How to ask a client for a deposit before starting work

Ask plainly and put it in the estimate as a standard term: “We take a deposit of X% to get on the schedule, with the balance due on completion.” Most service businesses ask for a percentage up front, commonly somewhere between 25% and 50%, and serious clients won’t blink.

That’s the whole move. The rest of this guide is about saying it without flinching, picking a number, and actually collecting the money.

Why deposits are normal

You’re fronting real costs before the client pays a dime. Materials, permits, time you’ve blocked off that you can’t sell to anyone else.

A deposit covers some of that exposure. It also proves the client is committed. Someone who won’t put money down before you start is telling you something about how they’ll behave when the final invoice arrives.

And it filters out tire kickers early, before you’ve spent a Saturday measuring their kitchen.

How to phrase the ask

It’s policy, not a favor. The difference shows in the wording.

Don’t ask “would you be okay with a deposit?” That invites a negotiation. Say how you work:

“We take 30% up front to hold your spot on the schedule. The balance is due when the job’s done.”

One sentence. Said the same way you’d say your hourly rate. If you sound apologetic about it, the client will treat it as optional.

How much to ask for

There’s no law of nature here, just convention. Most trades land between 25% and 50%, with smaller jobs trending higher (sometimes 50% on a one-day job) and bigger jobs trending lower, often broken into progress payments instead of one large deposit.

A rough way to pick a number: cover your materials plus enough that walking away would sting the client more than it stings you. On a long job, skip the big single deposit and bill in stages. Deposit and progress invoicing walks through how to structure that.

One caution: some states cap deposits for certain trades, home improvement contractors especially, so check your state’s rules before you set a number.

Put it in writing on the estimate

A deposit mentioned on the phone doesn’t exist. Put it on the estimate itself, as a line in the payment terms: deposit amount, when it’s due, when the balance is due, and what happens if the job is canceled.

When the client approves the estimate, they’ve approved the deposit. No separate conversation, no surprise later.

When a client balks

It happens, mostly with clients who’ve never hired a contractor before. Explain the why once: it covers materials and holds their spot. That settles most of it.

If they push back hard, offer a smaller deposit or a progress schedule, not zero. And if someone flatly refuses to put any money down on a sizable job, take the hint. The deposit just did its job before you started yours.

Collecting the deposit

Don’t take a verbal yes and wait for a check. Send a real invoice for the deposit amount the day the estimate’s approved, and let them pay by card or bank transfer with a payment link. The easier it is to pay, the faster you’re actually on the schedule.

Then the rule is simple: no deposit, no start date. Hold to it.

You’re not asking for a favor. You’re stating how the job works, and the clients worth having already expect it.