Download the deposit invoice
One A4 page that asks for the deposit and shows the whole job: the quote it's for, the total price, the deposit due now and the balance due on completion. Free, no signup, yours to change.
- Excel (.xlsx): type the job lines and the deposit, and it works out the total and the balance left to pay, with a VAT rate cell (0% unless you're VAT registered).
- Word (.docx): type over the brackets and save a copy for each job.
- PDF to print: fill it in by hand.
Why send a deposit invoice
A deposit on a bigger job pays for the materials you order before you start, and it books the customer into your diary. Asking for it on a proper invoice, numbered like your others, makes it look like what it is: part of the job's price, not an extra.
- Name the quote. Its number and date, so the deposit is clearly part of the price they've already agreed.
- Show the whole price. Total, deposit, balance: the customer sees exactly what's left.
- Say what it's for. "Materials for your kitchen, ordered once this is paid" reads better than a bare figure.
- Take the deposit off the final invoice. When the work's done, the last invoice shows the total, the deposit paid and the balance. The invoice template has a line for it.
A made-up example
A kitchen fitter, not VAT registered, asking for a deposit to order the units:
| Total price of the job (quote 1042) | £6,800.00 |
|---|---|
| Deposit due now | £2,000.00 |
| Balance due on completion | £4,800.00 |
Deposits from homeowners: the 14 days
If you agreed the job at the customer's home or anywhere that isn't your business premises, or at a distance by phone, email or WhatsApp, the homeowner can usually cancel within 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 and get the deposit back, and you have to give them the cancellation information in writing. The deposit guide explains when it applies, what to give them, and what happens if they ask you to start inside the 14 days.
VAT registered? GOV.UK's VAT guide (Notice 700) covers how payments taken before the work are treated. Check it before you send the first one.
Deposits on your phone
Knockround numbers your invoices and sends each one with a Pay button for Apple Pay, Google Pay or card, so the customer can pay the deposit from the message. Try it on the jobs board demo with made-up customers. It's free for 7 days with no card needed, then £19.99 a month.
Written by the Knockround team, 29 October 2026. A guide, not legal or tax advice.