Job £5000 ... Builder wants £1500 deposit ??

g4fne

Hi Folks.

I'm after a little advice .. i've had job quoted at £5000 & the builder comes highly recommended by next door neighbour. I've had the quote in writing but when phoned to accept quote he wanted £1500 up front deposit before starting ..... Is this normal practice or do i need to be wary ??

Parisien

Personally, I wouldnt give him a brass farthing until the work is 1/3 completed then staged payments until completion.

Again local condition may prevail, it may be the way its always been done in your area!

misgrace

It is the usual practice, as the builder needs to get materials for the job, and thier outlay is a hell of a lot more than say a decorator.

Usually you pay perhaps a quarter or a third up front, then halfway through you pay another third, then when job complete to your satisfaction you pay the balance.

RosyRed

My husband and son work together as builders,and never ask for money up front.They have an account with a builders merchants that gives 30 days grace,allowing them to get their initial materials.As Parisien says,quite often they do get stage payments if it is a bigger job that lasts a while.HTH

mr_magoo_5

No way would I pay upfront to any builder, especially small/medium works like this. If he’s got a good rep then he would have the cash to do the job and bill you after anyway.
Considering most builders are scratching for work atm I would ask for additional quotes from others and be blunt no cash upfront, sorry. Stage payments in arrears are O.K. because they have a reason to come back and finish. Remember you’re the one with the cash and they want it!

Canucklehead

misgrace wrote: »

It is the usual practice, as the builder needs to get materials for the job, and thier outlay is a hell of a lot more than say a decorator.

Usually you pay perhaps a quarter or a third up front, then halfway through you pay another third, then when job complete to your satisfaction you pay the balance.

Good evening: I concur...my OH requests 25% on the first day of the job for central heating and bathroom installations then as Misgrace suggested...not all trades run an account. As a sole trader he needs to protect himself from rogue customers...once bitten,twice shy and all that.;)

HTH

Canucklehead

andyhop

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good evening: I concur...my OH requests 25% on the first day of the job for central heating and bathroom installations then as Misgrace suggested...not all trades run an account. As a sole trader he needs to protect himself from rogue customers...once bitten,twice shy and all that.;)

HTH

Canucklehead

correct

its ok for others to slam us for watching our backs, there are plenty of rogue tradesmen but theres even more rogue clients, on 2 occasions in the last year i have completed the job, customer happy then was told there cant pay as there dont have funds

if we get stung for one job it could have an effect on our business and family

mickog

could not agree more with the last two post, there seems to be some new law that says a builder is not allowed to ask for some cash up front to cover cost. and then be told at the end of a job that they will have to wait for final payments, we make so much money that we can afford to do this ha ha ha. like someone keep getting quotes and get the cheapest. and then just not pay them. try that in tescos. or sainsburys that you will pay them after you have eat all the goods, joke.

g4fne

Thanks for responses folks.

I completely understand where the builder comes from & i have no reason not to doubt my neighbours recommendation, but after asking around, it would seem that there is differing views on whether a deposit is normal practice.
He's a local builder, not VAT registered & private address only. Perhaps thousands of other builders are the same.
It just took me a little by suprise, as no mention a depsoit required on the estimate & when i questioned it the builder didnt take it to well.

Anyways after ringing 2 other large building firms who confessed to requiring up 50% up front :eek::eek: & another chat with my neighbour who confirmed they too were also asked for funds up front i've decided to pay.
Its alright these TV shows telling us not to part with money up front but if 3 out of 3 builders i contact all dictate i do ... what can one do .

It comes down to trust in the end & though "risky" in my mind i'll have to pay the deposit & keep my fingers crossed :undecided:undecided or not have the work done.

Lets hope in couple weeks time i dont have "MUG" (polite version) written across my forehead.

davsidipp

if the builder did not like it when you questioned about deposit what will he be like when you question him about his work shop around.

pickle

If you're worried and the builder says it's for materials, why not pay the shop direct and ask the builder for a receipt and invoice to say it's for the job. If it is truly for the job then they shouldn't object?