How construction payments work

Funds are held in your Beams Account and you release them to your builder as each milestone is approved. You're never paying for work that hasn't been done.

Where the money sits

Two weeks before break ground, you fund the project into your Beams Account. The money sits there — not with the builder — until you approve each milestone. The Beams Account is the customer-protection mechanic at the heart of every Beams project: funds stay in your account and only move when work has been done and you've signed it off.

If you've already paid the £1,000 build deposit, that comes off the figure due at this stage.

The four milestones

Construction is typically split into four milestones, each tied to an identifiable stage of the build. Some projects use custom milestones — different numbers, different percentages — but four is the standard shape. Your builder marks a milestone as complete in their dashboard. The platform notifies you. You then have a window to approve it, raise a question, or decline approval if something isn't right.

The four standard milestones are:

Break ground (20%). Site set-up is in place and your builder has begun work.
First fix (30%). Structural, electrical, and plumbing first-fix is complete.
Practical completion (20%). All scope items are installed and the space is usable. You can move in. Snags may still exist.
Sign off (30%). Snags are cleared and the work meets the agreed standard. The 12-month workmanship warranty starts from this point.

The standard percentages are the same on every Beams project; the cash amounts come from your builder's quote.

How a payment is released

Once you approve a milestone, the corresponding payment goes to your builder. Approved milestones are processed weekly: builders submit invoices by midday Thursday and approved invoices are paid out the following Friday. From your end this is automatic — once you've approved, you don't need to do anything else.

If you don't actively approve a milestone, the platform will release payment automatically after a seven-day objection window. This keeps projects moving when everything's clearly fine and avoids holding builders up over a missed inbox.

If you need more time, or want to decline approval over a specific issue, raise it during the window and the payment is paused while you and your builder sort it out.

Why payments work this way

Renovations go wrong financially when money moves before work is done. Holding funds in your Beams Account and tying release to milestones means your builder is paid for what they've finished, and you keep leverage if something isn't right.

The trade-off is a bit more admin than handing over a cheque. It's worth it. Most of the worst stories in renovation come from money that left a customer's hands before the work it was meant to pay for was complete.

What this means for you

Approve milestones promptly when the work has been done. If you're not sure whether something's complete, ask. Builders rely on these payments to keep the job moving — a delay at your end can compound into a delay at theirs.

If you disagree with a milestone, the article What to do if you disagree with a milestone describes the path. The work doesn't stop while a snag is being sorted.

How to approve a milestone
What is a change order
What to do if you disagree with a milestone
The contracts behind your project