Deposit note
Your company
Date:
- Customer
- –
- Job
- –
| Job total | – |
|---|---|
| Deposit Due: | – |
| BalanceDue: | – |
Ways to pay:
Terms
Customer signature and date
Company signature and date
Free tool
Job deposit calculator
By Umair Nawaz, founder of Lirevon Updated How we test tools
Work out a fair deposit for a tree job. Enter the job total, your deposit percent and what you pay before the job, like a crane or a permit. You get a suggested deposit, the balance due and a deposit note you can print or copy for the customer. Every number is yours to change.
Deposit rules differ by state. Short explanation, not legal advice.
1. The job
2. Costs you pay before the job
Money that leaves your account before the work is done. Leave a box at 0 if it does not apply.
3. Limits and rounding
If your state limits deposits, enter the limit here. Leave at 0 for no limit. Short explanation, not legal advice.
4. Terms for the deposit note
Suggested deposit
–
Share of job total
–
Balance due
–
Up-front costs
–
Deposit left after them
–
Estimate only, built from the numbers entered. Check your state's deposit rules. Not legal advice.
Next step
Scroll down to see the deposit note for your customer. Print it, save it as a PDF or copy the text.
See the deposit noteDeposit note for your customer
This updates as you type. Read it over before you send it.
A starting point, not a contract written by a lawyer. Your state may need other wording. Not legal advice.
How the math works
- Percent deposit = job total × deposit percent.
- Up-front costs = crane rental + materials and other rentals + permit fee.
- Cover costs: if that box is on, the deposit is the larger of the percent deposit and your up-front costs.
- Small jobs: if the job total is under your minimum and there are no up-front costs, the deposit is $0.
- Limit: the deposit never goes over your percent limit, your dollar limit (the lower one) or the job total.
- Rounding: the deposit is rounded to your chosen step. If rounding would push it over a limit, it rounds down.
- Balance due = job total − deposit.
Questions about job deposits
How much deposit should a tree service ask for?
There is no single right number. Many owners use a percent of the job total and make sure it at least covers what they must pay before the job, like a crane, a rental or a permit. This tool starts at 25% as a starting point only. Change it to fit your market, your customers and your state rules.
Should the deposit cover my crane rental?
If you have to book and pay for a crane before the job, a deposit that covers it means you are not out of pocket if the customer backs out. Turn on "Make the deposit cover my up-front costs" and the tool raises the deposit to at least your up-front costs, unless that goes over a limit you set.
Are there laws on how big a deposit can be?
In some states, yes. Some states cap the down payment on home improvement or contractor work, and some say what a written contract must include. The rules differ by state and by type of work. Check with your state contractor board or a local lawyer. If you know your state's limit, type it into the limit boxes and the tool will stay under it. Short explanation, not legal advice.
Can a customer cancel and get the deposit back?
That depends on your written terms and your state rules. A federal rule, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule, can give a customer three business days to cancel some sales made at their home. Write your cancel and refund terms on the deposit note so nobody is surprised. Short explanation, not legal advice.
Should I take a deposit on small jobs?
Many owners skip the deposit on small trims or quick removals and only ask on bigger jobs. Set "Only ask for a deposit on jobs over" to your own number. If a small job still has up-front costs, like a permit, the tool still suggests a deposit that covers them.
What happens to the deposit if weather delays the job?
Most owners keep the deposit as a credit and set a new date. Say that in writing. The default terms in this tool already include a weather line you can edit.
What is the difference between a deposit and a progress payment?
A deposit is paid before work starts, usually to hold the date and cover up-front costs. A progress payment is paid partway through a bigger, multi-day job, often after a stage is done. This tool is for the deposit. For multi-day jobs you can add progress payment terms in the terms box.
How should customers pay the deposit?
Use whatever you already take: card, check or bank transfer. If you take cards, remember the card fee comes out of the deposit. Always give a receipt, and keep a copy of the signed deposit note with the job.
Is a deposit taxable income?
How and when you count deposits for tax depends on how your books are set up. Ask your accountant. Short explanation, not tax advice.
Can I send the deposit note to the customer?
Yes. Fill in your company, the customer and the job, then print it or save it as a PDF from the print window. You can also copy the text into an email or text. Read it over first: it is a starting point, not a contract a lawyer wrote.
Is anything I type sent to Lirevon?
No. The math runs in your browser. Your numbers are only kept in this browser on this device so the form is filled in next time. Clear your browser data to remove them.
Learn more: deposit and progress payment in plain words. Running the crew yourself? See Lirevon for owner-operators or browse quick answers.
A deposit needs a booked job first
Get the deposit. But first, catch the call.
Lirevon sets up missed-call text-back, an AI receptionist, quote follow-ups and review requests for tree companies, so more of the jobs you quote turn into booked dates with a deposit paid.