Standards Library — Payments

Payment Gates

Three gates. Materials at booking. 50% labor before work begins. Final 50% at sign-off. No gate is skipped. No payment is moved. Here's why each one exists.

The Three Gates

Stated Homes structures every project around three payment gates. Each gate is tied to a verifiable milestone — not a payment schedule that advances on a calendar. No crew gets paid before you authorize work. No final payment is due before your written approval.

Gate 1
Materials — 100% at Booking
100% of material cost
When you accept the Verified Stated Quote, 100% of the material cost is due. This payment orders your specific materials — roofing products, flooring, paint — and reserves your project slot. Without this payment, no materials are ordered and no schedule is held. This gate protects you from the contractor who "orders materials when you're ready" and protects the project from supply or pricing changes after booking.
Gate 2
Labor — 50% Before Work Begins
50% of labor cost
On your stated start date, before any crew touches your property, 50% of the labor portion is due. This is your explicit written authorization to proceed. No work begins on any Stated project without this gate cleared. This payment funds crew mobilization, equipment staging, and project management for the active phase. It also establishes your contractual authorization for all work described in the approved scope.
Gate 3
Labor — Final 50% at Sign-Off
Final 50% of labor cost
Work is complete. Stated issues a closeout package with photos and documentation. You have a 48-hour inspection window. You provide written sign-off. Final payment is due after your written approval — not before. On permit-required projects, a passed city inspection is also required before this gate closes. If a punch-list item is identified during review, it is corrected before sign-off — not invoiced after.

Why This Structure?

The most common contractor dispute pattern: too much paid upfront, too little leverage at the end. The second pattern: contractor finishes most of the work and the homeowner withholds final payment over undocumented disagreements. Stated's payment gates eliminate both.

At no point in a Stated project does the homeowner pay 100% before work is inspected. At no point does the contractor complete a project without payment protection on the back end. Both parties are structured to deliver on their end.

Accepted Payment Methods

Stated accepts check, ACH/bank transfer, and major credit cards. Cash is not accepted. Every payment is documented with a receipt tied to its gate milestone. No undocumented payments are recognized.

Important

If anyone representing Stated Homes requests cash, asks you to skip a gate, or requests a payment that doesn't match a documented milestone, do not pay and contact Stated directly at info@statedhomes.com immediately.

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