How much should I pay the builder up front?

How much should I pay the builder up front?

Brian Berry (External Affairs Director, FMB) gives expert video advice on: How many builders should I get a quote from?; Should I always go with the lowest quote?; Will the job always be done for the quoted price? and more...

Well, we recommend that you actually don't make any payments up front. A good builder, a professional builder, won't be asking for money up front. He should have a schedule which details the payments you will need to make during the course of the building work. And we also recommend that you withhold a certain amount of money until the work is complete, just to make sure that you are happy with the finished product.