Should I Pay Before Building Work Is Finished?
Some payment before the end is normal. The skill is keeping what you pay in step with the work that has actually been done.
The short answer
Pay for what was agreed and what has been done, not far ahead of the work.
Yes, in part. It is normal to pay something before building work is finished: a deposit when you accept the quote and, on longer jobs, stage payments as agreed parts of the work are completed. What you should avoid is paying well ahead of the work actually carried out, or paying the full price before the job is done. The final balance belongs at the end.
The principle is simple. Money should follow the work. If what you have paid and what has been built stay roughly in step, both sides carry a fair share of the risk, and the contractor still has a reason to come back and finish. The rest of this page explains how to keep it that way.
Why payments are split
Each payment has a job to do
A deposit secures your place in the contractor's diary and shows you are committed. On some jobs it also helps cover materials that have to be ordered in advance. How much is reasonable is covered in how much deposit should a builder ask for?
Stage payments are used on longer projects so the contractor is not funding weeks of labour and materials out of their own pocket. Each payment should be tied to a stage you can see has been reached, such as a structure being up or a roof being watertight. There is more on this in staged payments explained.
The balance is paid on completion, once the work described in the quote has been done and you have had a chance to look it over.
Telling them apart
What is normal, and what deserves a conversation
None of the items on the right is automatically a problem. Each one is worth a calm question before you pay.
Usually reasonable
- A deposit agreed in writing when you accept the quote
- Stage payments tied to visible milestones
- Paying for special-order materials, with a supplier invoice
- The balance due when the work is complete
- Payment to the business named on the quote
Worth asking about first
- The full price requested before work starts
- Stage payments set by date rather than progress
- A request for money before a stage is reached
- A discount offered for paying in cash
- Bank details that don't match the name on the quote
If you're asked for more
How to handle a request for money early
Contractors sometimes ask for money sooner than agreed, often for an ordinary reason such as a materials order or a supplier wanting payment up front. Ask what the payment is for and ask for it in writing. If it is for materials, ask for the supplier's invoice and for the materials to be delivered to your property.
You are entitled to stick to the payment terms you agreed. It is reasonable to say, politely, that you will pay the next amount when the next stage is reached. A written payment schedule agreed at the start makes this conversation much easier, because both of you can point to it.
Keep a record of every payment and what it was for. Receipts matter at the end of the job too, as invoices and receipts for building work explains.
Matching payments to the job
How the pattern changes with the size of the job
On a short job lasting a few days, such as a repair, there is rarely a need for anything beyond a deposit and a balance on completion. The work is finished before stage payments would make sense.
On a job lasting several weeks, such as an extension, stage payments are common. The number of stages matters less than how they are defined. "When the walls reach roof height" is a stage you can check with your own eyes. "Week three" is not, because it says nothing about the work.
Whatever the size of the job, the final payment should be large enough to matter. If almost everything has been paid before the finish, there is less pressure on anyone to tie up the loose ends promptly. That is not a comment on any contractor's honesty. It is simply how incentives work on any piece of work, and good contractors understand it.
The quotes and payments guide brings deposits, stages and final payments together in one place if you want the wider picture.
Before each payment, ask yourself one question: if the contractor stopped today, would the work done so far be worth roughly what I have paid? If the answer is yes, your payments are in step with the work.
With Mortaro
Two payments, set out before you commit
When Mortaro coordinates your project, the payment terms are written into your quotation before you accept anything: a 25% deposit to secure the works, and the balance on completion. There is nothing to pay for the site visit or the quotation.
Both payments are made to your appointed main contractor, who is named in the quotation. We receive them as the contractor's payment administration agent and pass them on without unnecessary delay. You pay by bank transfer. The details are on payments explained.
Straight answers
Questions about paying early
Is it ever sensible to pay in full upfront?
It is rarely necessary on building work. If a contractor asks for the full price before starting, ask why, and consider whether a deposit and a balance on completion would work instead.
What if the job is nearly finished and the contractor asks for the balance?
The balance is normally due when the work is complete. Walk round the job, note anything outstanding, and agree how it will be dealt with. See when should I pay the final balance?
Should I buy the materials myself to avoid paying upfront?
It can work, but it blurs responsibility if materials turn out to be wrong, late or damaged. If you do it, agree in writing who orders what, and who is responsible if something is unsuitable.
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