The call came on a Thursday afternoon. She was crying before I finished saying hello.
She'd handed $22,000 to a contractor who showed up with a brand-new truck, a clean polo shirt, and a clipboard full of promises. He demoed the kitchen. Framed one wall. Then he stopped answering his phone.
Three weeks later she was standing in a gutted kitchen with exposed wiring, a Porta-Potty in the driveway, and no way to reach the man who had her money. The deposit was gone. The work was not.
I've been painting and renovating in the Bahamas since 1992. I've walked into the aftermath of this exact situation more times than I can count. And here's what I can tell you after 34 years in the trade: that contractor didn't wake up planning to rob her. He just ran out of money, got in over his head, and disappeared rather than face her. The deposit funded his last job's mistakes.
Here's what nobody in the trade will tell you about contractor deposits.
The Deposit Is Not the Problem. The Deposit Structure Is.
Most homeowners think the danger is the amount. It's not. The danger is handing over a lump sum before you've verified anything.
A legitimate contractor needs money to start. Materials cost real dollars. But a legitimate contractor also has trade accounts at supply houses — they don't need your entire budget upfront. If someone demands 50% before a single tool comes off the truck, you're not a client. You're a lender.
I've seen it work like this: a contractor takes your deposit, uses it to finish the last guy's job, then scrambles to find the next deposit to start yours. It's a Ponzi scheme with tool belts. When the music stops, someone is standing in a gutted kitchen.
What a Real Contractor Looks Like When They Show Up
This is where tools matter — not because expensive tools make a good tradesman, but because a serious professional invests in equipment that lasts. When I pull up to a job site, the saw that comes out of my truck is a DEWALT DWS779 12-inch double bevel sliding compound miter saw. It's not a flex. It's a signal.
Here's why that matters to you, the homeowner: a contractor who shows up with beat-up, mismatched tools they clearly bought at a pawn shop is telling you something. They're undercapitalized. They can't afford to replace what breaks. And when their circular saw dies mid-job, guess whose deposit buys the replacement?
The DEWALT DWS779 costs about $599. A contractor who owns one has skin in the game. They've invested in their trade. That saw will still be cutting true when the job is done because it's built for professionals who use it every day — not weekend warriors who use it twice and shove it in a garage.
The same goes for the rest of the kit. A legitimate crew runs DEWALT 20V MAX tools — the hammer drill and impact driver combo that handles concrete and framing without skipping a beat. A 6-1/2 inch cordless circular saw that cuts clean through plywood and 2x material all day. These aren't luxury purchases. They're the baseline equipment of someone who intends to still be in business next year.
What the uninformed homeowner does: Sees tools and assumes competence. Anybody can buy tools.
What you'll do now: Look at the condition and consistency of the tools. A contractor running a matching set of professional-grade equipment — DEWALT, Milwaukee, Makita — has invested in their business. A contractor with a Frankenstein collection of whatever was cheapest at the hardware store is one broken drill away from your deposit.
Three Questions That Expose a Bad Contractor Immediately
These are the questions I tell every homeowner to ask before signing anything. I didn't read these in a book. I learned them by watching the aftermath of bad hires for 34 years.
1. "Can I see your last three completed jobs?"
Not photos. Addresses. A real contractor is proud of their work and their past clients will take their call. Someone who hesitates, makes excuses, or shows you pictures from "a few years back" is hiding something. Probably several things.
2. "What's your payment schedule — and what triggers each payment?"
The right answer: materials deposit (10-15%), then payments tied to completed milestones you can see. Framing done, you pay. Rough electrical inspected, you pay. Drywall hung and taped, you pay. Never pay for work that hasn't happened yet.
3. "Who's actually doing the work — you or subcontractors?"
If they're subbing everything out, your money is passing through someone else's hands before it reaches the person holding the hammer. Every layer between you and the worker is another point of failure. I've seen general contractors take the deposit, pay subs late (or not at all), and vanish when the subs walk off the job.
The Tool Check You Can Do Yourself
Before the contractor leaves your driveway after the estimate, glance in the back of their truck. You don't need to know model numbers. You're looking for organization and condition. Tools stored properly. Cords managed. Saw blades clean. A contractor who treats their own equipment like garbage will treat your house the same way.
If you see a DEWALT DWS779 sitting on a stand with the dust collection hooked up, you're looking at someone who thought about their setup before they arrived. That's the kind of person you want cutting trim in your living room.
I didn't write this to sell you a saw. I wrote it because I've watched too many families hand their savings to someone who had no business holding a deposit. You didn't save $20,000 to gamble it on a contractor's ability to manage cash flow.
The right tools don't make the tradesman. But they do tell you who showed up ready to work — and who showed up hoping your deposit clears before their truck payment bounces.
If you're about to renovate, walk into that contractor meeting like you've been doing this for 34 years. Ask the questions. Check the truck. Trust your gut.
And if you're building out your own tool collection — whether you're a homeowner tackling smaller projects yourself or a new contractor trying to do this right — the DEWALT 20V MAX XR hammer drill and impact driver combo kit is where I'd start. That set has pulled me out of more tight spots than I can count.
DEWALT DWS779 12-Inch Miter Saw
DEWALT 20V MAX XR Hammer Drill & Impact Driver Kit
DEWALT 20V MAX 6-1/2" Cordless Circular Saw
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