Freelance contract: what to put in it so you get paid

A freelance contract is a written agreement between you and a client that sets out the work, the price and the payment dates before anything is delivered. The clauses that protect your income are scope, revisions, a deposit, payment terms, late payment, and cancellation. This guide goes through each one with wording you can adapt, so you can write a two-page agreement in an hour.

This is not legal advice. It is a practical checklist of what to agree and put in writing, and a lawyer should look at large or unusual deals.

What should a freelance contract include?

A freelance contract should include who the parties are, what you will deliver, how many revisions are included, what you will be paid and when, and how either side can end the job. Most disputes between freelancers and clients come from something that was assumed and never written down.

You do not need legal language. Plain sentences that both sides understand leave less room for "I did not know that was included".

How do I write the scope of work?

Write the scope as a list of deliverables: what, how many, what format, and by when. The scope of work is the part of the contract that describes the finished job, and it is the clause that protects you from the project growing without the price growing (the scope creep guide shows how to handle a request that falls outside it). For a project with several deliverables or payments, put the scope in its own one-page statement of work.

A weak scope: "Design a website."

A stronger scope: "Design a five-page website (home, about, services, contact, blog index) in Figma, delivered as shared files and exported PNGs. Copywriting, photography and development are not included."

The second version tells the client what they are getting and, just as important, what they are not. Add one line that handles extras: "Work outside this scope is quoted separately and starts only after you approve the quote." That sentence turns an argument into a price conversation.

How many revisions should a contract allow?

Allow a fixed number of revision rounds in the price, commonly two, and quote anything beyond that. A revision round is one batch of consolidated feedback from the client followed by your changes. Without a number, "one small tweak" can repeat indefinitely.

Wording to adapt: "The fee includes two rounds of revisions. A round is one set of consolidated feedback from a single contact person. Further rounds are charged at an hourly rate of $X or a fixed price quoted in advance." If you are unsure what $X should be, this guide to a graphic designer's hourly rate shows how to calculate it from the income you need.

Two details that save you work: ask for feedback from one person on the client side, and set a feedback deadline ("feedback within 5 working days, otherwise the project is paused"). Both protect your schedule as well as your income.

Should I ask for a deposit in the contract?

Yes: put a deposit in the contract and make starting work depend on it. A deposit is a part of the total price that the client pays before you begin. It shows the client is committed, covers your time if they disappear, and means you are never delivering the whole job on trust.

Common structures:

Write the trigger clearly: "Work begins when the deposit invoice is paid." For milestone-based jobs, tie each payment to a deliverable you can point to. If a client has ghosted you after delivery before, this is the clause that stops it happening again: see how to invoice a brand for how the deposit and final invoice fit together. If a client wants a formal price document before they sign, a proforma invoice can show the numbers, but it is an estimate and not a replacement for this agreement.

What payment terms should I put in a freelance contract?

State a due date for every invoice, in days from the invoice date (Net 7, Net 15 and Net 30 compared), and say how the client pays (what goes on the invoice itself). Payment terms are the agreed deadline and method for paying an invoice, and "net 30" means payment is due 30 days after the invoice date.

For small jobs, shorter is better: due on receipt for deposits, and 7 to 14 days for final invoices. If a client's accounts team insists on 30 days, accept it only if the deposit has already been paid. How long brands really take to pay explains what to expect and how to ask for faster terms.

Wording to adapt: "Invoices are due 14 days after the invoice date. Payment is by card or bank transfer using the link on the invoice."

What should the contract say about late payment?

Say what happens when an invoice is paid late, and make sure it is something you will actually do. The most useful late-payment clause is the simplest: work stops, and delivery of final files waits, until the overdue invoice is paid.

Wording to adapt: "If an invoice is more than 7 days overdue, I may pause work until it is paid. Final files are delivered when the final invoice is paid."

Some freelancers add a late fee (how much, and the wording). If you do, write the exact fee in the contract before the job starts; adding one afterwards tends to create a dispute. Check any rules for late fees that apply where you and the client are based, because they vary. When a payment does run late, the overdue invoice email sequence gives you the wording for each step.

Who owns the work and how can the client use it?

State who may use the finished work, for what purpose, and for how long. Usage rights are the permission a client has to use your work, and they are separate from who owns it. Many freelancers keep ownership and grant the client a licence, or transfer ownership only once the final invoice is paid.

Wording to adapt: "The client receives the rights to use the final deliverables for [purpose, for example their website and social media] once the final invoice is paid in full. Drafts and unused concepts remain mine."

Rules about ownership and transfer differ by country and by type of work, so this is the clause where a short lawyer review of your template pays for itself. If a client asks for a "work for hire" clause, that is a request for full ownership; the work for hire guide explains what it changes and how to price it. If you make UGC videos for brands, the UGC contract guide adds the usage period and disclosure clauses. For recurring work, the retainer agreement guide covers the monthly clauses, and the UGC retainer guide shows how monthly usage and fees can be set out together.

What happens if the client cancels?

Say what the client owes if they stop the job: at minimum the deposit stays with you, plus payment for work completed. A kill fee is an agreed payment that the client owes if they cancel after you have started.

Wording to adapt: "If the client cancels, the deposit is kept and the client pays for work completed up to the cancellation date, calculated at [rate or percentage of the milestone]."

Agree it while the relationship is friendly. A cancellation clause costs nothing to write and is rarely used, but when it is needed it is the difference between being paid for half a job and being paid for none of it.

How do I get the client to sign?

Send the contract with the quote, in the same email, and say work starts when you have the signed copy and the deposit. A signature does not need special software: a reply that says "I agree to the terms in the attached document" is a written agreement that both sides can point to. Many freelancers use a free e-signature tool, which also leaves a dated record.

A short covering message that works:

Hi [name], attached are the project terms and quote for [project]. If everything looks right, reply "agreed" or sign the last page, and I'll send the deposit invoice. I start as soon as it's paid, and your first delivery date is [date].

If a client pushes back on a clause, ask what worry sits behind it and offer a different way to meet it, such as a smaller deposit with a milestone sooner. If they refuse to put any terms in writing at all, treat that as a signal about how paying will go.

Checklist before you send it

• Both parties named, with business name and contact email
• Deliverables listed, with formats and what is excluded
• Number of revision rounds, and one person giving feedback
• Delivery dates and the client's feedback deadline
• Total price, deposit amount and due dates
• Payment due date for each invoice and how to pay
• What happens when an invoice is late
• Who may use the work, and when
• What the client owes if they cancel
• A place for both signatures and the date

This is a practical checklist, not legal advice. For a large deal, or one that involves ownership of the work, have a lawyer read your contract before you send it.