# How Much Deposit Can a Tradie Ask For in WA? Deposit Rules for Your Quotes and Website

Asking for a deposit protects your materials and your diary, but WA has clear guidance and, for home building work, a legal cap. Here is what Consumer Protection WA and the Home Building Contracts Act say, plus how to show your deposit terms on your website and quotes.

Published: 2026-11-10
Category: business
Author: JetBlok Studio

> **Quick answer**
>
> - **Most trade jobs: keep it small.** Consumer Protection WA tells customers to pay only a small deposit, no more than 10 per cent of the total price, and to pay instalments as the work is done. ([Consumer Protection WA, Hiring tradespeople](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/hiring-tradespeople-0))
> - **Home building work: 6.5 per cent is the legal cap.** For home building work contracts valued between $7,500 and $500,000, the maximum deposit before work starts is 6.5 per cent of the contract price. ([WA Government, Building or renovating your home](https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/building-and-energy/building-or-renovating-your-home))
> - **After that, only genuine progress payments.** Once work starts, payments should be for work already done or materials already supplied.
> - **Taking a deposit and not turning up is prosecuted.** Consumer Protection WA has fined WA tradies who took deposits and did not deliver. ([Consumer Protection WA, Paid the deposit but still waiting for the tradie?](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/announcements/the-commissioner-paid-the-deposit-still-waiting-the-tradie))

Deposits are one of the first things a careful customer checks before they call you. They have heard the stories about tradies who take the money and disappear, so a big upfront payment makes them nervous, and a vague one makes them suspicious. A clear, fair deposit policy on your website and quotes does the opposite: it tells people you run a proper business.

We build [websites for tradies](https://jetblok.com.au/websites-for-tradies) across Perth, including quote forms and online bookings that take deposits. This guide sets out what WA guidance and law actually say about deposits, in plain English, and how to show your terms so customers trust them.

*This is general information from Consumer Protection WA and WA Government guidance, not legal advice. If you do home building work, get advice on your contracts.*

## Why customers in WA are checking your deposit terms

In May 2026 the WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection wrote that the team had seen an increase in complaints about tradies who take deposits and then fail to start, or complete, the work. The same post lists recent prosecutions: a cabinetmaker ordered by the Perth Magistrates Court to pay more than $15,000 in fines and compensation, and two landscapers fined over $5,000 each for taking upfront deposits from three customers and failing to complete the work. ([Consumer Protection WA](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/announcements/the-commissioner-paid-the-deposit-still-waiting-the-tradie))

The Commissioner's checklist for customers is worth knowing, because it is what your customers are being told to look for:

- get written quotes that clearly set out the scope of work, timelines and payment stages
- check that electricians, gas fitters, builders, painters and plumbers are licensed
- only pay a minimal deposit, of no more than 10 per cent, and make sure the receipt or invoice includes the business's details
- pay by credit card for the chance of a chargeback if the services are not provided as agreed

If your website and quotes already answer those points, you remove the reasons a cautious customer has to go with someone else.

## General trade jobs: the 10 per cent guidance

Consumer Protection WA's page on hiring tradespeople says some trades require a deposit to book in a job and cover parts or materials. It tells customers to pay only a small deposit, no more than 10 per cent of the total price, to make instalments as the work is done as set out in the quote terms, and not to pay the total amount before the job is completed. ([Consumer Protection WA, Hiring tradespeople](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/hiring-tradespeople-0))

For most trade jobs outside home building contracts, that 10 per cent figure is guidance to consumers rather than a legal cap written into a specific Act. In practice it works like a benchmark. If your deposit is well above it, expect more customers to question it, and be ready to explain why, for example a large special-order item.

