Guides

Taking deposits on flooring jobs

Published November 3, 2026

A deposit does two things. It covers money you spend before the job starts, mostly materials, and it turns a "yes" into a commitment on your calendar. Here's how installers commonly set the amount, the trade-offs between ways of getting paid, and what to put in writing. Deposit rules differ by country, and often by state or province, so treat this as a starting point and check the law where you work.

How much to ask for

Deposits on flooring jobs commonly fall somewhere between about 10% and 50% of the total. Where you land depends on a few things:

• Materials. If you buy or special-order material before the job, many installers ask for enough to cover it.
• Size and timing. A large job, or one booked weeks out, ties up more of your money and your schedule.
• The law where you work. Some countries, states and provinces limit deposits on home-improvement work, set rules for how they're held, or give homeowners time to cancel after signing. Check the consumer-protection rules where you work before you set a policy. Two examples: in the US, California limits the down payment on a home-improvement contract to $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less; in the EU and the UK, consumers can usually cancel a contract made at their home, or made remotely such as online, within 14 days.

If the deposit you can take doesn't cover the materials, decide how you'll handle the gap before you order: carry the cost yourself, or set a payment schedule the rules where you work allow.

Card vs payment apps and bank transfers

Card

• The customer can pay right away from the quote, with whatever card they have.
• Every payment has a clear record: amount, date and who paid.
• There's a processing fee. Customers can also dispute card payments, and a signed quote that states the deposit and what it's for is your best evidence if they do.

Some installers build the expected card fee into their prices. If you're thinking of adding a separate surcharge for card payments, check first: surcharging rules vary by country, state and card network, and some places don't allow surcharges on consumer card payments at all.

Payment apps and bank transfers

Which of these your customers use depends on the country. In the US, it's often Cash App, Venmo or Zelle. Elsewhere it's often a bank transfer or a local instant-payment system, such as Pix in Brazil or BLIK in Poland.

• Many customers already use at least one of them, and the money often arrives quickly.
• Check each service's terms for business payments. Some expect you to use a business account, and business accounts can carry fees.
• Instant payments are often hard or impossible for the payer to reverse. In the US, for example, Zelle payments generally can't be cancelled once they're sent to an enrolled recipient. That protects you from reversals, but it's also why some customers are wary of paying someone new that way.
• The record-keeping is on you: match each payment to the right job and mark the deposit as paid.

Many installers offer both: card for convenience, and a transfer or payment app for customers who prefer one.

Get it in writing

Put the deposit terms on the quote itself, so they're part of what the customer signs:

• the deposit amount and when it's due, for example on signing;
• what it covers, such as ordering materials and holding the date;
• what happens if the customer cancels, especially once special-order material has been bought;
• any legal right the customer has to cancel, and how the deposit is refunded if they use it;
• when and how the balance is due;
• which payment methods you accept.

Don't order materials until the deposit has actually arrived. A screenshot of a payment isn't the same as money in your account.

Keep the records straight

Whatever the method, give the customer a receipt for the deposit, and keep each payment matched to its job: who paid, how much, how, and on what date. When the balance comes in, the same record shows exactly what's left to collect, and it's what your bookkeeper will ask for at the end of the year. Some tax systems treat a deposit as taxable when it's received, so ask your accountant how to record it.

If you have to cancel a job yourself, return the deposit promptly, ideally by the same method it was paid, and note the refund on the job record.

How Parquo does it

Parquo puts the deposit on the quote. Where Stripe supports payouts to your country through Parquo, your customer can pay it by card right from the quote link, and it goes through Stripe Connect to your bank: you set up payouts inside the app, Stripe's fees apply, and Parquo currently takes no fee of its own. You can also add your own payment link, or show Cash App, Venmo and Zelle details where your customers use them, and mark the deposit paid when that money comes in.

Related guides

• How to write a flooring quote customers sign
• How many boxes of flooring do you need?
• Herringbone vs diagonal vs straight lay: waste and labor