How Much Deposit Can a Contractor Ask For in Maine?
Maine's Home Construction Contracts Act limits the initial down payment to no more than one third of the total contract price.
Maine is one of the states that puts a hard number on how much a contractor can collect up front. Under the Home Construction Contracts Act, 10 M.R.S. Chapter 219-A, any home construction contract for more than $3,000 must be in writing, and among the terms the statute requires is a payment method whose initial down payment cannot exceed one third of the total contract price. The same statute spells out the other provisions a home construction contract must contain, from the total price to warranty and change-order language.
Rules that bear on your deposit
Maine's statute governing the method of payment limits the initial down payment to no more than one third of the total contract price. 1
Maine requires that a home construction contract for more than $3,000 in materials or labor be in writing and signed by both the contractor and the homeowner or lessee. 2
The statute directs that both the contractor and the homeowner or lessee receive a copy of the executed contract before any work is performed. 3
Maine requires the written contract to state the total contract price, including all costs to be incurred in the proper performance of the work. 4
The statute requires change-order language providing that any alteration revising the contract price be executed only through a written change order. 5
Maine requires the contract to include a warranty statement in which the contractor warrants the work will be free from faulty materials and built to the applicable building code. 6
Sources
Maine's home construction payment statute limits the initial down payment to no more than 1/3 of the total contract price.
Maine requires a home construction contract for more than $3,000 in materials or labor to be in writing and signed by both the contractor and the homeowner or lessee.
Maine requires that both the contractor and the homeowner or lessee receive a copy of the executed contract prior to any work performance.
Maine requires the contract to state the total contract price, including all costs to be incurred in the proper performance of the work.
Maine requires change-order language stating that any alteration revising the contract price be executed only upon a written change order.
Maine requires a warranty statement in which the contractor warrants the work will be free from faulty materials and constructed to the applicable building code.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Maine cap how much deposit a contractor can ask for?
- Yes. For home construction contracts over $3,000, Maine's Home Construction Contracts Act (10 M.R.S. 1487) limits the initial down payment to no more than one third of the total contract price.
- What else must a Maine home construction contract include?
- The statute requires a written, signed contract stating the parties, location, work dates, total price, method of payment, a description of the work, warranty and change-order language, and dispute-resolution options, among other provisions.
Last reviewed August 4, 2026
This page is general information about state law, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on the facts of your situation.