Roofer wants 50% money upfront

And always take a photo of their number plate.

My husband is a plasterer/renderer. A good one, he doesn’t rip anyone off and is really reasonable but yes he asks for materials up front if it’s a big job.
We don’t have 2k lying around to buy someone’s render for them.
Labour is paid on completion or if a job is going on for a while he comes to an agreement with a customer to take draws off the job at certain intervals.
He’s rendering a big detached house at the moment it will take 6 weeks and I can’t really pay all the bills by myself while he waits until the end of the job to be paid.

This. The tradesmen in our family always invoice after. They use their supplier accounts to get materials beforehand.

I thin it's no unusual to ask for materials costs upfront as otherwise they are left out of pocket if oyu cancel at hte last imnute and they've already ordered everything. I'd hope for a breakdown of materials costs though rather than an arbitrary 50%.

I certainly wouldn't pay anything upfront by bank transfer though as you have zero protections. I'd insist on using a card of some description (preferably a credit card but a debit card is better than nothing).

last builder we opened an account with the merchant and paid materials directly and the builder on first and last day.

what do the t&c or your contract say?

many do 3 payments like a third upfront, a third after work started and a third after completion.

Id say it depends. Do your research. Some small businesses ask upfront to pay for materials. Now some, like DH do have accounts (not a roofer) to pay for materials but chasing for payment from a customer can be a nightmare. What are they meant to do if they pay upfront for material costs and a customer doesn't pay for months, it happens. It can be a double edged sword and we go by how big the job/ cost of materials are.

If they are reputable I wouldn't have an issue but there are some bad ones out there who do take the proverbial.

You could always ask to pay some on a CC to make sure you are covered. Or ask to pay say 25% upfront, 25% when half way and the rest on completion.

We've just finished renovating a derelict property. It needed everything from a new roof, kitchen, bathrooms, re-wiring, new pipework +++.

Not 1 of the 20+ tradespeople we used asked for payment upfront! I'd be concerned why they don't have an account with the local building suppliers? Do you have a contract of when the next payment will be due? He might ask for full payment before its completed!

Maybe it is regional? We are coastal, SE.

Yes normal , we've just paid 40% deposit for a new roof ... quote and acknowledgment of 40% has all been in writing .

Yes, it could be. I am in Wales. Maybe different elsewhere.

No, never!

This is quite normal to pay for materials. If it's the roof then this will be scaffolding.

BUT... make sure you have the builders FULL details e.g. name, business name, business address. And a receipt for the money you paid with this info on.

Do your due diligence, research him, look for reviews that are genuine etc...

(that way, should there be a problem, you have someone to chase for the money)

I would be happy(ish) with 10% upfront to confirm my commitment, but no more. I also wouldn't offer a final payment until the job is complete.

50% up front is fairly normal in my experience

The company I work for wouldn’t start work on, or buy materials for anything without a 50% deposit.

Maybe it’s a regional thing. Good builders with availability are like hens teeth in London, so not unusual to pay a deposit to secure their time essentially.

I’ve just employed several good tradespeople who required some money upfront (usually half). It covers materials and their labour. The balance is paid once finished. If you put as little as £20 on a credit card to make this deposit and get a receipt saying it’s a deposit you are full covered by your bank if a disaster happens. The tradesperson will need a credit card machine.

I wouldn't pay up front either. I would be willing to pay half once they have completed half the job just in case they have a cash flow problem but the remainder wouldn't be paid until I was satisfied with the completed job.

So basically he is asking for you for 1.5 k upfront surely he has funds if he is a businessman to fund this himself til finished? I wouldn't be happy with this either and would only pay when job is finished

Not even for materials?

Just don't. You will never see them again or you will get a crappy job.

And they run the risk of not being paid for their work.

Depends - someone man bands do. We did with one guy and he ended up walking half way through the job.

• a different roofer!. Not sure where the any came from.

This. I absolutely expect to pay a certain amount up front when building an extension or roof for example.

It is. I have had loads of work done on my house over the years. Never paid anything upfront. Sometimes something halfway through, but mostly not asked for anything until job is done.