How much to ask for
There is no rule, only what is normal in your trade and defensible to the client. What most people land on:
| Situation | Usual deposit |
|---|---|
| New client, any trade | 25% to 50% |
| Job with materials bought up front | Materials in full, plus a share of labour |
| Long job, weeks or months | Smaller deposit, then progress payments by stage |
| Repeat client with a clean payment record | Often none, and that is reasonable to earn |
| Booked date you are turning other work away for | Enough that a cancellation does not cost you the week |
Two things matter more than the percentage. Tie it to something real, so the number has a reason behind it: the materials, the booked date, the first stage. And say what it is not refundable for, in one sentence, before anyone pays it. A deposit with no stated condition is the one that turns into an argument later.
Four ways to word it
Pick by how the conversation has gone so far. All four are short on purpose.
On the quote, which is where it belongs
A 30% deposit ($1,200) books the start date. The balance is due on completion.
In the email that sends the quote
Hi Dana,
Quote attached for the bathroom, $4,000 all in.
To book the week of the 15th I take a 30% deposit, $1,200, which comes off the final invoice. Once that is in I will order the tile and the date is yours.
Deposit invoice is attached. Any questions, call me.
When the client asks why
It is how I schedule. The deposit covers the materials I order for your job specifically and holds the dates so I am not fitting someone else in that week. It comes off the final bill.
For a job with materials, where the number is larger
The tile and fittings come to $2,600 and are ordered to your spec, so I take that up front plus 20% of labour, $3,300 total. The remaining $2,700 is due when the job is signed off.
Put it on the document, not just in the email
An email that mentions a deposit is a conversation. A quote that states the deposit is a term. Put the amount, what it books, and the refund condition in the terms block of the estimate itself, and carry the same wording onto the invoice when you send it. That way there is one number and one sentence, in the same words, on every piece of paper the client has.
Then send the deposit as its own invoice, for the deposit amount, rather than as a sentence in an email. It gets paid faster because there is something to click, and it gets recorded properly because it is an invoice rather than a note. When the job is finished you invoice the balance and reference the deposit invoice number on it.
If the client will not pay a deposit
Sometimes that is a budget conversation and sometimes it is a warning. A client who will not put anything down on a job they say they want is telling you something about how the final invoice is going to go. You are allowed to hear it.
If you decide to proceed anyway, shorten the terms: bill at each stage rather than at the end, so that if payment stops you are out one stage and not the whole job.
What the software does
Send the deposit as its own invoice for the deposit amount, then invoice the balance when the job is done. That works on the free plan today, including the hosted link and the pay button, and it is what most people mean by a deposit invoice anyway. Make one.
Pro adds the part that comes after: recurring and scheduled invoices for stage billing, so the second and third payment requests go out on the dates you set rather than when you remember, and automatic reminders if one of them is missed. $9 a month. See what is in it.
Common questions
How do I ask for a deposit politely?
Put it on the quote as a scheduling condition rather than raising it as a separate request: a 30% deposit books the start date, and it comes off the final invoice. Wording it as how you schedule, rather than as a favour, removes the awkwardness entirely.
How much deposit should I ask for?
25% to 50% is normal for a new client. If you are buying materials to the client specification, ask for the materials in full plus a share of labour, because that is money you cannot recover if the job is cancelled.
Should a deposit be refundable?
Say which it is, in one sentence, before anyone pays it. A deposit tied to something real, such as materials ordered or a booked week, is much easier to hold as non-refundable than a round number with no reason attached.