Ask for a deposit whenever a project involves costs or time before payment: usually 30% at order, sometimes 40 to 50% for large jobs or new customers. Presented as a standard practice, it almost never causes friction.
Why ask for a deposit
A deposit turns a promise into a commitment: a customer who has paid cancels less, argues less, and you have the cash the work needs. Asking for nothing means financing your customer interest-free.
What percentage to aim for
30% at order is the reference. Go to 40-50% for a long job, a large material purchase, or a first customer with no history. For a short engagement, full prepayment can be justified.
How to present it without awkwardness
Don’t make it an exception: “I work with a 30% deposit at order, the balance on delivery”. Framed as a rule, it reads as normal — because it is.
Formalise it cleanly
The deposit goes on the quote and leads to a deposit invoice, deducted from the final one. A tool that handles the quote → deposit → balance conversion spares you calculation errors.