Collecting Deposits Online: A Contractor's No-Fluff Playbook

If you do outdoor work, deposits aren't "nice to have". They're how you stop a schedule full of maybes.

Why contractors lose money without deposits

Customers keep shopping because nothing is committed
Jobs get rescheduled at the last minute (and you eat labor gaps)
You buy materials and block time with no cash protection

A deposit changes behavior. It makes the job real.

How much deposit should contractors collect?

Common patterns:

Residential: 25–50% (higher when weather/material risk is high)
Commercial: 10–30% (often tied to mobilization or materials)
Large jobs: staged payments (deposit → progress → final)

The rule: collect enough to protect your downside.

The 3-step deposit flow that works

Send a clean proposal (scope + price in a format they trust)
Make the next step obvious: "Pay deposit to lock the schedule"
Track status so you don't chase blindly

BidBlitz does this with a one-click Stripe deposit link from the bid.

Related page: /deposit-collection-for-contractors

What to say (scripts)

Script 1: simple and normal

"To lock your spot, we take a 50% deposit. You can pay it right inside the proposal. Once it's paid, you're on the schedule."

Script 2: when they hesitate

"Totally understand. The deposit just protects the crew time and materials. If the schedule changes because of weather, we reschedule you — but the deposit keeps your priority."

FAQ

Do deposits scare customers away?

They scare away customers who weren't going to commit. That's a win.

Can customers pay without an account?

Yes — with BidBlitz + Stripe, they can pay from the proposal.

Next step

If your bids are getting approved but not turning into scheduled work, deposits are the missing lever.

Start here:

/pricing
/bid-software