## Home building work: the 6.5 per cent legal cap

Home building work in WA is different. The Home Building Contracts Act 1991 applies to home building work contracts with a fixed price between $7,500 and $500,000. The WA Government factsheet says a contract cannot provide for a deposit before work starts that exceeds 6.5 per cent of the total cost of the work. ([WA Government, Home Building Contracts Act factsheet](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-10/home_building_contracts_act_factsheet.pdf))

This catches more trades than people expect. The factsheet lists examples of home building and associated work including:

- erecting a new home or making additions to an existing home
- installing a swimming pool
- cabinetry or tiling work for a kitchen or bathroom
- constructing a garage, shed or pergola
- performing landscaping work

The factsheet also says a "builder" under the Act is anyone who carries on a business that performs home building work or associated work for others, whether or not they are a registered builder. So a patio installer, kitchen fitter, tiler or landscaper quoting a $9,000 job for a homeowner should treat 6.5 per cent as the ceiling.

A few other rules from the same WA Government guidance sit alongside the cap:

- **Progress payments must be genuine.** Once work has started, payments must only be for work actually performed or materials already supplied. The factsheet's example: a builder cannot demand a progress payment for bricks until the bricks have been delivered to the site.
- **Off-site cabinetry exception.** Where off-site cabinetry work is more than 50 per cent of the contract value, a deposit of up to 20 per cent can be requested. ([WA Government](https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/building-and-energy/building-or-renovating-your-home))
- **Contracts must be in writing.** They must contain all the terms, show the date and be signed by both parties. An oral agreement is not enough.
- **Home indemnity insurance first.** For residential building work above $20,000 (with some exceptions for associated work on its own), the builder must take out home indemnity insurance and give the owner a certificate before starting work or asking for any payment, including a deposit.
- **Penalties.** The factsheet says penalties of up to $10,000 for an individual and $50,000 for a company can apply where a builder fails to comply with the Act.

Contracts below $7,500 or above $500,000 are outside the Act's deposit cap, according to the WA Government page, but the Consumer Protection guidance and the Australian Consumer Law still apply.

## Deposit limits at a glance

| Job type | What WA says about the deposit | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General trade job (repairs, servicing, small installs) | Customers are told to pay no more than 10 per cent and pay instalments as work is done | Consumer Protection WA guidance |
| Home building work, fixed price $7,500 to $500,000 | Maximum 6.5 per cent before work starts, then genuine progress payments only | Home Building Contracts Act 1991 |
| Off-site cabinetry over 50 per cent of contract value | Up to 20 per cent | WA Government, Building and Energy |
| Home building work under $7,500 or over $500,000 | No cap under the Act, but consumer guidance and the Australian Consumer Law still apply | WA Government, Building and Energy |

## If you cancel or change the price after taking a deposit

The Commissioner's post is direct about this. If a tradie needs to cancel a job after taking a deposit without providing any goods or services, they are required to return the deposit in full. If they need to increase the quote after accepting a deposit, the customer is allowed to back out and get the full deposit back. ([Consumer Protection WA](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/announcements/the-commissioner-paid-the-deposit-still-waiting-the-tradie))

That is a good reason to only take a deposit when you have a firm quote and a realistic start date. If materials prices are moving, put a clear quote expiry date on the quote rather than taking the money early and repricing later. Consumer Protection WA notes that quotes and estimates may have an expiry date after which they are no longer valid. ([Consumer Protection WA](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/hiring-tradespeople-0))

## Your deposit terms are a claim, so make them accurate

The ACCC says any information a business provides about its products or services must be accurate, truthful and based on reasonable grounds, and that this includes information on prices. It lists websites, social media and quotations among the places the rule applies. ([ACCC, False or misleading claims](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/false-or-misleading-claims)) If your website says "small deposit" but your quote asks for 40 per cent, or your booking page says "fully refundable" but your terms say otherwise, that mismatch is a problem waiting to happen.

## How to show your deposit policy on your website

This is where a deposit policy turns into more booked jobs. Customers comparing two or three tradies in Gosnells, Thornlie or Canning Vale will pick the one who looks organised and safe. Practical ways to show it:

- **One short line near your quote button.** For example: "Deposit of 10% to book, balance in stages as work is done." For home building work: "Deposit capped at 6.5% under the Home Building Contracts Act. Progress payments only for completed work."
- **A "How payment works" section** on each service page with the stages written out: deposit, progress payments, final payment on completion.
- **The same numbers everywhere.** Website, quote template, invoice and booking page should match.
- **Your business details on every quote and receipt.** Consumer Protection WA tells customers to check the receipt or invoice includes the business's details, and its quote guidance mentions contact details, ABN and licence details.
- **Licence and insurance proof.** Customers are told to check licences, and for building work over $20,000 they should get a home indemnity insurance certificate before paying anything. Say on your site that you provide it.
- **Card payments.** Customers are told a credit card gives them chargeback protection. Accepting cards for the deposit removes one more reason to hesitate.
- **Online deposits only when the quote is firm.** If your website takes deposits through an online booking, tie the deposit to a confirmed quote and start date, not an estimate.

