How much deposit should a contractor ask for?
What is normal by trade, what customers accept without pushback, and how to collect it without chasing.
A deposit does two things: it covers materials you have to buy before you start, and it tells you the customer is real. The wrong amount costs you jobs in one direction or cash in the other. Here is what works.
What is normal
- Small jobs under about $1,000: no deposit, due on completion. Asking for $150 up front on a $400 faucet job costs you more in friction than it saves.
- Mid-size jobs, $1,000 to $10,000: 30 to 50 percent. Enough to cover materials and a wasted day if they cancel.
- Large jobs and remodels: 10 to 30 percent up front, then progress payments at milestones. Nobody expects half of a $40,000 job before you show up.
- Custom or special-order materials: the cost of the materials, whatever that is, before you order them.
What customers push back on
Round percentages over 50. Deposits with no stated reason. Deposits that have to be paid by check or cash before a date. What they do not push back on is a clear line on the proposal, "$1,200 at signing, balance on completion," with a way to pay it in the same minute they accept.
Check your state
Some states cap deposits on home improvement contracts. California limits most to 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less. Maryland caps at one third. Texas has no statewide cap but some cities and lenders have rules. Look yours up once and set it as your default. The deposit calculator applies the bands above, and the California and Maryland caps, to your job price.
Collecting it without chasing
The deposit that gets paid is the one that is paid at the moment of acceptance. If you send a proposal, get a yes, and then ask for a deposit, you have added a second decision and a second delay. Put the deposit on the proposal, make Accept and Pay one button, and the deposit is paid before you have hung up the phone.
BidWriter Pro lets you set a default deposit once, shows it on every proposal, and collects it by card when the customer accepts. Card processing plus a 1% platform fee comes out of the payment. How it works.
Free, no account: job price calculator, markup vs margin, hourly rate, and 84 sample estimates.
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