Retainer agreement template

A retainer is the best thing that can happen to a freelance business and the easiest to get wrong. This short agreement sets what a month includes, what it costs, and what happens at the edges.

Two kinds of retainer

An hours retainer sells a block of time each month (say 10 hours of design). A deliverables retainer sells a fixed output (four blog posts, two social videos). Deliverables retainers are easier to price and to invoice because the client never has to trust a timesheet; use them whenever the work is predictable.

The template

1. ServicesEach month, Provider will [deliver: four 1,000-word articles / provide up to 10 hours of design and development support] for Client.

2. Fee and invoicingThe monthly retainer is [amount], invoiced on the 1st of each month and due on receipt. Work for the month begins when the invoice is paid.

3. Unused time and overageUnused hours do not roll over. Work beyond the monthly allowance is billed at [rate] per hour, with Client's approval before it begins.

4. TurnaroundRequests are acknowledged within 1 business day; standard turnaround is [3] business days. Rush work under 24 hours is billed at 1.5× the hourly rate.

5. Term and noticeThis agreement continues month to month. Either party may end it with [30] days' written notice. Prepaid months are non-refundable.

6. Ownership and confidentialityClient owns work delivered and paid for. Both parties keep non-public information confidential during and after the term.

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Invoice on the first, work when it's paid

Clause 2 is the one that keeps retainers healthy: the month starts when the invoice is paid, not when the calendar turns. It quietly removes the possibility of doing March's work while chasing February's money.

No rollover, ever

Rollover sounds generous and turns into a liability: a quiet quarter becomes 30 banked hours the client expects in one week. If a client pushes, offer a small rollover cap (up to 2 hours) rather than open-ended banking.

Raise the rate once a year

Add a line: "The retainer fee is reviewed every 12 months." It makes the conversation routine instead of awkward.