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Freelance Retainer Agreement Template
Fill in your details and get a clean, professional retainer agreement you can copy, download, or email — free, no signup.
Template for convenience — not legal advice. For high-value or complex engagements, have a lawyer review it.
RETAINER AGREEMENT
This Retainer Agreement ("Agreement") is made effective [start date] between [Your name / business] ("Provider") and [Client name / business] ("Client").
1. SERVICES
Provider will perform the following services for Client on an ongoing basis ("Services"):
[Describe the ongoing services you'll provide]
2. TERM
This Agreement begins on [start date] and continues on a month-to-month basis until terminated under Section 6.
3. RETAINER FEE
Client will pay Provider a monthly retainer of [amount] ("Retainer Fee"), billed monthly in advance.
4. PAYMENT
The Retainer Fee is due on the same day each month and may be collected by automatic recurring payment. Services may be paused if payment is more than 5 days late. Unused hours do not roll over unless agreed in writing.
5. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
Provider is an independent contractor, not an employee of Client. Provider is responsible for their own taxes and may provide services to other clients.
6. TERMINATION
Either party may terminate this Agreement with 30 days' written notice. Client remains responsible for the Retainer Fee through the end of the notice period. Fees already paid are non-refundable except as required by law.
7. CONFIDENTIALITY
Each party will keep the other's non-public information confidential and use it only to perform this Agreement.
8. OWNERSHIP
Upon full payment, Provider assigns to Client the rights in the final deliverables created specifically for Client under this Agreement, excluding Provider's pre-existing materials, tools, and know-how.
9. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Provider's total liability under this Agreement will not exceed the Retainer Fee paid in the one month preceding the claim. Neither party is liable for indirect or consequential damages.
10. GOVERNING LAW
This Agreement is governed by the laws of [State / Country].
11. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
This Agreement is the entire agreement between the parties and may be amended only in a writing signed by both.
Signed:
Provider: ______________________________ Date: ____________
[Your name / business]
Client: ________________________________ Date: ____________
[Client name / business]Skip the copy-paste
RetainerBase sends this as a real proposal + contract, collects an e-signature, and starts the monthly billing automatically — through your own Stripe, 0% fee.
What a retainer agreement should cover
A good retainer agreement is short and clear. The essentials: who the parties are, the scope of ongoing work, the monthly fee and when it's billed, how many hours are included (and what happens past them), the notice period for cancellation, and basics like confidentiality, ownership of deliverables, and that you're an independent contractor. The generator above fills all of that in for you.
The clauses that protect your margin
Two clauses do the heavy lifting: a clear scope + included hours (so “quick favors” don't pile up unpaid), and a notice period (so a client can't vanish mid-month and leave you scrambling). Not sure what to charge in the first place? Run your numbers through the retainer calculator, and see how to price a retainer.
From template to signed & billing
A text file is a fine start, but you still have to send it, chase a signature, and set up payment. RetainerBase does that part: it turns your agreement into a proposal the client e-signs, then starts the recurring monthly billing automatically through your own Stripe account — 0% platform fee.
This template is provided for convenience and is not legal advice. Laws vary by location; for high-value or complex engagements, have a qualified lawyer review your agreement.