Deposits and progress payments, within your state’s cap

How much deposit can a tradie take?

It depends on the state the job is in, and Quotebird applies that state’s cap on home building work for you. New South Wales: 10%. Victoria: 10% under $20,000 and 5% from $20,000, then 10% for contracts made from 31 March 2027. Queensland: over $3,300, 10% under $20,000 and 5% from $20,000. Western Australia: 6.5% on contracts above $7,500 and below $500,000. South Australia and Tasmania: 5% on work of $20,000 or more.

Some jobs get a warning instead. In New South Wales, plumbing, gas, electrical or air conditioning work on its own sits outside the cap, so plumbers, sparkies and air con techs are warned rather than capped. In the Northern Territory, a job over $25,000 that builds a home or adds floor area gets a warning about the 5% limit. The ACT has no cap in Quotebird.

How do I set the deposit and progress payments?

Settings → Default deposit sets what new quotes ask for: none, 10%, 20%, 25%, 30% or 50%. If that’s more than the state allows on a job, the quote asks for less by itself and shows Lowered from the amount you set.

For progress payments, tap Add a payment in the Payment plan and choose When materials are delivered or a Stage payment named for the milestone, like “Retaining wall built”. Each is a percentage or an amount, and On completion takes the rest.

What happens to the money a cap takes off the deposit?

It moves to completion, and the note under the plan names the state’s limit with the dollar figure. Where the quote has materials, a button offers to add them as a payment When materials are delivered, so the turf, pavers or plants can be paid for when they arrive instead of at the end.

Does the cap apply to every job?

No. The caps protect people having work done on their home, so Quotebird leaves out business customers, business premises, cleaning and car repairs. Smaller jobs in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania fall under the thresholds above and keep the deposit you set.

When does the customer pay?

With Stripe set up, Quotebird issues the deposit invoice as soon as the customer accepts, and they pay by card on the same page. If the deal is an unsolicited consumer agreement, the deposit waits until the 10 business days are over, and the customer gets the link by email once it opens.

Each progress payment is billed from the quote: under Invoices, tap Materials delivered or Mark as done beside it, then send the invoice. The Final invoice takes off every progress invoice already sent.