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Trader is asking for 50% deposit for a 4 day job

Posted by Yasmin Hassan, on
How high should deposit be ?tradesman is asking for 50% upfront of £1400
Christopher Negus

Christopher Negus

Hello Abdi, I completely agree with James's answer, Please be careful about providing finances up front, especially when the amount is that high. It may be worth asking the carpenter what the deposit amount is for. A lot of companies will ask for a deposit but purely to cover the cost of purchasing materials, you should never be asked to provide payment for any of the labour until the project is completed and you are 100% happy with the works conducted and the condition the site is left in. If the carpenter states that the deposit is for materials, ask for a full break down of the cost before hand to make sure you know exactly where your money is going. If they state that the deposit is for half of the labour cost, its best to look elsewhere, as this is not an industry standard for a smaller job, you would only expect to pay a labour deposit on a larger project and even then 50% up front would be unreasonable. I hope you found this useful and best of luck with your project. - Christopher CLN Maintenance and Development
James Young

James Young

I recommend you be very careful when giving money upfront. So many people get ripped off this way it’s sad but it’s true. Suggest that he does 50 percent of the work first then you will give him 50 percent of the money. If this still doesn’t satisfy him maybe his intentions aren’t that good in the first place. Because it’s a fair compromise if you ask me.

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