Q: The contractor who renovated our house finished working and asked for payment of the final installment. However, we are dissatisfied with one of the cabinets and would like it replaced. Must we pay the bill now or can we withhold payment until he replaces the cabinet?

A: The halachic principle is: “ain sechirus mishtalemes ela l’vasof” – payment for labor is due only at the conclusion of the job (BM 110b; Rama C.M. 78:1). So long as the contractor has not finished his work, even if only a little bit is left, you are not obligated to pay him, unless the terms of the agreement state otherwise (Pischei Choshen, Sechirus, ch. 9 end of ftnt. 29).

Therefore, if the contractor agrees that the cabinet has to be replaced, you are not obligated to pay him the remaining balance yet. However, if he claims that the cabinet is adequate, you run the risk of violating the serious prohibition of “bal talin” by withholding his wages (see Pischei Choshen, Sechirus, ch. 9 ftnt. 1). An external professional must confirm that the cabinet is indeed deficient to justify withholding payment.