The installer invoices you directly, pre-filled from the job, and you pay within 14 or 30 days. Signborn sends a separate fee invoice. No money runs through Signborn.
The five best-matching installers get a notification, ranked on seven factors with fixed weights. Matching with new installers opens region by region. Until then, your job reaches your own network and approved installers nearby.
Window lettering
- Prinsestraat 41, The Hague
- Thu 15 Oct · 07:30
- 1200 × 300 mm · cut vinyl
Who sees this job?
Job sheet: 3 of 3 done
All done as briefed
- On site07:24–11:38
- Signed off by your client11:41
Approve within 48 hoursBy Sat 17 Oct at 11:42
- Job sheet for your own client: no amounts, in your own branding.
Frequently asked questions about outsourcing installation
Is outsourcing sign installation the same as hiring someone in?
No. You're buying a result from a self-employed business owner with their own KvK registration, insurance and rate. They don't work under your direction and can turn jobs down. Do you have someone working under your own direction? Then that's hiring in labour, and different rules apply.
Can the installer act on behalf of my agency?
Yes. You can agree that they introduce themselves to your end client on behalf of your agency and don't leave any of their own advertising behind. They remain a self-employed subcontractor. Agreements about workwear, rotas or work instructions don't belong in that.
Who is liable if there's damage?
The installer is liable for their own work, through their own public liability insurance. Towards your end client, you remain responsible for the job you took on. Signborn is not a party to carrying out the work.
Will Signborn take over my client?
No. Signborn doesn't sell installation to end clients and is not a party to carrying out the work. The job and the client relationship stay yours.
Can I use my regular subcontractors?
Yes. Invite them to your own network. Jobs for your own network are always free.
What if the installer doesn't turn up?
A no-show after accepting counts towards the installer's reliability score. If it does happen, you open the job up again. Signborn doesn't guarantee the work gets done. Your agreement is with the installer.