No A deposit of half the contract value is not industry standard, whatever you are told.
What is reasonable
A deposit covers the installer’s commitment: ordering equipment, booking scaffolding, allocating labour. Those are real costs and it is fair that you share the risk of you changing your mind.
A modest deposit, with the balance on completion, is normal. Staged payments on a larger job, for instance something on order and something on completion, are also normal.
What is not normal is being asked for a large share of the money before anything has happened, particularly before the equipment has been ordered.
Why it matters
If the installer ceases trading between your payment and the installation, you are an unsecured creditor. That is a queue you do not want to be in.
Solar installation is a competitive market with thin margins and companies do fail. It is not a reflection on any particular firm to structure the payments so you are not exposed.
What protects you
Deposit protection through a consumer code Where an installer belongs to RECC or HIES, the code sets standards on deposits and operates protection arrangements. Ask specifically: do you belong to a code, is my deposit protected, by whom, and what does the protection cover? Get the answer in writing.
Cancellation rights A contract signed in your home generally carries a period in which you can cancel without penalty. An installer who tells you the deposit is non-refundable from the moment you sign should be asked to point to where that sits alongside your cancellation rights.
What to do if you are asked for 50%
- Ask why. There may be a reason, such as a bespoke item on long lead time. A good installer will explain rather than assert.
- Ask what protection applies. If the answer is none, that tells you something.
- Propose a different structure. A smaller deposit, a payment when equipment is delivered to site, the balance on completion and sign-off.
- Ask the other installers what they require. If two want a small deposit and one wants half, that is information.
If an installer will not move at all and will not explain, that is worth weighing alongside everything else. It does not make them dishonest. It does make them a bigger risk than the alternatives.
Warning signs around payment
- A discount conditional on paying in full up front.
- Cash only, or a request to pay a personal account rather than the company’s.
- A deposit demanded on the night, before you have had time to read the contract.
- No written contract setting out payment stages.
- Pressure framed as a scheme deadline. Real deadlines are published on gov.uk and none of them require you to pay half up front today.