Payment schedules on a house build: what to check
A payment schedule on a house build lists when you pay and what each instalment is tied to, dates, stages or both. Check that each trigger matches work you can verify, that retention is held until practical completion, and that the schedule does not front-load more than the early trades justify.
What is a payment schedule on a self-build?
It is the annex or clause that says how much you pay and when. On a house you are building yourself, it may follow stages, foundation, structure, weathertight, first fix, second fix, or calendar dates. The quote total and the schedule total should match; fees and tax should be explicit.
What should each instalment be tied to?
- A named stage defined in the contract or quote
- A percentage of the contract sum that fits the cost of that stage
- A clear invoice trigger, not only "monthly" without a stage
- Retention held back until handover or a named defect period
How do you spot front-loading?
Add the percentages due before the structure is weathertight. Early site works and foundation are real cost, but if more than roughly forty to fifty percent is due before the envelope is closed, you are financing the builder's cash flow more than the work on site. Compare the curve to the heading split on the quote.
What should you ask before signing?
- 01Confirm the schedule sum equals the quote total on the same tax basis.
- 02List what defines each stage in writing.
- 03Ask what evidence triggers each invoice, photos, sign-off, or date alone.
- 04Confirm retention amount and when it is released.
- 05Ask what happens to provisional sums when final prices are known.
Questions on this
Is a date-based schedule always risky?
It shifts risk to you. If the date arrives and the stage is not done, you need a contractual reason to withhold, not just a disagreement.
Should I match payments to the quote headings?
Rough alignment helps. If half the money is due at foundation but foundation is ten percent of the quote, ask why.
What is retention on a house build?
A holdback, often five to ten percent, kept until completion or a named period. It is your leverage after the last invoice.
Can the schedule change after signing?
Only if the contract allows variations. A new schedule without a variation clause is a new negotiation, not a silent update.
Read one before you buy one
The specimen shows the whole structure: status, what each payment was meant to buy, the forecast with its range, the photographic record and the limits of what was checked.