Freelance Contract — Website Design

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Freelance web design contract covering deliverables, design revisions, hosting responsibilities, and payment terms for custom website projects.

A website design freelance contract establishes clear expectations between a web designer and client regarding project scope, deliverables, revisions, hosting responsibilities, and timeline. This template is useful for independent web designers, design agencies, and clients who need a professional written agreement for custom website projects.

When To Use

Use this template when contracting freelance web design services for custom sites, redesigns, or development projects. It is commonly used for fixed-price projects, responsive design work, CMS setup, and hosting handoff arrangements.

Template

FREELANCE WEBSITE DESIGN CONTRACT

This Website Design Contract ("Agreement") is entered into on [Date] by and between:

Designer:
Name: [Designer Name or Design Business]
Address: [Address]
Email: [Email]
Phone: [Phone]

and

Client:
Name: [Client Name or Company]
Address: [Address]
Email: [Email]
Phone: [Phone]

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Designer agrees to provide website design and development services as follows:

Project Name: [Website Name or Description]
Website Purpose: [Business type, goals, or target audience]
Number of Pages: [Number] primary pages

Scope of Design Services:
- Responsive design for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
- [Number] custom page layouts or templates
- Branding integration and visual design
- Navigation structure and information architecture
- [Additional design elements]

2. PROJECT TIMELINE
Project Start Date: [Date]
Design Delivery Date: [Date]
Revisions Due: [Date]
Final Deliverables: [Date]
Project Go-Live: [Date]

Timeline assumes timely client feedback and approved direction at each stage.

3. DESIGN AND REVISION PROCESS
The Designer includes:

- Initial design concepts: [Number] concept variations
- Design revisions: [Number] rounds of revisions on approved concept
- Additional revisions beyond the included rounds: $[Amount] per round or per hour

Revision requests must be submitted in writing within [Number] days of receiving deliverables.

4. CONTENT AND ASSETS
Client Responsibilities:
- Provide all text content, images, videos, logos, and brand materials
- Grant permission for all third-party content used on the website
- Approve design direction and content layout before development begins
- Provide timely feedback on deliverables

Designer Responsibilities:
- Organize and implement client-provided content within the design
- Create placeholder content if client materials are incomplete
- Ensure content is properly formatted and optimized

5. HOSTING AND DEPLOYMENT
Hosting Responsibility:
[ ] Client arranges and pays for hosting
[ ] Designer arranges hosting at client's expense
[ ] Designer provides hosting included in project fee

If Designer arranges hosting:
Estimated Hosting Cost: $[Amount] per month
Hosting Provider: [Provider name]

Deployment:
The Designer will deploy the website to the agreed hosting environment upon final payment.

6. CMS AND MAINTENANCE
Content Management System (CMS):
[ ] WordPress
[ ] Custom CMS
[ ] Shopify or other platform
[ ] Other: [Specify]

Designer agrees to provide:
- CMS setup and configuration
- Admin account access and login credentials
- Basic training documentation or video walkthrough
- [Number] hours of post-launch technical support

Ongoing maintenance and updates:
- Client is responsible for content updates and regular maintenance
- Designer is available for additional support at: $[Amount] per hour

7. PROJECT FEES AND PAYMENT
Total Project Fee: $[Amount]

Payment Schedule:
- Deposit Due (50% of fee): $[Amount] to secure project date
- Mid-project Payment (25% of fee): $[Amount] upon design approval
- Final Payment (25% of fee): $[Amount] due before site go-live

Payment Terms:
Invoices are due within [Number] days of invoice date.
Late payments subject to: [Percentage]% monthly interest or $[Amount] late fee.

Accepted Payment Methods:
[Bank transfer, PayPal, credit card, check, etc.]

8. DOMAIN AND EMAIL
Domain Registration:
[ ] Client registers domain separately
[ ] Designer assists with domain registration at client's expense
[ ] Designer includes domain registration in project fee

Domain Ownership:
The client retains full ownership of the domain name.
The Designer will transfer domain control to the client upon final payment.

Email Hosting:
[ ] Included in hosting package
[ ] Client arranges separately
[ ] Additional cost: $[Amount] per month

9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND OWNERSHIP
Client owns the final website design, layout, and custom code developed specifically for this project.

