What to Check Before You Pay a Deposit

Paying a deposit is the moment you're most exposed. Once the money's gone, you're relying on the person you gave it to. Before you transfer a cent, run through this.

Confirm the licence is real — and theirs

In Queensland, fencing and retaining work should be done by a QBCC-licensed builder. Don't just take a licence number on a quote at face value — look it up on the QBCC register and check the name matches the business you're dealing with. A licence that belongs to someone else is a red flag.

Watch for the deposit-and-disappear

We've seen homeowners burned by operators — sometimes impersonating a real company — who take a deposit and vanish. Protect yourself: call the company on a number you found independently, not just the one on the quote, and confirm the bank account details by phone before you transfer anything. Scammers change the account details on an invoice and hope you won't check.

Get the scope in writing

Your quote should spell out materials, heights, lengths, who removes the old fence, and what the deposit covers. If it's vague, it's hard to hold anyone to.

Keep the deposit sensible

A deposit covers materials and securing your spot in the schedule — it shouldn't be the whole job up front. Be wary of anyone asking for the lot before they start.

Before you pay

• QBCC licence looked up and matches the business.
• Company confirmed on an independently-found number.
• Bank details confirmed by phone.
• Scope, materials and timeline in writing.
• Deposit is a portion, not the full price.

A good contractor will be glad you checked — it's exactly what we'd do on our own home.