Your terms and conditions, in plain English

When payment is due

Payment is due within 14 days of the invoice date.

Why this matters A number in writing is what a late fee or a reminder actually hangs off. Without one, “overdue” has no start date.

When to use it Use it on every job.

See also: Net 30 (Payment Terms)

How you can pay

Payment is accepted by bank transfer, card, or cash. [Add or remove methods to match what you actually take.]

Why this matters Stating what you take avoids the client turning up with a cheque, or a card, when you only do transfers.

When to use it Use it whenever you take more than one payment method.

What happens if payment is late

Invoices unpaid past the due date are subject to a late fee of 1.5% per month on the outstanding balance.

Why this matters A fee agreed to in advance is a term. The same fee mentioned for the first time on a reminder reads as a penalty made up on the spot.

When to use it Skip it if you’d rather handle a late payment case by case — a stated fee only holds up if you’re actually willing to apply it.

See also: Late Payment Fee

Partial payments

A partial payment is applied to the oldest outstanding balance first, unless agreed otherwise in writing.

Why this matters Without a rule, a partial payment against a client with more than one open invoice becomes a guessing game about which one it covers.

When to use it Use it if you ever let a client pay a large invoice in more than one instalment.

Invoicing for longer jobs

For jobs running longer than a few weeks, invoices are issued at agreed stages rather than as one bill at the end.

Why this matters A single invoice at the end of a long job means you’re financing the client’s project out of your own pocket until it’s done.

When to use it Use it on anything that runs more than a couple of weeks; skip it on a same-day or same-week job.

Deposit to hold your date

A deposit of 25% is due before work is scheduled; the date is confirmed once it’s paid.

Why this matters A deposit tied to an actual date gives a slow-to-pay client a reason to move; one tied to a vague “starting” doesn’t.

When to use it Use it on any job with a fixed start date worth protecting.

See also: Deposit vs. Retainer

If you cancel after paying

The deposit is non-refundable if you cancel less than 2 days before the scheduled start.

Why this matters A date you turned other work away for has a real cost once it’s cancelled late — the deposit is what covers that, not a penalty for changing plans.

When to use it Use it once your schedule is tight enough that a late cancellation actually costs you other work.

If we have to cancel

If work can’t go ahead for reasons on our side, the deposit is refunded in full.

Why this matters The non-refundable clause only reads as fair if it points both ways.

When to use it Pair it with the clause above — the two are meant to be read together.

Balance due

The remaining balance is due on completion, unless a different schedule is agreed in writing.

Why this matters Sets the default for every job that isn’t explicitly staged, so “when’s the rest due” is answered before anyone asks.

When to use it Use it on every job that takes a deposit.

Deposits that cover materials

Where a deposit is specifically for materials, it is spent on those materials and is non-refundable once they’re ordered.

Why this matters Separates “I changed my mind” from “you already bought the tile” — the second one isn’t yours to absorb.

When to use it Use it on jobs where you order client-specific materials before work starts.

How long the quote stands

This quote is valid for 30 days from the issue date; after that, the price may need to be revisited.

Why this matters Without an expiry, a client can come back six months later expecting a price that materials costs have long since outrun.

When to use it Use it on every quote, especially anything with material costs that move.

See also: Quote vs. Estimate

The price assumes the scope described

This price is based on the scope described above; anything not listed is not included.

Why this matters The single most common source of a dispute is a client assuming a price covers something that was never actually quoted.

When to use it Use it on every quote.

See also: Scope of Work

If material costs move before we start

If material costs rise by more than 10% between the quote date and the start of work, the price may be adjusted to reflect it.

Why this matters Protects a quote with a long lead time from becoming a loss the day supplier prices change, without needing to requote from scratch.

When to use it Use it on jobs booked more than a few weeks out, or on materials with volatile pricing.

Provisional sums

Any item marked as a provisional sum is an estimate only; the final cost is confirmed once the actual work or materials are known.

Why this matters Lets you quote something you genuinely can’t price exactly yet — what’s behind a wall, what a permit ends up costing — without guessing and eating the difference.

When to use it Skip it if every line on your quotes is a firm, known price.

Whether the price includes tax

Prices shown [include / exclude — delete whichever doesn’t apply] tax.

Why this matters One bracket, filled in once, heads off the least fun conversation on the whole list: the one where the final number is bigger than the one they said yes to.

When to use it Use it on every quote — pick whichever bracket is actually true and delete the other.

Extra work gets its own price

Anything outside the scope described above is treated as extra work and quoted separately before it starts.

Why this matters Sets the rule before there’s a specific extra to argue about, which is a much easier time to agree on it.

When to use it Use it on every quote.

See also: Change Order (Variation)

What counts as approval

Extra work only goes ahead once it’s approved in writing — a text or an email reply is enough; a verbal yes on site is not.

Why this matters A verbal yes is easy to remember two different ways once there’s an invoice attached to it. A text isn’t.

