Painting Deposits and Getting Paid: How Much to Ask and When

A painting job usually costs you money before it pays you: paint, primer, caulk, tape, sometimes a rented lift, and the days on the calendar you turned other work away for. A clear deposit and balance routine protects you and makes customers take the start date seriously.

How much deposit to take

Most residential painting contractors take 25 to 50 percent up front:

• Interiors: 25 to 30 percent is common, enough to cover paint and hold the date
• Exteriors: 30 to 40 percent, since material and prep costs are higher
• Cabinets: 40 to 50 percent, because of primer, spray materials and the setup time
• Small jobs under $1,000: many painters skip the deposit and collect in full at the end

Check your state first. Some states limit deposits on home improvement work. California, for example, caps the down payment at 10 percent of the contract or $1,000, whichever is less. Other states have rules about written contracts and the right to cancel. Look up yours once and set your standard to match.

The three moments money changes hands

1. When they say yes: the deposit

Send the deposit invoice the same day the customer accepts, by text or email, with a link to pay by card. Put the start date on the calendar only when it is paid. This one rule clears out the customer who was never going to commit, and it stops the "can we push it two weeks?" calls.

2. Large jobs: a progress payment

For exteriors over $8,000 or whole house interiors that run more than a week, add a middle payment, for example when the body of the house is done and only trim remains. Write it in the estimate so there are no surprises.

3. At the final walkthrough: the balance

Walk the job with the customer and a roll of blue tape. Fix the touch ups on the spot or schedule them. Then send the balance invoice from your phone while you are still in the driveway. A link they can pay by card right there beats "I will mail you a check".

Write the payment terms in the estimate

Every estimate should say:

• The total price and what it includes
• The deposit amount and when it is due
• Any progress payment and what triggers it
• The balance, due at completion
• Payment methods you accept
• What happens with change orders (extra rooms, color changes, surprise repairs) and how they are priced

Change orders: price them before you paint them

"While you are here, can you do the hallway too?" is a gift if you price it, and a loss if you do it for free. Write the change, the price and get a yes by text before starting. Add it to the balance invoice.

A worked example

A $6,600 exterior with a 30 percent deposit:

• Day the customer says yes: deposit invoice for $1,980, paid by card that evening. Start date set for the 14th
• Start day: you buy paint and supplies, about $1,100, already covered
• Last day: final walkthrough, two touch ups done on the spot, balance invoice for $4,620 sent from the driveway and paid before you reach the next job

No check, no second trip, and the cash was in your account before you spent it.

Card fees

Card processing runs around 3 percent. Most painters build it into their prices instead of adding a surcharge; on a $4,000 job it is about $120, a small price for getting paid the same day instead of in two weeks.

Stop chasing balances

The painters who chase money are usually the ones who leave without asking for it. Make the balance part of the walkthrough, every time, and send the link before you start loading the van. Keep one list of who paid the deposit, who owes the balance and who paid in full.

PaintPilot sends deposit and balance invoices that customers pay by card online, and shows who has paid in one list; see painting invoicing software. For pricing the job in the first place, read how much to charge for interior painting and how to price cabinet painting.