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Web Design Contract

Web Design Contract

WEB DESIGN CONTRACT

This Web Design Contract ("Agreement") is entered into as of [Project Start Date], by and between [Designer Name], located at [Designer Address] ("Designer"), and [Client Name], located at [Client Address] ("Client").

1. PROJECT SCOPE AND DELIVERABLES

Designer agrees to design and develop the following website project for Client: [Project Description]. Any features, pages, integrations, or functionality not described above are expressly excluded from this Agreement. Out-of-scope requests will be quoted separately and require a written change order signed by both parties before work commences.

2. REVISION POLICY

This Agreement includes [Revision Rounds] at each project stage (design mockup, development, and pre-launch review). A revision is defined as a change to existing approved work within the original scope. A new feature request — adding functionality, pages, or integrations not listed in Section 1 — is not a revision and will be quoted as additional work. Revisions beyond the included rounds will be billed at Designer's hourly rate of $____ per hour.

3. PROJECT TIMELINE

Work will commence on [Project Start Date] with an estimated completion date of [Estimated Completion Date]. This timeline assumes timely delivery of all content (text, images, logos, and other materials) by Client. For each day Client delays delivery of required content or approvals beyond the agreed milestone dates, the project completion date will be automatically extended by one day. Designer is not responsible for missed deadlines caused by Client delays.

4. CLIENT CONTENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Client is responsible for providing all written content, photographs, logos, brand assets, and other materials necessary to complete the project. Client represents and warrants that it has the legal right to use all content provided and that such content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights. Designer is not responsible for legal claims arising from content provided by Client.

5. FEES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The total project fee is [Total Project Fee]. Payment schedule: (a) [Deposit Amount] non-refundable deposit due upon signing this Agreement to secure the project start date; (b) 50% of the remaining balance due upon Client's approval of design mockups; (c) remaining balance due upon project launch or delivery of completed files. Designer may suspend work during any period of non-payment and is not responsible for project delays caused by payment delays.

6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OWNERSHIP

Upon receipt of full payment of all fees due under this Agreement: [IP Ownership]. Open source software components, third-party plugins, stock photography, and licensed fonts incorporated into the project retain their original licenses regardless of payment. Designer retains the right to display the completed project in their portfolio and to use Client's name as a reference.

7. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND HOSTING

Upon full payment, Designer will transfer all website files, credentials, and access to Client's designated hosting and domain accounts. Client is responsible for all ongoing hosting, domain registration, SSL certificate, and third-party subscription costs. Designer is not responsible for the performance, security, or availability of third-party hosting services after project handoff.

8. TERMINATION

Either party may terminate this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' written notice. Upon termination, Client shall pay Designer for all work completed through the termination date at the project's proportional rate. The initial deposit is non-refundable. Designer shall deliver all completed work product to Client upon receipt of payment for work completed to date.

9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Designer's total liability under this Agreement shall not exceed the total fees paid by Client. Designer is not liable for lost profits, lost data, or indirect, incidental, or consequential damages. Client is responsible for maintaining independent backups of all website content.

10. GOVERNING LAW

This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of [Governing State]. Any disputes arising under this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration in [Governing State] before a single arbitrator under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. The prevailing party shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

SIGNATURES

Designer: [Designer Name]

Signature: _________________________ Date: _____________

Client: [Client Name]

Signature: _________________________ Date: _____________

Designer

________________

Signature

Client

________________

Signature

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What Is a Web Design Contract?

A Web Design Contract in the United States sets out the rights, duties and consideration binding the parties to it.

Web design contracts sit at the intersection of service contract law, copyright law, and — for websites collecting personal data — privacy law. Under the Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 101 and § 201), all creative work produced by a designer or developer — custom code, graphic designs, written content, user interface elements — is owned by the creator unless the contract designates it as work made for hire or includes a written IP assignment. Clients who assume they own the finished website without an explicit assignment clause may be surprised to discover that the designer retains copyright and can legally prevent them from modifying the site.

Scope creep is the single most common source of disputes in web design projects. A well-drafted contract defines the exact pages to be designed, the functional features to be built, the number of revision rounds included, and the process for requesting out-of-scope work with additional pricing. Without these definitions, a client's evolving vision can double the project timeline without any corresponding increase in payment.

For websites subject to accessibility requirements — government contractors and businesses covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — the contract should address WCAG 2.1 compliance standards and the designer's obligations to deliver an accessible site. For e-commerce sites or sites collecting user data, the contract should address privacy policy requirements under the CCPA and other applicable privacy laws.

When Do You Need a Web Design Contract?

A Web Design Contract is needed for any professional website design, development, or redesign engagement. For a custom website build — designing a brand-new site from scratch — the contract should define every page, feature, and integration to be built, the design approval process, the hosting and domain setup, and the timeline from design mockups through final launch.

For website redesign projects — updating an existing site's design and functionality — the contract should clearly distinguish between work being redesigned and existing content or features being retained, and address content migration from the old site.

For ongoing website maintenance retainers — where the designer provides monthly updates, security patches, and support — the agreement defines the scope of covered maintenance, the response time for support requests, what work requires additional billing, and the month-to-month or annual commitment.

For e-commerce website projects involving payment processing integration, product catalog setup, or shopping cart functionality, the contract should address PCI DSS compliance responsibilities and the allocation of liability for payment processing errors.

For any project where third-party plugins, themes, stock photography, or licensed fonts will be incorporated into the design, the contract should address licensing costs and who holds the licenses after project completion.

What to Include in Your Web Design Contract

The project scope section must enumerate every page, feature, and integration to be built with specificity — homepage, about page, contact form, e-commerce checkout with Stripe integration, mobile-responsive design — and explicitly exclude features not included at the quoted price. A vague scope is the leading cause of web design disputes.

Revision terms define how many rounds of revisions are included at each stage (design mockups, development, content), what constitutes a revision versus a new feature request, and the additional hourly or flat fee for out-of-scope changes.

Intellectual property provisions must specify who owns the finished website code, design files, and content. Most contracts provide that the client owns the final deliverables upon full payment, while the designer retains ownership of pre-existing tools, frameworks, and background IP. Open source components retain their original licenses.

Payment milestones structure payment around project stages — a deposit upon signing (typically 25 to 50%), milestone payments upon design approval and development completion, and a final payment upon launch. This protects the designer from working for months without payment and gives the client leverage to withhold final payment until the site meets specifications.

Content delivery responsibilities establish who is responsible for providing written content, images, logos, and other materials, and the timeline by which the client must deliver these materials. Client delays in delivering content should trigger automatic project timeline extensions.

Hosting, domain, and credentials transfer terms confirm that the client's hosting account, domain registration, and all website credentials will be transferred to the client upon full payment.

A governing law clause and limitation of liability close the agreement.

Sources & Citations

Statutory citations link to official government sources.

  1. 17 U.S.C. § 101US – Cornell LII
  2. Americans with Disabilities ActUS – Cornell LII
  3. ADAUS – Cornell LII

Cite this page

Reference this free template in an article, syllabus, or research note:

APA

Forms Legal. (2026). Web Design Contract (United States) [Legal document template]. Forms Legal. https://forms-legal.com/usa/business/services/web-design-contract

MLA

"Web Design Contract (United States)." Forms Legal, 2026, https://forms-legal.com/usa/business/services/web-design-contract.

BibTeX
@misc{formslegal-web-design-contract,
  author       = {{Forms Legal}},
  title        = {Web Design Contract (United States)},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://forms-legal.com/usa/business/services/web-design-contract}},
  note         = {Free legal document template. Based on Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)}
}

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) — Template last modified June 2026

This template is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation.Full disclaimer

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