What to check before paying a builder
Money is easier to hold than to recover. A short pause before each payment protects both you and a good working relationship.
The payment pause check
Work through these before approving any request.
- Does the work claimed actually exist on site?
- Does the request match the agreed payment schedule?
- Are variations included, priced and agreed?
- Have relevant inspections been passed?
- Is any retention being handled correctly?
- Are you paying ahead of progress rather than in step with it?
Deposits
A deposit should be proportionate, documented and tied to something tangible such as materials ordered in advance, never a large sum for goodwill.