The deposit rule
Deposits over $1,000 on a roof are a no in California.
Good news: the state already made this rule for you. A home improvement deposit is capped at 10% of the price or $1,000, whichever is less. On any roof job over $10,000, that means $1,000. Full stop.
Why the rule exists
Roofing is the trade where the deposit scam lives. Someone takes a big check "for materials," the materials never show, and the phone stops ringing. California's answer was simple: nobody gets to hold much of your money before they have done any work. A real roofer buys shingles on his own account and bills you as the job moves along.
What to say when someone asks for more
- 1"Happy to put down $1,000, that is the California limit. The rest I will pay as the work gets done."
- 2If they push back with "that is just how we do it," that is your answer about how they do it. Say thanks and get another quote.
- 3If they agree, great. Get the payment schedule in the written contract, and ask for the license number on the quote while you are at it.
Two more things that go with it
Get it in writing
Any home improvement job over $500 in California needs a written contract. Price, payment schedule, what is included. No contract, no job.
Never sign at the door
If someone knocked and you signed, you have three business days to cancel a door-to-door contract in California. Use them if you need to.
Already paid more than $1,000?
Do not panic, and do not pay anything else until work is actually happening. Keep every text and receipt. If the roofer disappears, the state's contractor board takes complaints and can go after the roofer's bond. And if you want a roofer who never asks this in the first place, that is what we do.
Want a roofer who already passed our check?
Free, all through us. Tell us your zip and what is going on. We call or text within one business hour.
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