A contractor requested 50% of total amount before he started any work. Can he do that?
He can ask for anything he wants! But paying 50 percent before he does any work would be a grave mistake, unless you contractually agreed to such a payment. Under common law, the contractor would be entilted to payment when the work is substantially complete. Under most contracts, parties recognize that waiting for payment that long would be a burden for the contractor, and allow for progress payments based on the completion of work. Sometimes a small amount is paid up front for materials, but as I said, 50% would be a dangerous payment to make.