## Example wording you can adapt

- General trades: "To lock in your booking we take a 10% deposit once you accept your written quote. The rest is paid in stages as the work is done, and the final payment on completion."
- Patios, pergolas, pools, kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping: "For home building work between $7,500 and $500,000 our deposit is no more than 6.5%, as set by the Home Building Contracts Act. After that we only invoice for work completed or materials delivered to site."
- Cancellation: "If we cancel before starting, you get your full deposit back."

Only use wording that matches how you actually work. If you do not take card payments or do not give a home indemnity certificate, do not imply that you do.

## A quick deposit check for your website

- Does your website say how much deposit you take and when?
- If you do home building work, is your deposit at or under 6.5 per cent for jobs between $7,500 and $500,000?
- Are progress payments tied to work done or materials delivered?
- Do your website, quote, invoice and booking page all use the same numbers?
- Do your quotes show your business details, ABN, licence number and an expiry date?
- Do you say what happens to the deposit if you cancel?

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a legal limit on tradie deposits in WA?

For home building work contracts with a fixed price between $7,500 and $500,000, yes: the Home Building Contracts Act caps the deposit at 6.5 per cent, with an exception of up to 20 per cent for off-site cabinetry over half the contract value. For other trade jobs, Consumer Protection WA tells customers to pay no more than 10 per cent.

### Can I ask for full payment upfront?

Consumer Protection WA tells customers not to pay the total amount before the job is completed. For home building work under the Act, only the capped deposit is allowed before work starts, then genuine progress payments.

### Do I have to refund the deposit if I cancel?

Consumer Protection WA says that if a tradie cancels after taking a deposit without providing any goods or services, they are required to return it in full.

### Can I take deposits through my website?

Yes, many tradies do. Keep the amount consistent with the rules above, take it only once the customer has accepted a firm quote, and show the terms clearly before they pay.

## Sources

- [Consumer Protection WA, Hiring tradespeople](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/hiring-tradespeople-0)
- [Consumer Protection WA, From the Commissioner: Paid the deposit but still waiting for the tradie?](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/announcements/the-commissioner-paid-the-deposit-still-waiting-the-tradie)
- [WA Government, Building or renovating your home](https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/building-and-energy/building-or-renovating-your-home)
- [WA Government, Home Building Contracts Act factsheet](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-10/home_building_contracts_act_factsheet.pdf)
- [ACCC, False or misleading claims](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/false-or-misleading-claims)

## Want a tradie website that makes paying you feel safe?

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See it first, pay later: 10% deposit (minimum $199) to start, No GST charged. [Build your quote](https://jetblok.com.au/get-a-quote) or check our [pricing](https://jetblok.com.au/pricing).

## Sources

- [Consumer Protection WA, Hiring tradespeople](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/hiring-tradespeople-0)
- [Consumer Protection WA, Paid the deposit but still waiting for the tradie?](https://www.consumerprotection.wa.gov.au/announcements/the-commissioner-paid-the-deposit-still-waiting-the-tradie)
- [WA Government, Building or renovating your home](https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/building-and-energy/building-or-renovating-your-home)
- [WA Government, Home Building Contracts Act factsheet](https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2024-10/home_building_contracts_act_factsheet.pdf)
- [ACCC, False or misleading claims](https://www.accc.gov.au/business/advertising-and-promotions/false-or-misleading-claims)

Page: [How Much Deposit Can a Tradie Ask For in WA? Deposit Rules for Your Quotes and Website](https://jetblok.com.au/blog/tradie-deposit-rules-wa)