In response to Journey Of Life, way too many Villagers DO pay in advance when there is no need to do so. It is quite common in lawn services because they offer a discount for payment in advance or payment in cash. Of course if you pay for a year of yard cutting in advance, get your 10% discount, and then get only three or four 'cuts', how did that great discount work out for you? Paying in advance for things like driveway coatings, house or driveway power washing, etc., is just asking for trouble. Have them do the work, look it over carefully to make sure you are satisfied, and then pay for the work that was done. Run away from any company that can't live with that payment schedule.
In response to Kenny C, I agree that special order materials (like paint mixed to homeowner specs or driveway pavers with homeowner initials on them) should be paid for in advance (materials only, not the entire job) because the contractor cannot, in all likelihood, resell the materials if the job falls through. However, if they were ordering a standard color of paint or 'off the shelf' pavers or similar materials, I would not pay anything in advance. For larger jobs, I can certainly see that 'milestone' or 'progress' payments may be appropriate.
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