Upfront payment for landscape gardener?

ZV Yoda

We’re planning to have some work done in our back garden. I just received a written quotation from a gardener. He wants a small booking deposit (fine for me) but I was surprised to see he wants 50% payment 3 days before work commences, and the balance on completion.

Is this normal? He’s been in business a long time and seems legit, but I’m not happy to hand over that kind of money upfront.

Harry Palmr

Does the work require considerable purchases for things like aggregate, flag stones, hired equipment etc? If so then he's right to ask up front to cover such costs - after all if you changed your mind or indeed fell over dead he might be left out of pocket.

ZV Yoda

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Does the work require considerable purchases for things like aggregate, flag stones, hired equipment etc? If so then he's right to ask up front to cover such costs - after all if you changed your mind or indeed fell over dead he might be left out of pocket.

It’s a big enough job, so he’ll need a lot of paving slabs, bricks, flag stones and a mini digger.

Harry Palmr

There we are. Any small to medium tradesman who has to spend significant money for the job to be completed will want payment. He could have given you more warning mind you!

ZV Yoda

Harry Palmr wrote: »

There we are. Any small to medium tradesman who has to spend significant money for the job to be completed will want payment. He could have given you more warning mind you!

The job is pencilled in for April. I received his detailed quote today which says 50% is due 3 days before work actually commences.

I understand there are material costs, but I’ve never had any tradesman or builder ask for upfront payment before.

My concern is that I have no guarantee he’ll actually show up. I’m quite happy to pay his supplier directly / upfront for materials if he’s worried he’ll get stung for costs.

drunkmonkey

Do you know people he's done work for, I would have assumed they have their own mini digger or at least can get one on account from their supplier and you would buy the required materials.
If you haven't checked them out do before you hand over any money.

ZV Yoda

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Do you know people he's done work for, I would have assumed they have their own mini digger or at least can get one on account from their supplier and you would buy the required materials.
If you haven't checked them out do before you hand over any money.

I spoke with 3 of his clients. He does seem legit and has been in business for about 20 yrs. Still doesn’t sit right with me

Esse85

If he's in business 20 years then I'm sure he's seen some chancers during this time. I think he's well within his rights to ask for it.
From his point of view, what if you cancel the job a week before he's due to start and he's turned down work thinking he's doing a job for you and now he's out of pocket.

rje66

50% is a lot though, 25-30 would be normal. Just get a written receipt on headed paper to cover your self. Get references from previous jobs aswell.
"Been in business 20years " means nothing. Plenty of cowboys at it longer than that.
Then again if he wants 50%on completion he is leaving himself open to be exploited too!!

ZV Yoda

Ok. Thanks all

Dublinmuppet

Mine was 30 percent before work started. I was waiting 6 months for work to be done and I paid that about a week before. He did tell me he would normally have taken the fee much earlier as he ordered the stuff but I was local to him

magicbastarder

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Does the work require considerable purchases for things like aggregate, flag stones, hired equipment etc? If so then he's right to ask up front to cover such costs - after all if you changed your mind or indeed fell over dead he might be left out of pocket.

would it be reasonable to make a condition of the upfront payment be that such materials are delivered to site as payment is being made?

Harry Palmr

magicbastarder wrote: »

would it be reasonable to make a condition of the upfront payment be that such materials are delivered to site as payment is being made?

Perfectly assuming it was practical. Best thing probably in fact as any breakage is on the clients head.

ZV Yoda

magicbastarder wrote: »

would it be reasonable to make a condition of the upfront payment be that such materials are delivered to site as payment is being made?

I’ll chat to him today and come up with something that works for both of us. I appreciate he needs a level of protection against a last minute cancellation, but it’s not acceptable that I’m the one who assumes all of the risk.

looksee

After sailing through a house renovation with no hassle, employing individual contractors, I was then 'taken' twice out of two with outdoor work - one was careless, the other was a group (it turned out) of complete out and out scammers. The 'landscapers' got their money after the job - the issues in the first case didn't show till they were gone and in the second case I paid them a not insignificant amount of money to get them off the property with the job only a partially (very badly) done, in spite of their claims they were finished. So even paying after is no guarantee of a good job.

Buy materials up front, payment when the job is done.

There really, really does need to be some sort of escrow/arbitration set up for work on house and grounds situations. Its hard on the few genuine firms, but the whole set up is so open to abuse on both sides its getting impossible to get anything done.

Harry Palmr

There is a site I found while wondering about payment for a job that I'll never get round to!

https://www.onlinetradesmen.ie/TradeyPay.aspx it doesn't cover everything and I've not tested it but might be helpful for some.

Also handy to read. http://blog.tradesmen.ie/2013/03/using-escrow-to-safeguard-your-building-project/

HBC08

ZV Yoda wrote: »

I’ll chat to him today and come up with something that works for both of us. I appreciate he needs a level of protection against a last minute cancellation, but it’s not acceptable that I’m the one who assumes all of the risk.

He's taking the same risk that you will pay on completion of work.
I'd imagine if you start haggling with him over this he might decide youre a troublesome client and tell you to find someone else.Id say he'd have no shortage of work.

Sleeper12

It's not unusual for Plumbers to charge half upfront for something like a new heating system.

You have to remember that tradesmen are left wide open without something upfront. I know one plumber hasn't been able to get to paid for a new boiler and rads for the last 3 years. Presented the bill on completion. Owner said he'd transfer the money. Plumber left. Transfer never happened. Homeowner just told him that he wasn't paying. Tradesmen can't use the small claims court.

It's not unreasonable for you to share the risk with the tradesman