Deposits, GST and Paying for Asphalt Work in NZ
The quote looks fine. The price makes sense. Now comes the part nobody explains: how does paying for this actually work? Is a deposit normal, or a red flag? When is the balance due? Where does GST fit?
If you have never bought trade work before, these questions can stall a booking for weeks. So here is the whole thing, laid out plainly, the way we run it at Rapidpatch and the way any reputable asphalt contractor in New Zealand should.
Why deposits exist (and why they are normal)
A deposit on trade work is not a trust exercise. It covers two real costs the contractor takes on the moment you book.
First, materials. Hot mix asphalt is ordered per job and cannot sit around. Once your job is scheduled, the contractor commits to buying material for your date. Second, the slot itself. A crew booked for your driveway on Thursday is a crew not booked anywhere else. If you cancel on Wednesday night, that day is hard to refill.
So a deposit is standard across New Zealand trades, and its absence can actually be the warning sign. Contractors who ask for nothing upfront sometimes plan to ask for everything in cash on the day, which is its own problem. We have written before about how to spot a dodgy asphalt operator, and vague or cash-only payment terms sit near the top of that list.
What should raise your eyebrows is not a deposit. It is a deposit with no written quote behind it, no invoice offered, or a percentage that feels closer to full payment before any work has happened.
When the balance is due
The second half of the money conversation is balance timing, and this is where surprises hurt. A good contractor tells you exactly when the balance falls due before you pay a cent of deposit. There should be nothing left to negotiate on the day the crew arrives.
At Rapidpatch the sequence is simple: you accept the fixed quote, pay the deposit to lock the date, and settle the balance shortly before the scheduled work date. Nobody stands in your driveway with an EFTPOS machine renegotiating. The price was fixed from your photos, so there is nothing to renegotiate anyway.
Whatever contractor you use, get the timing in writing. "Balance on completion", "balance before the work date", "progress payments" — all are legitimate structures. The problem is only ever the structure you did not know about.
GST: always on the invoice, never a surprise
GST trips people up in two ways. Quotes quoted "plus GST" that read like the final number, and cash offers where GST quietly disappears along with the paper trail.
Here is what correct looks like:
The quote states clearly whether the price is GST-inclusive or exclusive. For residential customers, a total including GST is the number that matters.
The invoice shows the GST amount as a line, not buried in the total.
The invoice carries the contractor's GST number. You can verify a GST-registered business through the NZBN register online in about a minute.
"No GST if you pay cash" means no invoice, which means no proof of the work, no warranty conversation later, and no leg to stand on if the repair fails. That discount costs more than it saves.
None of this is complicated. A contractor doing it properly has nothing to hide on the invoice face. This is general guidance on how invoicing normally works, not tax or legal advice — if your situation involves a business claiming the GST back, talk to your accountant.
What you should receive when the job is done
Payment buys more than a patched hole. The completion pack is part of the product, and it matters if you ever sell the property, make an insurance claim, or need to show a body corporate what was done.
A proper handover includes:
A tax invoice showing the work, the GST, and the contractor's GST number.
A dated before-and-after photo report of the repair.
The original written quote, so the paper trail runs from first photo to final invoice.
We attach the photo report to every completed job as standard. It is dated, it shows the defect before cut-back and the finished compacted surface after, and it files away in one email. Owners who later sell tell us that folder does quiet, useful work during due diligence. If you are still at the quoting stage, what to photograph for a fixed price covers how the same photos start that trail.
Bank transfer or card: your choice, same price
The last small hesitation is usually method. Some people want the control of a bank transfer. Some want the card, either for the points or because it is Tuesday night and they want it done now.
Both work here, for the deposit and for the balance, and the price is the same either way. There is no card surcharge quietly added and no discount dangled for cash. If a contractor's pricing changes depending on how you pay, ask why — the honest answers are rare. For context on what the work itself should cost before any payment mechanics enter the picture, our Auckland pothole repair cost guide sets out the ranges.
The short version, then your next step
Deposit locks the date and buys the materials. Balance timing is agreed in writing before you commit. GST sits on the invoice face with a checkable GST number. You finish with an invoice and a dated photo report, and you pay by bank transfer or card at the same price.
That is the whole machine. The only input it needs from you is a few photos of the defect — send us a photo for a fixed price and you will have a written quote within 24 hours, with every payment term stated before you decide anything.
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