Designer retains ownership of:
- Pre-existing design templates, frameworks, or tools
- Reusable code libraries and components
- Designer's original creative concepts not used in final project

The Designer retains the right to display the finished website in their portfolio and case studies unless the Client opts out in writing.

10. ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND CHANGE ORDERS
Work outside the original scope requires a Change Order signed by both parties.

Common additional services:
- Extra page design: $[Amount] per page
- E-commerce integration: $[Amount]
- Mailchimp or email marketing setup: $[Amount]
- SEO optimization: $[Amount]
- Photography or graphic design: $[Amount]

11. BROWSER AND DEVICE COMPATIBILITY
The website will be tested and optimized for:

- Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge (latest versions)
- Desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
- iOS and Android

Compatibility with outdated browsers or custom requirements: additional fee applies.

12. SECURITY AND BACKUPS
The Designer includes:
- SSL certificate installation
- Basic security best practices
- Backup recommendations

The Client is responsible for:
- Regular backups of the website
- Security updates and maintenance after project completion
- Password management and access control

13. CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
If Client cancels before project start:
- Full refund of deposit

If Client cancels during design phase:
- Deposit retained (non-refundable)
- Client pays for work completed through cancellation date
- Client receives all materials created to date

If Client cancels during development:
- Deposit retained
- Client pays for all work completed
- Incomplete project delivered as-is without further development

14. CONFIDENTIALITY
Both parties agree to maintain confidentiality of business information, design processes, client data, and unpublished website content.

15. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Parties agree to attempt good-faith discussion to resolve disputes before pursuing legal action.

16. TERMINATION
Either party may terminate this Agreement with [Number] days written notice if the other party materially breaches the terms.

17. SIGNATURES
By signing below, both parties agree to the terms of this Agreement.

Designer Signature: __________________________
Printed Name: _______________________________
Date: ______________________________________

Client Signature: ____________________________
Printed Name: _______________________________
Date: ______________________________________

Want the complete freelance pack?

This template pairs well with the Freelance Starter Kit, which includes contracts, proposals, and invoice templates for freelancers and creators.

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Example

FREELANCE WEBSITE DESIGN CONTRACT

Date: March 15, 2026

Designer:
Name: Creative Web Solutions LLC

Client:
Name: Beacon Wellness Coaching

Project Name:
Beacon Wellness Services Website Redesign

Scope:
8-page website with responsive design, service pages, blog section, and contact forms. WordPress CMS for easy content updates.

Project Timeline:
Start: April 1, 2026
Design Concepts Due: April 15, 2026
Final Design: May 1, 2026
Development Complete: May 30, 2026
Go-Live: June 1, 2026

Revisions:
Includes 2 rounds of design revisions. Additional revisions at $75/hour.

Total Project Fee: $4,200
Payment Schedule:
- Deposit (50%): $2,100 due April 1
- Mid-Project (25%): $1,050 due May 1
- Final (25%): $1,050 due June 1

Hosting:
Client arranges hosting with recommended provider. Designer will deploy for no additional charge.

CMS:
WordPress setup with admin training video and documentation provided.

Post-Launch Support:
15 hours of technical support included. Additional support at $60/hour.

Designer Signature: Sarah Mitchell
Date: March 15, 2026

Client Signature: David Torres
Date: March 15, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the client wants more revisions than included?

Additional revisions beyond the agreed rounds can be billed hourly or as a separate change order.

Who owns the website design after the project?

The client owns the final design and website. The designer retains rights to pre-existing tools and portfolio use.

What happens if the client delays providing content?

Project timelines may be extended. The contract should specify how delays affect the delivery date.

Does the designer provide ongoing maintenance after launch?

Ongoing maintenance is typically a separate service. The contract should define what support is included vs. additional costs.

What if the website has technical issues after launch?

Include post-launch support hours and clearly separate warranty period from ongoing paid maintenance.

Freelance Contract — Website Design

When To Use

Template

Want the complete freelance pack?

Example

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the client wants more revisions than included?

Who owns the website design after the project?

What happens if the client delays providing content?

Does the designer provide ongoing maintenance after launch?

What if the website has technical issues after launch?

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