Yes, a deposit before a handyman starts is normal, but only in one situation: when the job needs materials the trade has to buy before the day. For a small labour-only job, most reputable handymen in Warwickshire expect nothing until the work is done.
That is the short answer. The rest of this guide covers what the UK norm looks like, the warning signs that a deposit request is really a red flag, and exactly how we handle deposits and payment at Mendwell, including the part where our own deposit is higher than the figure Citizens Advice suggests as a guide.
When is a deposit reasonable?
A deposit is reasonable when it covers something the trade has to pay for before they have earned anything. Materials are the obvious case. If a job needs a new door, a run of skirting, fence panels or a tap, someone has to buy those things, carry them, and be out of pocket until the job is finished. A deposit shares that risk fairly.
It is also common on bigger jobs where a trade has blocked out several days for you. If you cancel late, they have lost that time. A modest deposit shows you are committed and protects their diary.
What a deposit should not be is a way of collecting most of the money before any work is done. Citizens Advice puts it plainly: avoid paying up front if you can, and if a deposit is needed for materials, try to keep it to around a quarter of the total. Paying in stages, with the final payment held until you are happy, is the pattern they recommend.
What is the normal UK deposit for a handyman?
For most handyman work there is no deposit at all, because most handyman jobs are labour with a few small parts. Where a deposit is asked for, trade directory hiring guides describe it as usual on larger jobs or where materials have to be ordered, agreed in writing, with the payment schedule clear before work starts.
Ranges you will commonly see:
- Small jobs (a few hours, minor parts): nothing up front, pay on completion.
- Jobs with bought-in materials: a deposit roughly matching the material cost, often somewhere between a quarter and half of the total depending on how material-heavy the job is.
- Multi-day or made-to-measure jobs (ordered doors, bespoke items): a larger deposit is common because those items cannot be sent back.
Whatever the figure, it should be a percentage of a written quote, not a round number said out loud, and you should get a receipt for it.
How does Mendwell handle deposits?
We ask for 40% of the quote up front only when the materials on a job come to more than £60. Below that there is no deposit, and you pay on completion.
We want to be straight about the 40%, because it is higher than the quarter Citizens Advice suggests. Here is why it sits there. We supply and carry materials as standard, priced against Wickes as the reference point for anything they stock. On a typical handyman job, materials are a large share of the total, so a smaller deposit would leave us buying your door or your fence panels mostly at our own cost before we have earned anything. The 40% is there to cover the materials and nothing more. The labour, which is most of what you are paying for, is not paid until the job is done.
Three things go with that:
- The deposit is always a percentage of a written quote you already have, after a free site visit. We do not price from photos, so there is never a deposit on a job we have not seen.
- If you would rather buy the materials yourself, you can, and then there is nothing to cover, so no deposit. We will say plainly what changes: we cannot guarantee a material we did not choose, and a wrong or short delivery becomes a lost day.
- Taking old materials away is a priced line on the quote if you want it, never something folded into a deposit.
How and when do I pay the rest?
The balance is paid on completion, by bank transfer. You see the finished work, we walk through it together, and then you pay. The same applies on the rare job done on our service rate (£80), which we steer people away from because it means turning up without a plan: nothing is paid until the work is done.
Card and bank details never go in a message. If anyone claiming to be from Mendwell asks you to send card details over WhatsApp or text, or tells you our bank details have changed, stop and call us on 07472 281 663. Our details go on the written quote and invoice and nowhere else.
What are the warning signs around deposits?
The clearest warning sign is a request for a large sum of cash before anything is agreed in writing. Citizens Advice says to avoid traders who only take cash or want everything up front, because it is a sign they may be dishonest or unreliable. A few more to watch for:
- No written quote, just a figure said out loud and a deposit asked for on the spot.
- A deposit that is most or all of the price, with no explanation of what it covers.
- A deposit asked for before you have decided to give them the job.
- No receipt offered, or reluctance to give one.
- A payment that leaves no trail, such as cash to someone whose surname, address and company number you do not know.
A good sign is the opposite of each: a written quote, a deposit tied to a clear reason, a receipt, and a bank transfer to a named business.
What are my rights if I pay a deposit and change my mind?
If you agreed the work in your own home, you normally have 14 days to cancel and get your money back. Work agreed away from the trader’s premises, which includes your kitchen table, comes with a 14-day cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. If you ask for work to start inside those 14 days and then cancel, you can be asked to pay for the part already done and for materials bought at your request. Made-to-measure items are the main exception.
If work is done badly, the Consumer Rights Act says it must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and you can ask for it to be put right or for money off. The Citizens Advice consumer service can contact Trading Standards for you if it comes to that.
Who is this for, and who is it not for?
This applies to homeowners, landlords and letting agents across Warwickshire and the counties either side. If you are further out, ask anyway; we would rather answer honestly than leave you guessing.
It is not a guide to gas or electrical installation. We do not do that work ourselves.
What to do next
The visit and the written quote are free with no obligation. Book at mendwell.co.uk/book or call 07472 281 663. More guides at mendwell.co.uk/guides.
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