How much deposit should a builder ask for?
Payments should broadly match work done and materials delivered. A modest deposit for materials can be reasonable; a large up-front payment is a risk.
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Building and home improvement contract (England and Wales)
A building contract for home improvements sets out the work, the price, stage payments, start and finish dates, how changes are agreed and priced, who deals with permissions and insurance, and what happens with defects. Where the customer is a homeowner, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives rights that the contract cannot remove.
When you need one
Use one for any extension, loft conversion, kitchen, bathroom, roofing or renovation job — ideally before any deposit is paid.
What it should contain
Specification and drawings
Exactly what will be built, to what standard, with what materials.
Price and stage payments
A fixed price or clear rates, paid in stages tied to completed work, never too far in advance.
Timetable
Start date, completion date and what happens if work overruns.
Variations
Changes agreed and priced in writing before the work is done.
Permissions and regulations
Who obtains planning permission and building control approval.
Defects
A period after completion in which the builder must put right defects, sometimes backed by a retention.
Points specific to England and Wales
- The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires services for consumers to be performed with reasonable care and skill, within a reasonable time and for a reasonable price if none was agreed.
- Building work in England and Wales needs Building Regulations approval where it applies; planning permission may also be needed.
Different rules can apply elsewhere in the UK: see the Scotland version of this guide.
Common mistakes
- Paying a large deposit up front before any work or materials are delivered.
- Agreeing changes verbally, then disputing the cost.
- No written specification, so nobody can prove what was promised.
See a specimen building and home improvement contract — a short illustration of the structure and key clauses, laid out as the app produces them.
Quick answers
What if the builder does poor work?
A homeowner can require the work to be redone or ask for a price reduction under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, in addition to any rights the contract gives.
Draft your building and home improvement contract now
Be Contract Wise's powerful, carefully prepared drafting tools turn a short set of plain-English questions into a building and home improvement contract under the law of England and Wales, laid out to a professional standard, with an explanation of every clause. Simple or complex, export to Word or PDF.
Start drafting — freeBrowse all guidesReviewed 2026-09-24. General legal information about the law of England and Wales, not legal advice.