How Much Renovation Deposit Should You Give Upfront?

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Key Takeaways

Homeowners should generally avoid paying more than 20% upfront deposit for renovation.
Upfront deposits above 20% may be reasonable for smaller renovation works, such as kitchen cabinets only.
A fair renovation payment schedule should be progressive, with payments made at renovation milestones based on actual work completed.

Tables of Content

What’s a Fair Amount to Pay for Renovation Deposits?

In general, you should never pay more than 20% in upfront deposits for your renovation.

Exceptions: An upfront deposit of more than 20% might be reasonable for minor renovations e.g. kitchen cabinets only.

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Negotiate a Fair Renovation Payment Schedule

To avoid making unnecessary payment upfront, you should negotiate for a payment schedule that is "progressive" in nature.

This means only paying what is essential at each renovation milestone based on actual work completed.

See: What a fair payment schedule should look like.

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CaseTrust-accredited Renovators are required to propose a fair payment schedule

Renovators with the CaseTrust mark undergo rigorous assessment which verifies that it has good business practices.

Working with Renovators with the CaseTrust mark ensures that you’re protected before, during, and after the renovation.

You can check if a Renovator is CaseTrust-accredited here.

Working with CaseTrust-accredited Renovators is a strong first step — but if you’re concerned about protecting your renovation deposit, our S$1 Million fund HomeMatch Protection gives you real financial protection if things go wrong (designed to not be activated) at zero cost to you.

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Avoid wasting time with renovators who can't meet your needs. We'll match you with CaseTrust-accredited Renovators who meet your budget, design, and other requirements.

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