What changes when the job is big
A driveway is an afternoon and a handshake. A whole project — the HOA’s lot, every room in the house, the full yard build — is materials money out of your pocket, days on the calendar, and a number big enough to make the customer flinch. Winging that on a one-line quote is how operators end up financing a stranger’s parking lot on their own credit card.
SideWRK is built for the setup that protects you: measure the whole scope (trace the lot or the yard from the satellite and it prices at your rates), itemize it in phases so the customer sees where the number comes from, take a deposit at approval before you order materials, and collect the rest as the work lands — with financing on the table so the big number doesn’t kill the yes.
What you can use it for
Bid the whole thing, not a guess
Trace the full lot, roof, or yard from the satellite and the real square footage prices at your rates. Phases go on as their own lines — prep, base, finish — so a big bid reads like a plan, not a number pulled from the air.
Deposit before you buy materials
Require a deposit at approval — your call, 10–50% per estimate — paid by card right on the approval page. The pallet of sealer or the truckload of sod goes on their money, not yours.
Collect as the work lands
After the deposit, send a payment request when a phase wraps and record payments as they come. The balance walks down as you go, and the job flips to Paid at zero — you’re never a week of labor deep on a promise.
Let them finance the big number
On bigger card jobs the customer can choose Affirm or Klarna at checkout and pay it off monthly — and you’re still paid in full, right away. The $6,000 job stops dying at the kitchen table.
How to run a big job
- 1
Measure the whole scope
Trace the lot, the roof, or the yard from the sky — or walk it — and get the real quantity into the estimate, priced your trade’s way.
- 2
Itemize it in phases
Each stage is its own line: demo, prep, base coat, finish. The customer sees the plan, and add-ons ride as optional lines they can check.
- 3
Require the deposit at approval
They review the scope, sign with their name, and pay your deposit by card in the same tap. Now the materials run is funded.
- 4
Collect at the milestones
When a phase wraps, send a payment request or take a card payment on the spot. Record it and the balance walks down.
- 5
Grows mid-job? Re-approve
More cracking under the old coat, rot behind the siding — add the work and the customer authorizes the new total before you touch it.
Why the setup is the whole game
Big jobs go bad the same three ways every time: the bid was a guess, the operator fronted the materials, and the scope grew with nothing in writing. All three are setup problems, and all three are solved before the first day of work — a real measurement, a signed approval with a deposit on it, and a re-authorization habit for the surprises.
Get the setup right and big jobs are the best work you can take: fewer trips, better margins, one customer instead of ten. Pair the deposit with customer financing so the size of the number never kills the deal, and price every phase the way your trade bills with adding work.
Big jobs — common questions
How much deposit should I ask for on a big job?
Enough to cover materials plus a margin of your early labor — many pros land between 25% and 50%. In SideWRK you set the deposit per estimate, from 10% to 50%, and the customer pays it by card right at approval.
Can I collect in stages instead of all at the end?
Yes. Take the deposit at approval, then send a payment request or take a card payment as each phase wraps, recording payments as they come. The balance walks down and the job flips to Paid when it hits zero.
What if the scope grows mid-project?
Add the new work to the job and the customer is asked to authorize the new total before you proceed. On a multi-day job that habit is the difference between a change order and an argument.
How does financing work on a big ticket?
On bigger card jobs, the customer can pick Affirm or Klarna at checkout and split the cost into monthly payments. You’re paid in full right away — they finance it, not you, and there’s nothing for you to set up.