Guide

How much deposit should a tradesperson take?

Updated 24 October 2026

Taking a deposit is the single best protection against not being paid. If materials are involved, you should not be carrying all of the risk. But ask for too much and a good customer can walk away. Here is how to get the balance right.

Typical deposits by type of job

• Call-outs and small repairs: usually no deposit. Take payment on the day by card or transfer.
• Jobs of one to three days: 10% to 25%, with the balance on completion.
• Kitchens, bathrooms and refurbishments: a staged plan such as 25/25/50 (deposit, first day on site, completion).
• Made-to-measure or special-order items: enough to cover the materials, often 30% to 50%.
• Extensions, re-roofs, heat pumps and solar: a deposit, then stage payments tied to milestones.

Work out the amounts for any job with the free deposit and stage payment calculator.

Stage payments: tie them to progress

On anything longer than a week or two, stage payments protect both sides. Tie each stage to something the customer can see, such as "first fix complete" or "roof watertight", not to a calendar date. It makes each request feel fair and avoids arguments about whether you are on schedule.

A common domestic pattern is 25% on booking, 25% on the first day on site and 50% on completion. Front-load more, such as 30/40/30, when most of the cost is materials bought early.

Homeowners can cancel: what that means for deposits

If you agree a contract with a homeowner at their home, or online or by phone, they normally have 14 days to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, and you must tell them about this right. If they want you to start within the 14 days, get that request in writing. If they then cancel, they pay for the work done up to that point. If you never told them about the right to cancel, they may be able to cancel for longer and owe nothing.

How to ask without putting customers off

• Put it on the quote, so it is part of the price, not a surprise later.
• Explain what it is for: "The deposit covers the materials I order for your job."
• Make it easy to pay: a card payment link on the deposit invoice gets it paid there and then.
• Be consistent. If every customer pays a deposit, nobody feels singled out.

Deposits in QuoteChase

When a customer accepts your quote online, raise a deposit invoice for any percentage in one tap, with an optional card payment link. When the job is done, convert the quote to the balance invoice. For longer jobs, raise a standalone invoice for each stage in between. If a payment is late, the automatic reminders handle the chasing.