Paying the wrong person is easy to do and hard to undo.
Wrong bank details, the wrong CIS rate, or a subbie who isn’t verified. One slip and it’s your money and your problem.
HardHats Direct checks every pay run before it goes out. You see who’s being paid, what’s deducted and what they’ll receive, and anything that doesn’t stack up gets flagged before a penny leaves the wallet.
What is
HardHats Direct?
Until now, handing your subbie payments to a third party felt like the safe option. If they were handling it, you assumed you were covered.
With the April 2026 legislation changes, that’s no longer the case. The responsibility sits with you.
HardHats Direct is the only payment software that puts you back in charge. It does the hard work: checking CIS status, working out deductions, paying everyone on payday, and creating their invoices and remittances.
It’s the convenience of a payroll company, without handing over your money, or your compliance, to someone else.
Bringing payments in-house isn’t that simple.
Most firms like the idea of paying subbies themselves. Then they think about what it actually means.
Dozens of bank transfers every week. CIS deductions worked out by hand. Invoices raised for subbies who never send one. And a spreadsheet only one person in the office understands.
That’s usually where the idea stops.
HardHats Direct takes all of that off your plate.
You fund the wallet with one total, and the software pays everyone what they’re owed.
How HardHats Direct works.
Six steps. You do two of them. The software does the rest.
Paying your subcontractors shouldn’t mean hours of admin, endless spreadsheets and worrying whether everything has been done properly.
With HardHats Direct, we’ve stripped the entire payment process down to six simple steps, and the best bit? You only need to worry about two of them.
Upload your pay data and fund your wallet. That’s your job done.
From there, HardHats Direct takes over, handling the necessary checks, processing payments and organising the paperwork behind the scenes.
Everything follows a clear, structured process designed to reduce manual work, minimise mistakes and give you greater confidence that things are being handled correctly.
What HardHats Direct does.
Everything you need to pay subbies properly, without the payroll company.
CIS verification checks
Every payment is calculated against the subbie's verified CIS status.
Bank detail checks
Bank details are checked before anyone's paid, so money doesn't go to the wrong place.
Only verified subbies get paid
If someone isn't verified or something doesn't stack up, you're told before payment goes out.
Dedicated wallet
Your own bank account and wallet, provided through Caxton.io, to keep payments secure.
Payday notifications
Subbies know what's coming before payday, so problems get fixed first.
Remittances and YTD figures
Every subbie gets a remittance with what they've been paid and their year-to-date totals.
Self-billed invoices
Invoices created for your subbies and ready to import into your accounting software.
One bulk payment
Pay your whole workforce in one go, instead of dozens of separate transfers.
Full payment history
Every pay run, deduction and remittance is saved, so you can look back whenever you need to.
Why firms use HardHats Direct
It’s quicker, safer and keeps CIS working the way it should.
Keep control of your payroll
Your workforce, your payments. No third party sitting between you and your subbies.
Improve cashflow
You only fund the net pay. CIS deductions and VAT stay in your bank until they're due, instead of going to a payroll company upfront.
Proof, not promises
Every check, payment and remittance is recorded, so you're not taking anyone's word for it.
Less admin
One bulk payment instead of dozens of transfers. The software does the checking and the paperwork, so your team doesn't have to.
Pay on your terms
Set the payday that works for your business, and the software sticks to it.
Keep CIS in place
Stay on CIS instead of being pushed into payroll-style setups that cost you more.
Fewer errors
Verification and bank checks catch mistakes before they cost you money.
Happier subbies
Paid right, on time, with a clear remittance. Fewer calls asking where their money is.
Why more firms are looking for an alternative.
For years, most firms used payroll companies for one reason: protection from HMRC. They didn’t necessarily want to hand over their payroll, but it felt like there was no other choice.
Plenty of firms never fully trusted it. Let’s face it, they’re your subbies, on your sites. And there was always a nagging doubt about whether it would stand up if anyone looked closely.
Now there’s another option.
The technology exists to do it in-house, with the checks, the payments and the paperwork built in.
So the question isn’t whether you can bring payments back in-house.
It’s why you’d still hand them to someone else.
Who HardHats Direct is built for.
HardHats Direct is built for construction firms that:
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- Use a payroll company or umbrella setup and want to bring payments back in-house
- Pay subbies themselves and want an easier, safer way to do it
- Want proof their subbies are being paid compliantly
- Want the checks and paperwork handled without adding to the workload
Whether you’re leaving a payroll company or already paying subbies yourself, HardHats Direct makes it simpler and safer.
Questions people usually ask.
Do we still make just one payment?
Yes. You fund the wallet with one total and the software pays each subbie from there.
Will it let us pay someone who shouldn't be paid?
No. Only verified subbies can be paid. If someone isn’t verified or their details don’t match, you’re told before the money goes out.
What if there's a payment mistake?
Subbies are notified before payday, so problems get spotted and fixed before any money moves.
What if a subbie doesn't send an invoice?
The software creates a self-billed invoice for them, ready to import into your accounting software.
Is this just payroll under another name?
No. There’s no third party in the middle. It’s your payment process, with technology making your life easier.
Still relying on a payroll company?
April 2026 changed the rules. If you’re still relying on someone else to get it right, now’s the time to look again.
HardHats Direct doesn’t work in isolation.
Paying subbies properly is only one part of the picture.
Before the first payment is made, subcontractors need to be onboarded correctly, the right checks completed and their employment status properly assessed.
Getting this wrong can leave your business exposed to unnecessary risks, compliance headaches and costly mistakes further down the line.
That’s where the rest of HardHats comes in.
HardHats Connect – Onboards your subbies, runs the checks and collects the documents, so they’re ready to pay from day one.
HardHats Direct – Pays your subbies, creates their invoices and sends remittances, so paying them is as tidy as bringing them on
HardHats Direct works with both. Bring them on, engage them compliantly, pay them correctly.
Ready to pay subbies without a payroll company?
We’ll show you exactly how HardHats Direct works, how the payment flow looks, and whether it is the right fit for your business.