ᐅ Advance payment for the front door, or payment based on construction progress?

Hello everyone!
Our construction company is currently working on the shell of the house.
So far, we have been paying according to the progress of the build.
Now we received an invoice for the front door (which hasn’t been installed or even delivered yet).
The construction company said that they are allowed to charge for additional services in advance.
Is that normal?
What would happen if one of the extra services (door, tiles, etc.) turned out to be defective in the end and no one was held responsible?

This is my first house, so please excuse any silly questions from me.

I would avoid paying in advance. What have you agreed on contractually?

A deposit is acceptable—I understand that, for example, windows and exterior doors are custom-made for you. Full prepayment is not acceptable unless it is contractually agreed upon.

Hello,

mcburns schrieb:

Our construction company is currently building the shell of the house. So far, we have paid based on construction progress. Now we received an invoice for the front door (which has not yet been installed or even delivered). The construction company said they are allowed to charge for additional services in advance.
Is this normal?
What if one of the additional services (door, tiles, etc.) turns out to be defective in the end and no one can be held responsible?

No, this is not normal, but it is a well-known trick to bypass the payment schedule!

Even if you ordered a custom-made front door, which usually involves an extra cost, this should – hopefully – have been agreed upon in writing as an addendum to the contract. This additional cost is then distributed proportionally across all due installment payments from the point when the custom door was ordered.

So, do not pay in advance and refer to the valid work and payment schedule.

Regards, Bauexperte