Deposits

Ask a customer for a deposit on an accepted quote, and track when it's paid.

Why it matters

Collecting a deposit up front protects your shop on bigger jobs. FabWise tracks the deposit alongside the job, so the balance on the final invoice is always the contract minus what the customer already paid.

How it works

A deposit is tied to an accepted quote. You set how much — either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the quote total — and FabWise generates a deposit invoice you can send to the customer. When the money arrives, you mark it paid. The amount you collect is remembered and subtracted automatically when you bill the job.

Where to find it

Page: the Quote tab of a job
Path: Jobs > (open a job) > Quote
Who can see it: account owners and admins

You'll see the deposit actions once a quote is accepted.

What you'll see

Before you ask

If the job has a deposit set, a Request deposit button appears next to the accepted quote. Selecting it generates a deposit invoice you can email to the customer.

After you ask

Once a deposit invoice exists, the action becomes Mark deposit paid. Select it when the customer's payment lands.

Advancing with an unpaid deposit

If you move a job into production while a deposit is still unpaid, FabWise asks you to confirm: This job has an unpaid deposit invoice. Advance into production anyway? It's a reminder, not a block — you decide.

What to do

Set the deposit on the quote (a flat amount or a percentage) before you request it.
Send the deposit invoice, then mark it paid when the money arrives.
Generate the final invoice when the work is done — the paid deposit is already subtracted.

Common questions

Q: Can I set both a percentage and a flat amount?
A: A flat amount takes priority when it's set. Otherwise FabWise uses the percentage of the quote total.

Q: What if the customer never pays the deposit?
A: You can still move the job forward — FabWise confirms with you first, but doesn't stop you.

Q: Does the deposit change the contract total?
A: No. The deposit is money toward the same contract. The final invoice bills the contract minus the deposit you actually collected.

[Final invoice](final-invoice.md)
[Change orders](change-orders.md)

Last updated: 2026-05-21