BC, Alberta and Ontario
My contractor wants a 50% deposit. What should I do?
Want Jay to do these checks for you? A person reviews every check.
No tax added. Report by 8 p.m. Pacific the next day.
A contractor asks for half the price before the work starts. That is a lot of money to hand over. Take ten minutes first. Ask what the money pays for, read your province's page, and check the company. Then decide.
The free steps
1. Work out the real number
Divide the deposit by the total price. Half of a $30,000 job is $15,000. Write the number down. Jay's free deposit checker does the sum in your browser and keeps nothing you type.
2. Ask what the deposit pays for
Ask the contractor what the money is for. Materials they must order now is one answer. A booking fee is another. Ask for the supplier's order or quote if it is for materials. Ask when the next payment is due and what work it is tied to.
3. Alberta: ask about the prepaid contracting licence
In Alberta, a business that takes money before the work is done may need a prepaid contracting licence. The Government of Alberta's page says who needs one and how to look it up.
Official source: Prepaid contracting licence (Government of Alberta; checked 2026-07-15).
4. Ontario: read your rights before you sign
Ontario's page on home renovations explains your rights when you hire a contractor, including a written contract. Read it before you pay.
Official source: Your rights when starting home renovations or repairs (Government of Ontario; checked 2026-07-15).
5. British Columbia: read the province's page
The Government of British Columbia's building-or-renovating pages explain what to settle with a contractor before work starts.
Official source: Building or renovating (Government of British Columbia; checked 2026-10-20).
6. Check the company before any money moves
Search the exact name on the quote in the business registry. Then check the city licence and the trade licence where the work needs one. Each search takes a few minutes. The province pages on this site list them in order.
Official source: Canada's Business Registries search (Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; checked 2026-10-20).
7. Ask for smaller payments tied to the work
You can ask for a smaller deposit, or for payments that come due as each part of the job is done. Get the payment plan in writing on the quote before you sign.
8. Pay in a way you can trace
Pay by a method that leaves a record. Ask for a receipt that shows the company's registered name. Keep it with the quote.
Questions people ask
Is a 50% deposit too much?
No website can answer that for your job. It depends on what the money pays for. A deposit that pays for special-order materials is different from one that pays for nothing yet. Ask, and read your province's page.
Can I ask for a smaller deposit?
Yes, you can ask. A quote is an offer. Many people ask for payments tied to work that is done. The contractor can say yes or no.
The contractor wants cash. Is that a problem?
Cash is hard to trace later. If you pay cash, get a receipt with the company's registered name, the date and the amount.
What does a Jay check add?
Jay searches the public records for the exact name on your quote, with the source and the time checked for each one. Her report says plainly when a record is not found. The $25 Company Check looks at the company before you get a quote. The $39 Full Check also reads your quote and insurance papers, and $59 buys both on one contractor. A person reviews every Full Check before it goes out.
Or ask Jay
Jay does these steps for you and writes down what the records show, with the source and date for each one. No quote yet? We check the contractor's public records before you contact them. Have a quote? We check your quote, the contractor's insurance and public records. A person reviews every check.
Check first. Then pay the deposit.
Information, not a verdict. A record that is not found is not evidence of wrongdoing, and nothing here is legal, insurance or safety advice.
Published 2026-11-08; sources last checked on the dates shown beside each step.