You absolutely need to have a freelance contract if you?re a web developer working on different clients projects.
In this article, we?ll discuss the reasons why you need a freelance web developer contract. Also, I?ll list out the top 7 free freelance contract templates that you can use starting today as a web developer.
Let?s get right to it.
What Is A Freelance Contract?
A freelance contract is a business contract that assists self-employed individuals. It helps them protect their interests if they don?t have a lawyer for this purpose.
A freelance contract must include all the details of the project. It must be concise and clear. It should consist of all the necessary information about the scope of the project, scheduling demands, delivery and payment deadline in order to avoid any misunderstanding.
Why Do You Need A Freelance Web Developer Contract?
Let?s list out some common reasons why you need a contract as a web developer.
1. Payments
Let?s start with the most obvious reason. Having a contract will help you get paid on time. When you issue a contract, it?ll include details of the exact amount the client is going to pay you, when that payment is due and also the products or services you are going to be providing your client in exchange for that payment.
When you got a contract laid out like this, there is no room for miscommunications or misunderstanding about due dates or payment amounts; it?s all there in black and white. In a good contract, everything will be clear, and nothing will be lifted to chance.
2. Professionalism
The second reason why you should use a freelance contract is professionalism. If you want to be seen as a professional in your industry, you got to act like one. A contract isn?t just there to protect you as the developer; it is also there for the benefit of the client. It is an agreement between two professionals about how you are going to work together on a project.
A contract must include all the product-services that you are going to provide to the client in exchange for their fee and that way they know what to expect from you exactly. Part of being professional is dealing with copyright and the legalities of licensing your work or transferring the ownership to your client. A contract is a great way to handle all this.
3. Process
The third big reason to use a freelance contract is ?Process?. A contract isn?t just for the start and the end of a project. In fact, it also gives details about what will happen along the way? Let?s suppose a scenario here:
You have got a deadline to meet that has been set up by the client. The deadline tells you when the client wants to launch the project. So, you need to have the work completed by then. Now, you send them a piece for feedback and let?s say you have a week?s amount of work to do after the client comes back with the feedback. If the client does not reply to you for several days, do you then have to cram that weeks? worth of work into a few days before the deadline? Or does the deadline gets pushed? Your contract should detail all this.
7 Free Freelance Contract Templates for Web Developers
Writing a contract from scratch is really difficult. I?m not sure of the legalities involved in this process, and that is definitely not something that I can advise on. This is where you can use free freelance contract templates. Using the template means someone else has done the hard work for you and you can adapt little pieces here and there to suit your needs.
The following is a list of the top 7 free freelance contract templates for remote web developers.
1. Contract Killer
The first on our list is a contract written by Stuff & Nonsense.
It is probably one of the most commonly used freelance contracts in the world.
Well written and easy to understand, Contract Killer covers all the necessary factors in Web Development. It even includes clauses related to SEO and browser testing, which you will not find in most of the contracts.
Link:
https://stuffandnonsense.co.uk/projects/contract-killer
2. AIGA Standard Form of Agreement for Designed Services
The next in our list of top free freelance contracts for web developers is AIGA.
AIGA is a thorough and comprehensive website contract template. There is a chance that you might get a bit tired after going through the complete contract.
This contract includes every single thing a web designer can think of when forging a web development contract. It comprises of 2 modules.
The first one deals with all the basic terms and conditions while the other one takes care of the copyright issues. If you are looking for a complete and thorough freelance contract that is available for free, then you should definitely check this one.
Link:
https://www.aiga.org/standard-agreement
3. Andy Rutledge?s Design Project Contracts
Thanks to Andy Rutledge, you can now create a web design contract with ultimate ease.
In Andy?s fully-customizable template, you will find all the necessary information that you need to compose the perfect web development agreements.
From details about deliverables to the scope of work, from declaring a budget to transfer of payments, everything is already included in the template.
Link:
https://andyrutledge.com/design-project-contracts.html
4. BidSketch Web Design Contract
If you are looking for something to get the job done quickly, then the Bidsketch contract can be your go-to template.
Just like AIGA, this template is also made up of two modules. The first module deals with business terms in a very easy and plain English. Where, on the other hand, the second module comprises mostly of legal terms which have the utmost importance in a legal contract.
This template is designed specifically for developers as it emphasizes on details related to coding, testing and licenses.
BidSketch earns 4th spot in our list of top 7 free freelance contract templates for remote web developers.
Link:
https://www.docsketch.com/contracts/web-design-contract-template/
5. Media Surgery Web Design
This contract template from Media Surgery has a total of three documents.
The first one has all the terms and condition. This is the most important part of the agreement. It also includes provisions for rejected work, non-payment, third party disclaimers, maintenance fee, payments deadline, etc.
The second part includes all the detailed information of the work that is to be carried out.
The last part ties up everything between you and your client by having the signatures of both the parties.
Link:
https://mediasurgery.co.uk/blog/web-design-contract
6. Shane & Peter Inc. Contract
This contract is a Microsoft Word Template that can be modified according to your requirements.
In addition to mainstream entries found in web development contracts templates, this contract also includes response time for issues like hacking and security.
The Shane & Peter Inc. Contract satisfies all the areas which need to be touched if you are closing in a web project contract.
Link:
https://tri.be/blog/contract/
7. Webdesignlaw?s Design Contract For Freelance Web Designers
This is one versatile and complete resource.
In the beginning, you will find a brief of contract development and its use, and then it will offer you multiple templates.
The complete template set comprises of letter of agreement, sample project proposal, and an invoice template.
It is a very robust contract which is it has made it to our list of Top 7 Free Freelance Contract Templates for Remote Web Developers.
Link:
http://webdesignlaw.com/
Conclusion
Now you?re aware of some ideal free web developer contract templates that you can use for your next project. Feel free to use these contract templates as is or modify them to your needs.
It does not matter if you use a template or design a contract yourself. What matters is that you include all the necessary information and details related to your project in order to avoid any conflict or inconvenience.
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