There is no way that I would pay them in advance. But, if you absolutely need to, I would offer to put it on a credit card with the understanding that you will dispute the charge with your bank if the materials are not delivered within 60 days. Under Federal law, you have 60 days from the credit card statement date on which the charge first appears to dispute the charge. I would do this even if I had to pay a small fee for using a credit card. Note that you can always reinstate the credit card charge if the contractor can prove that the materials are running late. If the contractor will not accept a credit card, I would find another contractor. Also, I would take any Google reviews with a grain of salt. Good luck.
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