No deposit
Fits: small repeat jobs.
Risk: you carry the paint cost and the no-show.
How much deposit should a painter ask for?
Ask for enough to cover what you must spend before the first coat, mainly paint and supplies, stay inside your state's down-payment limit, and tie every other payment to finished work. That's the logic of the flowchart above. It protects your cash without asking the customer to trust you with money for work you haven't done.
Your customers have been told the same thing from the other side: the FTC advises homeowners not to pay the full amount up front, notes that some states limit contractor down payments, and says never to make the final payment until the work is done (FTC, “Hiring a Contractor”, July 2022).
Updated November 2026
Four painting deposit structures, compared
Booking fee
Fits: busy seasons, customer-supplied paint.
Risk: covers your calendar, not materials.
Materials deposit
Fits: most interiors and exteriors.
Risk: needs a clear cancel policy for tinted paint.
Stages
Fits: multi-week or whole-house work.
Risk: more invoices to track.
A deposit the customer can explain to a friend (“that's for the paint”) is a deposit they'll pay without a fight.
Painting deposit questions
What percentage deposit do painters usually take?
There is no single standard, and some states cap home-improvement down payments. A defensible starting point is the money you must spend before the first coat, mostly paint and supplies, plus a small amount to hold the date. Check your state's rule before you print a percentage on a quote.
Is it legal to ask for a deposit before painting?
Generally yes, but limits vary. The FTC tells homeowners that “some states actually limit the amount of money a contractor can ask for as a down payment” (FTC consumer advice, July 2022). Your state contractor board or consumer agency has the number for your state.
Should a painter ask for 50% up front?
Homeowners are told by the FTC not to pay the full amount up front and to hold the final payment until the work is done (FTC). A large deposit with no reason attached reads as a red flag to careful customers. Tie each payment to something they can see: materials bought, rooms finished, final walkthrough.
Do I need a deposit for a small one-room job?
Often not. If the paint costs less than a missed appointment would, a written booking policy may do more than a deposit. Repeat customers on small jobs are the easiest place to skip it.
What if the customer cancels after I buy the paint?
Say in the quote what happens to the deposit and to custom-tinted paint if they cancel. Write it before the job, not after. If you signed the contract at their home, they may have a three-business-day right to cancel.
Can ScopeBid take the deposit payment?
No. ScopeBid adds deposits and payment stages to the quote, records payments you receive by cash, cheque, e-transfer, bank transfer or a card terminal, and tracks the balance. It does not process cards or move money.
General information, not legal or financial advice. Deposit limits and cancellation rights depend on your state and how the contract was signed.
Honest limits
- The flowchart doesn't know your state's cap. Look it up once and write it in your quote terms.
- ScopeBid records payments; it doesn't process cards or move money.
- It's an estimating and invoicing tool, not accounting or tax software. You set your own tax rates.
- Your first 3 quotes are free with full PDFs. Unlimited quoting, the full Business Memory, job costing and invoicing need ScopeBid Pro, billed monthly or annually.
Who should pick something else: crews that need online card payments built into the quote, or office staff who want a shared desktop system. ScopeBid is a one-phone tool for owner-operators.
Worked example: a $2,400 interior repaint
Three bedrooms and a hallway, four working days, a new customer. You buy the paint and supplies: about $380. The flowchart says: materials deposit, plus one stage because the job runs past three days.
| When | What it's for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| On acceptance | Paint, primer, tape, plastic | $380 |
| After bedrooms are done | Two days of finished rooms | $1,000 |
| Final walkthrough | Hallway, touch-ups, cleanup | $1,020 |
| Contract total | $2,400 | |
The deposit is 16% of the job, and every dollar of it has a name. Change the paint line and the deposit changes with it.
What it looks like in ScopeBid
Deposits and payment stages sit on the quote. When the customer accepts, the quote becomes the job, and the billing card shows contract total, invoiced so far, paid so far and what's left. One design decision we made: internal cost and margin are never printed on the customer's PDF, so you can see your profit while they see a clean schedule.
Put the deposit on your next quote
Three questions, one schedule, one PDF. Download free on the App Store and write your first 3 quotes at no cost.
Related
- ScopeBid: the estimate and invoice app for contractorsQuote jobs from saved pricing, see your margin before you send, share a PDF and turn the approved quote into an invoice. Works offline.
- What to include in a car detailing estimateThe 12 lines every car detailing estimate needs, from vehicle size to condition fees. Free checklist with a score, plus how to send it from iPhone.
- Estimate app that shows profit marginWhich iPhone estimate apps show margin before you send? 4 App Store listings checked November 2026; we make one. Margin calculator included.
- Estimate vs quote vs bid, and 9 more terms new contractors mix upEstimate, quote, bid, proposal, change order, markup vs margin: a plain glossary for new service pros, with a 20-second sorting game.