What’s in My Web Design Contract Toolkit (After 100+ Sites)
I just had one of those client situations.
You know the ones. Where you finish a project, things get complicated, and you find yourself really grateful that you had a solid contract in place, one that clearly outlined the scope, the deliverables, and what happens when expectations don’t align.
I’m not going to get into the details. But I will say this: after 7 years and 100+ websites built, I still don’t take my legal setup for granted. And if you’re a web designer, a photographer, a coach, or any kind of creative entrepreneur who’s been piecing together contracts from a Google search and vibes? This post is for you.
The Contracts Every Web Designer Needs – An (almost) 8-Year Reality Check
Let’s talk about what actually needs to be in your legal toolkit and why the answer has been the same for me since 2019 (because lets be honest, for the first year of my business I had no contracts).
Do Web Designers Actually Need Contracts?
Yes. Actually ALL service-based entrepreneurs need contracts. Every single project, every single time, no exceptions.
A contract isn’t just a formality to check off before a project starts. It’s the document that protects your income, your time, your intellectual property, and your sanity when things go sideways. And in web design? Things can go sideways in more ways than you’d think. Scope creep, late feedback, delayed payments, revision requests that stretch on for months, clients who disappear and then reappear six months later wanting changes…
A great contract doesn’t just protect you from nightmare clients. It clarifies expectations upfront so you attract and keep the good ones.
Here’s what every web designer should have covered:
What Contracts Does a Web Designer Actually Need?
A Web Design Client Agreement
This is your bread and butter. Your web design contract should cover scope of work (in detail: how many pages, how many rounds of revisions, what’s included and what isn’t), payment terms and late fees, what happens if a project stalls on the client’s end, intellectual property and who owns the finished site, and how the contract can be terminated by either party.
I can’t tell you how many web designers I’ve talked to who have a super vague “agreement” that basically just states a price and a general timeline. That’s not a contract, that’s an invoice with extra steps. When a client comes back months later asking for things that were never in scope, a vague agreement doesn’t protect you.
A Website Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Okay, real talk: this one applies to you as a business owner, not just to your clients.
If your website has a contact form, an email opt-in, Google Analytics running in the background, or really any kind of data collection happening (and it almost certainly does), you are legally required to have a privacy policy. Full stop. End of story.
A privacy policy tells your site visitors what data you collect, why you collect it, and how you protect it. Terms and Conditions outline the rules for using your site, your content, and your digital products. Both are non-negotiable if you want to stay compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and growing state-level privacy laws.
I know this feels like the least exciting part of running a business. But I promise you, it takes about 20 minutes to set up properly, and it’s one less thing to stress about for the next several years.
(Quick tip: if you’re on Showit or Squarespace and want to know how to actually add your privacy policy to your site, I have tutorials for both — How to Create a Privacy Policy on Showit and How to Add a Privacy Policy on Squarespace.)
(Get your Privacy Policy Contract + T&C from TLP — I recommend this to all my clients)
A Subcontractor Agreement (If You Do Any Contract Work)
This one doesn’t apply to everyone, but if you do any work for another agency or designer (or if you bring in contractors to help with your own projects) you need a subcontractor agreement. This clarifies the working relationship, protects your intellectual property when collaborating, and makes sure everyone is on the same page about deliverables, timelines, and payment.
I do about 10 hours a week of contract design work for another agency, and having this kind of agreement in place gives both sides clarity and protection. Don’t skip it.
Why I’ve Trusted The Legal Paige Since 2019
Here’s where I get a little personal.
When I first started my business in 2018, I did what most new entrepreneurs do, I Googled “web design contract template,” found something that looked legitimate, and crossed my fingers. It worked fine for a while. But I knew it wasn’t really protecting me.
In early 2019, I joined a mastermind with Paige Griffith, the attorney and founder behind The Legal Paige. It completely changed how I thought about the legal side of my business. Paige is an attorney who specializes in creative entrepreneurs, she’s one of us (I even was her second shooter for a wedding on Flathead Lake in Montana), she gets how we work, and her contracts are actually written for the way our businesses operate.
Since then, I have referred every single website client to her after I design their website to get the privacy policy/ terms and conditions contracts.
I’ve been an affiliate for The Legal Paige for years, and I’d recommend her shop even if I wasn’t. That’s just the honest truth.
Use my code REBEKAHR10 to get an additional $10 off when she is having a sale, and 10% off when she is not.
If you’ve been meaning to get legally legit and you’ve been putting it off (no judgment, I see you), do it now, before something not great comes up in your biz!
My honest recommendation for where to start if you’re a web designer:
- Website Terms and Conditions + Privacy Policy bundle — this is the non-negotiable for literally everyone
- Web Design Client Agreement — if your current contract makes you nervous, upgrade it
- Subcontractor Agreement — if you do any collaborative or contract work
And if you want to browse what else is in the shop, there are contracts for photographers, coaches, copywriters, course creators, and basically every kind of creative entrepreneur you can think of. Paige has you covered.
👉 Shop The Legal Paige Use code REBEKAHR10 for an extra 10% off at checkout.
Your Legal Setup Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought
Here’s the thing about contracts: you don’t think about them until you need them. And when you need them, you really need them.
I’ve been designing websites for 8 years. I’ve had amazing clients and I’ve had difficult ones. I’ve had projects go smoothly from kickoff to launch and I’ve had projects that tested my patience in ways I didn’t know were possible. What’s made the difference every single time, the thing that kept those difficult situations from becoming truly expensive or legally messy, was having solid, professionally drafted contracts in place.
Your website should be your hardest-working employee. But your contracts? They’re the ones quietly protecting everything you’ve built.
Don’t skip them.
Ready to get legally legit?
Shop The Legal Paige here and use code REBEKAHR10 for $10 off during a sale (or 10% off any other time of year).
And if your website needs a little work too, let’s talk. Whether you want to DIY it with confidence, get it done in a day, or just chat about what you actually need, I’m here for it.
This post contains affiliate links. I’ve been a TLP customer and affiliate since 2019 and recommend Paige’s contracts regardless. If you purchase through my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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Hey, I'm Bekah! Web designer, Squarespace Circle Gold Partner, marathon runner, and mama of two. I built Rebekah Read Creative in 2018 after leaving corporate America, and I've spent the years since helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs stop cringing at their websites and start getting found on Google.
I'm the kind of person who overshares, processes out loud, and goes all in on whatever has my heart, whether that's running a 50k or building someone's website in a single day. Quality coffee and real conversations are basically my love language.
If you're here, you're probably tired of the Instagram hustle and ready for a website that actually works for you. You're in the right place.