When to use it Use it whenever extra work is even a possibility — which is most jobs.

Problems found once work starts

If we find a hidden defect or a pre-existing problem once work is underway, we’ll stop and tell you, and any extra cost is quoted for your approval before we carry on.

Why this matters Covers the rot behind the wall, the wiring that isn’t up to code — the things nobody could have quoted on because nobody could see them yet.

When to use it Use it on any job that opens up something you can’t fully inspect in advance.

What’s explicitly not included

This quote does not include [permits, painting, disposal — list what’s excluded].

Why this matters The things people assume are “part of the job” are exactly the things worth naming as excluded, in writing, before they’re assumed.

When to use it Use it whenever a job borders on work you don’t do.

Access you need to provide

You’ll need to provide reasonable access to the site, plus power and water, on the day — unless we’ve agreed otherwise.

Why this matters A job that can’t start because a gate’s locked or the power’s off is a delay that’s on the client, not you — this is what makes that clear.

When to use it Use it on any job done at the client’s property.

Parking and permits

Any parking costs or permits needed to complete the work are your responsibility, unless we’ve agreed otherwise.

Why this matters A city job with metered parking or a permit fee can quietly eat a chunk of margin if nobody said upfront whose cost it is.

When to use it Use it on jobs in areas where parking or permits are genuinely a factor; skip it if that never comes up.

If we’re kept waiting

Waiting time on your end — no access, nobody home, the work area not ready — is charged after the first 1 hour(s), at the standard rate.

Why this matters Your time waiting on someone else’s door is time you can’t bill anywhere else that day.

When to use it Use it if a client no-show or delay has ever actually cost you time.

Rescheduling notice

Rescheduling a booked job needs at least 2 days’ notice; less than that may incur a fee.

Why this matters A slot cancelled at the last minute is a slot you likely couldn’t fill with other work — the notice period is what gives you a fair chance to.

When to use it Use it once your schedule is tight enough that a late reschedule genuinely costs you something.

No-show fee

A missed appointment with no notice at all is charged a no-show fee.

Why this matters Distinct from a late reschedule — this is for the appointment nobody warned you wasn’t happening.

When to use it Use it if a client has ever simply not been there when you turned up.

When ownership passes

Materials and goods supplied remain the property of [your business] until they are paid for in full.

Why this matters Standard retention-of-title wording — it keeps you the legal owner of what you’ve fitted until the invoice for it clears.

When to use it Use it on jobs where you supply materials of any real value.

Workmanship guarantee

We guarantee our workmanship for 12 months from completion. That covers defects in the work itself, not wear and tear, misuse, or work someone else carried out afterward.

Why this matters A guarantee with a stated end date and a stated scope is a lot easier to stand behind than an unwritten “I’ll sort it if it breaks”.

When to use it Use it on any job where bad workmanship, rather than bad materials, is the real risk.

What the guarantee doesn’t cover

The guarantee doesn’t cover materials you supplied, pre-existing conditions, or damage from normal wear.

Why this matters Pairs with the guarantee clause above so “guaranteed” doesn’t quietly turn into “guaranteed against everything, forever”.

When to use it Use it alongside the workmanship guarantee, not on its own.

Materials you supply

Materials you supply are used as provided, and we can’t guarantee they’re fit for the job.

Why this matters If the tile the client bought themselves turns out to be the wrong grade for the job, that’s a different problem than workmanship — this says so.

When to use it Use it whenever a client wants to supply their own materials.

Storing materials on site

Materials or tools left on site between visits are at your risk, unless we’ve arranged something specific.

Why this matters Covers the gap between visits on a multi-day job, where something left in a garage or a yard is out of your hands either way.

When to use it Use it on multi-day jobs where anything gets left on site overnight.

Photos for a portfolio

We may use photos of the finished work in a portfolio or in marketing, unless you tell us in writing that you’d rather we didn’t.

Why this matters An opt-out default gets you a usable photo library from normal jobs, while still respecting the client who’d rather you didn’t — a rental property or a client who values privacy, say.

When to use it Use it if you ever post before/after photos anywhere.

What happens to your details

Your details are used only to carry out and invoice this job. We never sell them or pass them to anyone else.

Why this matters A one-line privacy commitment costs nothing to state and is exactly the kind of thing worth saying plainly instead of leaving unsaid.

When to use it Use it on every job.

Asking for a review

We may ask you for a review once the job is done. We won’t offer you anything in exchange for one.

Why this matters Most review platforms prohibit incentivized reviews outright, so stating the rule here is less a legal formality than a note to your future self.

When to use it Use it if you ever ask clients for reviews.

How long records are kept

We keep job and invoice records for [how long — e.g. 7 years] for tax and warranty purposes.

Why this matters Ties back to the workmanship guarantee above — a guarantee is only enforceable if you can still find the invoice it’s attached to.

When to use it Use it if you want a written answer ready for “do you still have my invoice from two years ago”.