How to Get a Deposit From Customers Before Starting Work

Every tradesperson has a story. The kitchen that got half fitted before the customer disappeared. The new build where the developer went under. The domestic job where the customer had a sudden change of heart once the hard work was done. In almost every case, the same thing would have helped: a deposit.

Taking a deposit before starting work is standard in the trades. It's not aggressive, it's not untrusting — it's how professional businesses operate. Here's how to do it and how to handle the rare customer who pushes back.

How much should you ask for? 25-50% upfront is the norm. The exact amount depends on the job:

Small domestic jobs (under £500): sometimes no deposit is needed, payment on completion is fine Mid-size jobs (£500–£3,000): 25-30% upfront is reasonable Larger jobs (£3,000+): 30-50% upfront is standard, sometimes staged payments Jobs with significant material costs: deposit should at minimum cover your materials

The principle is simple. You shouldn't be financially exposed for more than you can afford to lose if the job goes wrong or the customer turns difficult.

How to ask without it feeling awkward The easiest way is to make it a standard part of how you quote. Put it in writing — in the quote or via email — so it's not a conversation you have to have on the doorstep on day one.

"As per my standard terms, I require a deposit of £X before work begins, with the balance due on completion."

That's it. No apology, no explanation. It's in the quote, they've accepted the quote, the deposit is part of the deal.

For customers you haven't worked with before, this is completely normal. For repeat customers with a good track record, you can use your judgement.

What if a customer refuses to pay a deposit?

The odd genuine customer might push back because they've heard stories about tradespeople taking deposits and disappearing. That's fair. Your response:

"I understand that — unfortunately it does happen. My deposit covers materials so I can order what we need before starting. If you check my reviews on [Google / Checkatrade / wherever], you'll see I've been doing this for X years and I'm not going anywhere."

Most reasonable people will accept that. If someone flatly refuses to pay any deposit regardless of your explanation — that's useful information about how they're likely to behave when the final invoice lands.

Put it in writing — always

When the deposit is paid, issue a receipt immediately. A proper document that shows:

Date received Amount received What it's against (the job/quote reference) That it's a deposit, not the full payment The expected balance due on completion

This protects you and it looks professional. A WhatsApp "cheers, got it" does not.

Staged payments for larger jobs

For jobs running more than a couple of weeks, staged payments make sense for everyone. You're not waiting months for money, and the customer isn't exposed to a huge final bill at the end.

A typical structure for a £10,000 job might look like:

30% on instruction (£3,000) 30% on first fix completion (£3,000) 30% at second fix / practical completion (£3,000) 10% retention on final sign-off (£1,000)

Get this agreed and in writing before you start. If they won't agree to staged payments on a big job, that's worth thinking about before you commit.

What about consumer rights?

For domestic customers, you should be aware of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. Customers have cancellation rights on contracts agreed at home (14 days for distance and off-premises contracts).

In practice, this rarely causes issues if you're doing good work and communicating properly. The regulations are largely designed to protect consumers from high-pressure sales tactics, not to prevent tradespeople from taking reasonable deposits.

The simple truth The lads who take deposits consistently are the ones who don't have horror stories. It filters out the timewasters at the start, covers your materials, and means you're not funding someone else's job out of your own pocket while waiting to see if they pay.

Dayrates lets you raise a deposit invoice in the same place as the final invoice — both linked to the same job, with the deposit automatically deducted from the balance when the final invoice goes out.

Ask for the deposit. Most decent customers expect it.