Draw Schedule for a $50,000 Job
Each progress draw
$10,000.00
10% deposit at signing, four equal progress draws, 10% final payment at completion, no retainage held.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Contract amount50000 $
- Deposit at signing10 %
- Number of progress draws after the deposit4
- Final payment at completion10 %
- Retainage held from each draw0 %
Each progress draw$10,000.00
| Deposit at signing | $5,000.0010% |
|---|---|
| Draw 1 | $10,000.00cumulative $15,000.00, 30% of contract |
| Draw 2 | $10,000.00cumulative $25,000.00, 50% of contract |
| Draw 3 | $10,000.00cumulative $35,000.00, 70% of contract |
| Draw 4 | $10,000.00cumulative $45,000.00, 90% of contract |
| Final payment at completion | $5,000.0010% |
The draw schedule this produces
| Deposit at signing | 1 |
|---|---|
| Progress draw 1 | 1 |
| Progress draw 2 | 1 |
| Progress draw 3 | 1 |
| Progress draw 4 | 1 |
| Final payment at completion | 1 |
Number of progress draws compared
More draws means smaller amounts more often, which is usually easier to collect and always easier to survive.
| Number of progress draws | Each progress draw |
|---|---|
| 2 draws | $20,000.00 |
| 3 draws | $13,333.33 |
| 4 draws | $10,000.00 |
| 5 draws | $8,000.00 |
| 6 draws | $6,666.67 |
What else matters here
Five thousand at signing, four draws of $10,000, and $5,000 on completion. That is a standard shape for a $50,000 remodel and it keeps you no more than one draw out of pocket at any point.
Tie each of those four draws to something visible. Demolition complete, rough in inspection passed, drywall finished, fixtures set. A customer can dispute whether a job is 50 percent done. Nobody disputes whether an inspection was passed.
The deposit should cover the material you have to buy before the first draw, not your profit. If the first material order on this job is $8,000, a $5,000 deposit already has you funding the job on day one.
What this calculator assumes
- Several states cap the deposit a residential contractor may take, some at 10 percent and some at a flat dollar figure. Check your own state before you write a bigger number here.
- Draws should follow milestones you can point at, not dates. "On completion of rough in inspection" is collectable. "On 15 October" is an argument.
- A final payment under 10 percent gives the customer no reason to sign off, and one over 20 leaves you funding their job.
Questions people ask
What is a normal draw schedule for a $50,000 job?
A 10 percent deposit of $5,000, four progress draws of $10,000 each, and a $5,000 final payment at completion.
Should draws be on dates or on milestones?
Milestones you can point at. On completion of rough in inspection is collectable because either the inspection happened or it did not. On 15 October is an argument, because the customer will say the work is not where it should be and they will sometimes be right.
Is a 10 percent deposit allowed?
Usually, but several states cap what a residential contractor may take up front, some at 10 percent and some at a flat dollar figure. Check your own state before writing a bigger number, because an over the cap deposit can be a license issue rather than just a contract dispute.
The payment schedule calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.