Contractor deposit calculator
Enter the price and what you have to buy before day one. The calculator gives you the deposit, the payment schedule, and the exact payment terms line for the bid.
Between $1,000 and $10,000, 30 percent is normal and nobody pushes back on it. If materials run past that, the deposit is the materials. Never more than half.
Put it on an estimate the customer can sign and pay the deposit on, no account needed.
Your numbers stay in this browser so the next job starts from them. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Why these numbers
A deposit does two jobs. It covers what you spend before you start, and it tells you the customer is real. Ask for too little and you fund the job out of your pocket. Ask for too much and the customer, who is comparing three bids, picks the one that did not. The bands here are what one-truck contractors in most trades use without pushback, from the deposit guide.
- Under $1,000: due on completion. If you have to buy a part first, the deposit is the part.
- $1,000 to $10,000: 30 percent, or the materials if they cost more. Half is the ceiling.
- Over $10,000: 20 percent at signing, a progress payment halfway, the balance on completion. Never more than 30 percent up front.
- Special order: the full cost of the custom items, whatever the band, before you order them.
Put the line on the bid, not in a conversation
The payment terms line is the one line a customer reads twice. "$700 at signing, balance on completion" answers the question before they ask it. Copy it from the calculator and put it on the bid next to the price. The deposit that gets paid is the one that is paid in the same minute they accept, so give them a way to do both at once.
What customers push back on
Round percentages over 50. Deposits with no stated reason. A deposit that has to be paid by check before a date. What they do not push back on is a clear line, a reason, and a way to pay it from their phone.
Questions contractors ask
How much deposit should a contractor ask for?
Under $1,000, none, unless you buy materials first. $1,000 to $10,000, about 30 percent, or the materials if they cost more, never more than half. Over $10,000, about 20 percent with a progress payment halfway, never more than 30 percent at signing.
Is a 50 percent deposit normal?
On a mid-size job with heavy materials, yes, customers accept it when the bid says what it is for. On a $30,000 remodel it is not, and it costs bids. The calculator stops at half on mid-size jobs and at 30 percent on large ones.
Can I ask for the full cost of special-order materials?
Yes, and you should, before you order them. Custom cabinets, a specific tile, a made-to-measure door: if the customer backs out, you own them. Say on the bid that the deposit covers the special-order items.
Are there legal limits on deposits?
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. Pick your state above and the calculator applies the cap. Most states have no statewide cap, but check yours once.
When does the deposit get paid?
At the moment the customer accepts the bid. If accepting and paying are two separate steps, the deposit arrives days later or not at all. Put the deposit on the bid and let them pay it as they sign.
The other tools
- Hourly rate calculator. What to charge per hour, from what you want to take home, your overhead, and the hours you can bill.
- Markup vs margin calculator. Enter a cost and a markup, see the price and the real margin. Or go the other way.
- Job price calculator. Materials, labor, markup, and the deposit to ask for. The number that goes on the bid.
- Invoice generator. Your business, the customer, the lines, tax, the deposit already paid. A clean PDF invoice, no account.
When the number is right, put it on an estimate the customer signs on their phone. Type the job and see it, no account needed. 30 days free, then $29 a month.