How to use the service agreement template
- Enter the provider (the person doing the work) and the client (the person paying), each with a name and address. Add an effective date if you want one shown.
- List the services, one per line. Add start and end dates if the work has a set period.
- Choose the fee type: a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a monthly fee. Enter the amount, how many days the client has to pay an invoice, and how expenses and revisions are handled.
- Choose who owns the work, whether to include a confidentiality clause, the days of notice to end the agreement, and, if you want it, whose law applies. Press Download PDF, Print or Copy agreement text.
A logo design job
A designer agrees to design a logo with three concepts, prepare final files and write a one page usage guide for a fixed fee of $2,500, payable within 30 days of each invoice. The agreement states the services, the term from November 1 to December 31, 2026, that the fee is $2,500.00 and that two rounds of revisions are included.
It also says the client owns the finished work once paid in full, that either side can end the agreement with 14 days of written notice, and that the client pays for services done up to the end date. Switching the fee type to hourly changes the wording to "$75.50 for each hour spent on the Services" and adds a line about time records.
What the clauses say
The template writes plain clauses in a fixed order: services, term, fees and payment, expenses, changes to the services, ownership of the work, confidentiality if you chose it, the provider as an independent business, termination, governing law if you gave a place, and a clause that the agreement is the whole agreement and changes must be in writing. Only your entries change the wording, and the clauses are not altered or hidden.
Putting a job in writing helps both sides remember what was agreed. It sets out what is included, what it costs, when payment is due and how either side can end the arrangement. If a clause does not fit your work, copy the text and edit it, or leave the optional ones out.
What it cannot do
This is a starting template, not legal advice. It does not know the law where you live, the kind of work you do or your particular risks. It does not include limits on liability, insurance terms, intellectual property transfers for special cases, data protection terms or anything specific to a regulated field. Late payment terms are only what you write yourself, since rules about fees and interest differ.
Have a lawyer review any agreement that matters before you sign it, especially for large amounts or long relationships. For the money side, use the project quote calculator to price the job, the retainer fee calculator for ongoing work, and the invoice generator to bill it.
Privacy
The agreement is made in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded. Remembering your entries is optional and keeps them in this browser only.
Assumptions and limits
- The wording is fixed and uses only your entries. No legal terms or limits are chosen for you.
- Fees are in US dollars, and invoices are due within the number of days you enter.
- The late payment sentence, governing law and confidentiality clause appear only when you fill them in or choose them.
- The sample names, amounts and services are examples to replace.
- This is a template and not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is this service agreement legally binding?
Whether an agreement binds the parties depends on the law where you are and on what is signed. This template is a plain starting point. Have a lawyer review it if the stakes are high.
What should a service agreement include?
At least who the parties are, what work is covered, the price, when it is paid, how either side can end it, and who owns the result. This template covers those and a few optional extras.
Why is governing law left blank?
Because the law that applies is a choice for you and the other party. The clause appears only if you enter a place, and the tool does not suggest one.
Can I change the wording?
Use Copy agreement text and edit it in a document. The PDF is made from your entries, so it follows the form fields.