"Steve Murphy" wrote in message
I've been to State contractors' board website, as well as through their
phone system, and they only seem to handle complaints, not inquiries for
clarification. And I'm not inclined to file a complaint at this point.

Their site is explicit regarding the maximum deposit that can be asked
for,
but they provide no clarification regarding allowances for materials, etc.

We feel comfortable with this company in general, and as I said, the other
companies also wanted a large deposit up-front (i.e., approx. 45% of
total),
so I was hoping to hear opinions regarding this issue from other
homeowners
and contractors.


What state are you in? I've never heard of those laws here in New England.

It seems as thought he contractor is stretching the interpretation a bit but
I can also see that he'd want to cover his costs of material also. Laws
aside, it seems to be a regular practice to get 33% to 50% down depending on
the type of job. A contractor can really get stiffed if a customer decides
to cancel after material has been ordered.

I hope you get the good job you expect. Please report back with your
experience.