Trouble using unbound subform

[Darren Kozey via AccessMonster.com]

My db manages contacts and has provisions for doing Estimates. I have used
tab forms and subforms to 3 levels. The main form is a tab form that has
one tab called "Estimate" and it is the "sfrmEstimate" below. This subform
is also another tab form with a materials, labor hours, and a summary tab.
The summary tab form "ssfrmEstimateSummary" is unbound as shown below:

Contacts - bound to "Contacts" Primary Key=ContactID
|
sfrmEstimate - bound by "SELECT DISTINCTROW Contacts.* FROM Contacts WHERE
((Contacts.ContactID=forms!Contacts!ContactID)); "
|
ssfrmEstimateSummary - unbound
|
sssfrmConsumables - bound to "tblConsumables" (and related to "Contacts"
via "ContactID")

The "ssfrmEstimateSummary" form contains fields from the other tabs (not
shown) where their subtotals are added and tax calculated for a total. I
want to be able to add Consumables to this summation, and have created
another subform "sssfrmConsumables" to do this, because the Consumables to
be added involves an option group selection, and a number entry into a text
box. The trouble is I can not link the child and master fields via
"ContactID" because the form immediately above it is unbound. I know that
they can be added manually, but then when I open the main form, I get the
popup asking me to input "ContactID".

How may I make this work? Can "ssfrmEstimateSummary" be bound somehow that
will allow me to link "sssfrmConsumables" to it without upsetting the other
calculated controls on "ssfrmEstimateSummary"?

I've been stuck on this for days, and any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Darren