Part payment upfront

Question

Do I have to pay part payment for materials before work has began?

Ben · Accepted Answer

It will hugely depend on the contractor, but it is common for contractors to ask for a deposit or a part payment, and this is usually for a number of reasons. 

Unfortunately, there are a small number of people who will instruct work without the intention to pay. While they can be pursued legally, the contractor will still be out of pocket for any materials paid out, let alone their time. 

Additionally, a deposit is often requested in order to get commitment from the client that they do fully want the job to go ahead. Again, some people think it’s acceptable to cancel a job on the morning it’s due to start, at which point the contractor will be out of pocket for at least that day's work as it isn’t common to be able to schedule in different work the same day.

Robert · Answer

Depends on the price of the job.. All monies are paid with a valid written receipt. Gut feelings play a BIG part?

Phil · Answer

We normally take a 25 % deposit on the day before we start a job for a few obvious reasons like cash flow on materials as we have been badly let down in the past by some rather dishonest customers, which is hugely disappointing when you are trying to help them improve their property and as costs go up for everyone we really have not got the margins to lose any money

Darryl · Answer

All depends on the agreement arranged prior to work beginning, personally, I leave it to customers' preference for example if they want us to get all the materials and add that to the price of labour and have one total that’s fine. On the other hand, some customers prefer to buy their own materials and only pay for labour….whatever is decided it is something that should be discussed and agreed upon before any work starts

Daryn · Answer

Yes I do ask if the job is big I have been do-over so it's a yes

Simon · Answer

I never ask for any payment upfront.I do the work first

Paul · Answer

Hi 

This will all depend on the company you choose to hire.

Alex · Answer

Before work starts an agreement should be made between the house owner and the person doing the work. It's very common to pay a 3rd of the entire payment for costs up front.

Jon · Answer

Hi Jennifer 

I find it's up to the individual customer how happy they are with paying for materials upfront.
If I'm doing a large job and material costs are very high that can put a strain on my own expenses.
So varies between jobs.

If you're unsure ask your tradesman to supply confirmation of ordered materials or the supplier to confirm orders placed.

Richard · Answer

It depends on the size of the job and the size of the company doing the work. It's quite common practice to ask for materials cost upfront. Unfortunately, many small businesses that have fronted the money in the past have been abused by clients that change their minds or cancel the job or refuse to pay.

So if.you are happy with the tradesmen that you have chosen and happy with the agreed price then why wouldn't you pay for the materials up front. I personally will walk away from a job that that won't pay for their own materials unless I've worked for them before and to advance them the money from my business won't cause me financial difficulty if they cancelled.

Part payment upfront

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