Payment Methods
Bank Transfer
- Traceable record
- Safe for both parties
- Keep confirmation
Credit Card
- Consumer protection
- Can dispute if issues
- May have fees
Cash
- Risky, no record
- Get signed receipt
- May be tax avoidance
Payment Structure
Typical payment schedule:
- Deposit: 10-20% (max 10% for contracts over $20k in most states)
- Progress: Against completed stages
- Final: On satisfactory completion
Red Flags
- Cash only demanded
- Large deposit (over 20%)
- Payment before any work
- No invoice provided
- Full payment demanded early
Protecting Yourself
- Never pay in full upfront
- Keep payment records
- Match payments to completed work
- Get receipts for everything