Special order
Material made or ordered specifically for the job and not returnable: custom windows, cabinets, a particular tile.
Special-order material is the contractor's biggest risk on a job that falls through: if the customer backs out, the contractor owns a window nobody else wants. The deposit covers it, and the bid says so: "ordered against the deposit, not returnable."
The line protects both sides. The customer knows what the deposit is for, and the contractor is not funding someone else's decision.
All terms · Bidding guides · Estimate templates · Check a bid