Essential Clauses Every Freelance Contract Needs
Why You Need a Contract (Even for "Easy" Clients)
A contract isn't about distrust. It's about clarity. Every dispute I've seen — and every one I've avoided — traces back to whether expectations were written down.
You don't need a lawyer for most freelance agreements. You need these 10 clauses.
1. Scope of Work
Be specific. "Design a website" is not a scope. "Design 5 responsive pages (home, about, services, pricing, contact) in Figma, including 2 revision rounds" is.
2. Deliverables and Timeline
List every deliverable with a due date. Include milestones for projects over 2 weeks. Tie payments to milestones, not calendar dates.
3. Payment Terms
- Amount and currency
- Payment schedule (deposit, milestones, completion)
- Accepted payment methods
- Late fee policy (1.5-2% monthly is standard)
- What happens if payment is late (work pauses)
4. Revision Policy
How many rounds are included? What counts as a revision vs. a new request? What's the hourly rate for additional revisions?
5. Change Order Process
Define how scope changes are handled: written request, revised estimate, client approval before work begins. This is your scope creep defense.
6. Kill Fee / Cancellation
If the client cancels mid-project, what do they owe? Standard: 50% of remaining balance, or full payment for completed milestones plus 25% of in-progress work.
7. Intellectual Property Transfer
When does ownership transfer? Standard: upon full payment. Before payment, you retain all rights. Specify what happens to working files, source files, and unused concepts.
8. Confidentiality / NDA
Protect both parties. You won't share their business data; they won't share your pricing or methods.
9. Limitation of Liability
Cap your liability at the project fee. Protects you from catastrophic claims ("your website redesign cost us $2M in lost revenue").
10. Termination
Either party can terminate with X days written notice. Define what happens to deliverables, payments, and IP upon termination.
Red Flags in Client Contracts
- Unlimited revisions
- "Work for free initially, paid if we like it"
- Payment "within 90 days of project completion"
- No defined scope ("as needed" or "ongoing tasks")
- IP assignment before payment
Get Started
Use our Service Agreement Template and NDA Template as starting points. Customize for each project, but never send work without a signed agreement.