The rules where you live
Deposit limits, efficiency minimums and refrigerant rules all change at the state line. A 50% deposit is lawful in Arizona and a misdemeanour in California.
Every state that capped a deposit
6 did. The rest did not, and a page telling you there is a national 10% rule is wrong — only two states use that figure.
| State | Cap on the initial deposit | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| California | the lesser of 10% or $1,000 | Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7159.5(a)(3) |
| Nevada | the lesser of 10% or $1,000 | NRS 624.970(2)(g) |
| Maryland | 33.33% of the contract | Md. Code, Bus. Reg. 8-617 |
| Massachusetts | 33.33% of the contract | M.G.L. c.142A, 2(a)(6) |
| Pennsylvania | 33.33% of the contract | 73 P.S. 517.9(10) |
| Maine | 33.33% of the contract | 10 M.R.S. 1487(5) |
Things aggregators get wrong here
- There is no national 10% rule. Only CA and NV use 10%/$1,000; four states use one-third.
- Arizona's 15% figure is POOLS AND SPAS ONLY (A.R.S. 32-1158.01). Arizona has no general cap. Aggregator pages routinely get this wrong.
- Florida's 10% is a permit/start-work TRIGGER (Fla. Stat. 489.126), not a cap. Do not list it as a cap.
- MA and PA allow special-order material cost ABOVE the cap. CA, NV, MD and ME do not — an equipment lead time does not license a bigger deposit there.
- MD/MA/PA/ME cap only the initial deposit. CA and NV additionally bar accepting payment beyond the value of work performed (CA B&P 7159.5(a)(5)) — a materially stronger regime.
- California service-and-repair contracts (<=$750) permit NO payment until work is complete (B&P 7159.10) — a repair quote and a replacement quote need different copy.
Deposit caps checked 2026-09-12.