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Hi Pat,
Here in MD we are allowed to collect up to 1/3 of the total cost of a job as a deposit. If the job is over 1k we collect that 1/3. Check your states labor and licensing department for what you are allowed to collect.

Usually they are not home, but try and schedule to finish when they will be home. Having them leave a check can be challenging, but sometimes I do that, especially with repeat customers. Also I allow repeat customers to mail the check. If they are within 15 minutes or so of your shop/house you can go collect the check when they get home. Sometimes they will come pay you at lunch if they work near by. I do let some mail to me and you will get some that do not pay. I have only had 3 people get away with not paying me in 4yrs.

If I took credit (I don't, as the fees are more overhead, and few have asked me to use it) I would collect it @ completion like I usually do.

I like your pitch for prepay, that may work out for you. The problem with prepay is if you get rained out, and they already paid, some people might get wierd on you. Customers don't like to be rescheduled, so try and make that only happen on account of rain. I always explain that the job date is weather permitting, and get them talking about how strange the weather can be or how the forcast changes by the hour.

That's how I deal with it, and think about it. Hope it helps.

I am not in the roof cleaning business yet, but expect to be real soon. I have other contracting business's now. I get 50% up front to start, and 50% upon completion. That makes me and the customer feel comfortable together.

Anyone can pay with Paypal. They can use any creditcard & it`s free.

I have never been "stiffed" yet on a job.
All my customers have been very trust worthy and have payed in full after every job.
Must be my professionalism :), but I am sure it may happen to me one of these days (knock on wood lol )

Shot, I have received a 100 dollar tip from a customer once because he loved how clean his roof came out.

I have never asked for anything up front. No problem yet. I always give a simple estimate & most ask when & how do you want to get paid. Kipp

When we sell a custom home we ask for money down. Not a lot and this depends on the customer but enough to keep them from just walking away. Now on an 800 roof cleaning........heck no. I make it a point not to worry about getting paid. If there not home when im done... no big deal i leave my address they can mail it to me. If they are home I try not ask for it. Ill stand around and bs. Make friends. I dont want to come across as money hungry or just after their money. I want to worry about their concerns and needs so when they pay me theyll be happy too. Of course ive never been stiffed but this has worked well for me so far.

We strive to get paid within 15 days of completing the job. This has worked out very well for us so far. In 5 years of doing a variety of contracting type work, we have only had a problem twice. Both of those people paid within 2 days of receiving an intent to file a lien letter. We mail the intent letters on the 16th day after completing the job because the time frames for filing a lien are very tight here. We do not allow anyone to string us along for payment. If we do not receive payment, we will file a lien without a second thought. But, thankfully it has never come to that.
Oh yeah, the reason we are willing to wait up to 15 days is that almost all of our customers are working families with full time jobs. There is very rarely anyone home when we are servicing their homes and we do not want to pester them for payment by asking if we can stop by when they get home to pick up a check. We did that a few times until one customer said he thought it showed desperation for the money and if we were that desperate for the cash, he didn't want to do business with us. I disagree with his perception, but I can understand how he might think that. We decided to make our policy Net 15 for every job.
We take a 25% deposit on jobs over $2000.