Protected stage payments for building work
A better way to commit the money. A fairer way to get paid.
Assurr brings the work, the money and the agreement together. Before each stage begins, the homeowner puts the money in place. The contractor can see it's there. And both sides know what has to happen for it to be released.
Single-storey rear extension
Illustrative project · £61,850
Project money
Stage 04 · Roof and windows
Awaiting review£14,000
Funding in place
The contractor has submitted the finished stage with its evidence.
Follow Sarah and Carter & Sons through a £60,000 extension. See how they agree the work, fund each stage, record progress, approve payments and handle changes, all in one shared place.
Sarah and Carter & Sons agree a £60,000 rear extension, divided into six stages. Each has a clear specification, an agreed price and conditions for payment.
Sarah funds the £9,000 groundworks stage. Carter & Sons can see the money is in place, giving them the confidence to commit to the work.
Carter & Sons complete the groundworks and add site photographs and the building control inspection record. The evidence is linked to the agreed requirements, ready for Sarah to review.
Sarah checks the evidence against the agreed completion criteria and approves the stage. The £9,000 is released under the agreed payment process.
An unexpected drain requires additional work. Carter & Sons propose a £1,850 variation, explaining what changes and why. Sarah agrees and funds it, bringing the project total to £61,850.
Sarah queries a £750 item. The other £9,100 of accepted work can be released while Carter & Sons put it right. Once the remaining item is accepted, its payment follows.
Both sides can see what was agreed, funded, completed, changed and paid, with the evidence and decisions recorded along the way.
Need money for materials before you start? Make it its own stage.
Explore an example projectBuilding work asks both sides to commit before the work, or the payment, has happened.
For the homeowner
“What if I pay, and the work doesn't get done?”
You're committing money to work that hasn't happened yet. You want to know what you're paying for, that the money won't be released before the work it's for, and that there's a clear process if something isn't right.
For the contractor
“What if I do the work, and don't get paid?”
You're committing your time, labour, materials and cash before the payment arrives. You want to know the money is there, what you've agreed to deliver, and that payment won't become another negotiation once the work is done.
Neither side should have to carry all the risk.
For homeowners
Know what each stage covers, what's been funded, and what has to happen before it's released. Ask about anything that isn't right, and keep a clear record of every decision.
Before you accept a stage
For contractors
See that each stage is funded before you commit people and materials. Record what you've delivered and follow a clear payment process. If one item needs putting right, the rest of the stage needn't automatically be held up.
“I use Assurr so the money for each stage is in place before I start. We both know what needs to be done and when payment will be released.”
Assurr brings the agreement, the stage funding, the evidence and every payment decision together in one shared record.
Both sides can see what's due, what's been submitted, what needs a decision, and what happens when something isn't right.
Not Assurr. Once a stage is funded, its money sits within regulated third-party payment infrastructure, not in Assurr's own account, and moves only through the release, refund or resolution route that applies to the project. Assurr is in early development, and the payment provider is still being selected.
No. Each stage is funded as its start approaches, not all at once. The money for a stage is put in place before that stage starts, so the contractor can see it's there without the homeowner handing over the whole project value on day one.
Not under the agreed process. A stage's payment is released when the homeowner accepts the stage, or the part of it that's done. If an early stage covers design, setting up or materials, it's agreed as its own stage rather than hidden inside a vague deposit.
Nobody is left waiting indefinitely. The homeowner has a review period, set in the agreement, to respond to a finished, evidenced stage, and is reminded before it ends. If there's still no response, they're sent a final notice by email, and the stage payment is released once the further days the agreement sets have passed. A query, a request to put something right, an open dispute or a change awaiting acceptance stops the release. It doesn't apply to the final close-out stage, or to a stage still waiting on a certificate or sign-off.
They give a reason, it's recorded, and the stage comes back for rework. Part of a stage can be accepted while the rest is put right. Either side can raise a dispute. Where the question is whether the work meets the agreed standard, an independent expert decides, and the stage's money follows that decision.
Money that hasn't been released doesn't become the contractor's because the project has started. The record shows what was agreed, evidenced, accepted and paid. Any funded amount not yet released follows the cancellation, refund or dispute route that applies to the project.
Pricing hasn't been set. Assurr is in early development, and joining the waitlist is an expression of interest only: it costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Assurr is not an FCA-authorised payment institution. Assurr provides the project, stage, evidence, acceptance and payment-instruction workflow. Regulated payment services are provided through third-party payment infrastructure, so project money does not sit in Assurr's own operating account.
Whether you're planning building work or doing it, Assurr is being built to make the commitment clearer and fairer for both sides. Explore the demo, or join the waitlist to hear when you can use it.