A set of 5 lawyer-reviewed contract templates plus a plain English guide — built for freelance web developers who want to stop getting burned by scope creep, non-payment, and IP disputes.
Every freelance developer eventually hits one of these:
- Scope creep: the client who keeps asking for "just one more small change" until your fixed-price project is a loss
- Non-payment: you deliver the work, they vanish, and you have no leverage
- Unclear deliverables: "it's not quite what I had in mind" — after you've already built what was discussed
- IP disputes: who owns the code? Without a written clause, neither side knows for sure
This isn't a niche problem. Mike Monteiro's "Fuck You Pay Me" talk at CreativeMornings (2011) has 3+ million views because every freelancer has been through it. The solution is a contract that spells out scope, payment, IP, and termination before work begins.
Most developers skip contracts because they think it means hiring a lawyer. It doesn't — you need a solid template, reviewed once by a local attorney for your jurisdiction.
The Developer's Freelance Contract Kit gives you 5 templates written specifically for web development projects, plus a plain English guide that explains every clause so you actually understand what you're sending.
| Template | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Web Dev Fixed-Price Contract | Scope, milestones, payment schedule, revisions, IP, termination, warranties, dispute resolution — the full contract for project-based work. Included free in this repo. |
| Web Dev Hourly Contract | Hourly billing terms, time tracking requirements, rate changes, retainer structure. For developers who bill by the hour. |
| Scope of Work Addendum | The template you need when a client asks for "one more small change." Defines the new work, timeline, and price — signed by both parties. Makes scope creep billable. |
| IP Assignment Agreement | Standalone document that formally transfers code and design ownership. Banks, investors, and acquirers sometimes require this. |
| Plain English Clause Guide | 30KB+ guide explaining every clause in the fixed-price contract in plain English. Know what you're signing and why each clause matters before you send it to a client. |
The free template (web-dev-fixed-price-contract.md) is the complete fixed-price agreement — 15 sections covering scope, milestones, payment, revisions, IP, termination, warranties, and dispute resolution. You can use it today for a real client project.
The full kit adds four more templates plus the guide — when a client asks for "one more small change" (Scope of Work Addendum), when they want to pay hourly instead (Hourly Contract), when an investor or acquirer needs a formal IP transfer document (IP Assignment Agreement), and the comprehensive clause-by-clause explanation so you know exactly what you're signing.
- Download the free template:
web-dev-fixed-price-contract.md(in this repo) - Fill in the bracketed fields: search for
[DATE],[DEVELOPER NAME],[TOTAL AMOUNT], and so on — about 20 minutes on your first run - Have it reviewed: show the filled-out contract to a local attorney for your jurisdiction (one-time cost, ~$100–300, protects you for every project going forward)
- Send to your client: done
Every subsequent client takes about 5 minutes — you're just updating names, dates, scope, and pricing.
These templates are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Contract law varies significantly by jurisdiction. Before using any template with a real client, have it reviewed by a local attorney who practices in your jurisdiction. The authors and contributors are not responsible for any disputes, losses, or legal issues arising from use of these templates.
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