What's normal
Consumer guidance and contractor practice mostly agree on the range: for smaller interior jobs, painters commonly take 10–20% down or skip the deposit entirely; for larger whole-house work, 20–30% is typical. Homeowner-facing guides — Angi's included — coach people to be wary of big upfront asks, and "half or more down" is the line consumer advice consistently flags. Which means if you ask for 50%+, you're the red flag in their browser tab. A third up front is about the ceiling of what reads as normal.
Why take one at all? Two honest reasons: it covers your paint order so you're not floating materials on your own card, and a homeowner with money down doesn't ghost the start date. A deposit is commitment flowing both directions.
Check your state before you standardize
Deposit limits are law in some states, and the famous one is strict: California caps home-improvement deposits at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less — a rule the CSLB enforces, and violating it is a misdemeanor. On a $6,000 repaint in California, the legal maximum deposit is $600. Other states range from no cap to their own specific limits. Look yours up once, set your standard inside it, and put it in your contract template.
The three-day rule affects when you can spend it
Under the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, contracts signed at the customer's home generally carry a three-business- day right to cancel, and you're required to disclose it. Practical consequence: a deposit collected at the kitchen table isn't really yours until that window closes. Don't order custom-tinted paint on day one of a cancellable contract.
Payment schedules that work
- 50 / 50 — deposit at signing, balance at completion. Simple, standard for jobs of a few days. (Where state caps apply, the first number shrinks to the legal max.)
- Thirds (33 / 33 / 34) — signing, start of work, final walkthrough. Better for bigger or multi-week jobs; keeps cash arriving as costs arrive.
- Progress payments tied to milestones — for the largest jobs; each payment maps to completed work, which some state rules effectively require.
How to say it without it being weird
Put it on the quote as a plain line — "Deposit to schedule: $500. Balance due at final walkthrough." — and say it the same way out loud. No apology, no drama. Homeowners expect a deposit; what makes them nervous is vagueness about it. A written schedule with exact numbers reads as professionalism, and professionalism is most of what they're comparing between their three bids.
Payment schedule, built into every quote
Rollr quotes carry your payment split — 50/50 or thirds — with exact dollar amounts computed automatically, and the schedule flows into the contract when they accept.