Website Care & Maintenance Retainer Agreement

This agreement sets out the terms of an ongoing website care retainer between the web design studio ("Studio") and the client ("Client"). It becomes effective only when BOTH parties have signed below. The Studio drafts and signs first, then shares this document with the Client for review and countersignature — either in-app, or by printing, signing, and uploading a scanned copy.

Section 1 — Parties & Term

Studio (name / business name):

Client (full legal name):

Client billing email:

Website(s) covered by this retainer:

Retainer start date:

Initial term:

Section 2 — Retained Care Services

Each month of the term, the Studio will make the following care services available to the Client:

Any work not listed in the table above is out of scope and handled under Section 4 (Out-of-Scope Requests).

I have read and agree to the retained care services described in this section.

Section 3 — Retainer Fee & Payment

Invoices are issued at the start of each billing cycle and are due within 14 days of receipt. The retainer fee is payable regardless of whether the full retained scope is used, in exchange for the Studio reserving capacity and keeping the Client's site maintained.

I have read and agree to the fee and payment terms in this section.

Section 4 — Out-of-Scope Requests & Rollover

Requests outside Section 2 — such as new pages, redesigns, new features, or third-party integrations — require a separate written estimate approved by the Client before work begins, and are billed at the additional-hours rate in Section 3. Unused retained capacity expires at the end of each month and does not roll over unless the Studio agrees otherwise in writing before the month ends.

I understand how out-of-scope requests are estimated and billed, and that unused capacity does not roll over by default.

Section 5 — Hosting, Access & Third-Party Costs

The Client is responsible for domain registration, hosting, licences, and any third-party subscriptions unless expressly included in Section 2, and for keeping those services paid and current. The Client will provide and maintain the access credentials the Studio needs to perform care work. The Studio is not liable for outages, data loss, or issues caused by third-party providers, expired services, or changes made by others.

I have read and agree to the hosting, access, and third-party cost terms in this section.

Section 6 — Confidentiality & Intellectual Property

Each party will keep the other party's non-public business information confidential during and after the term. Upon full payment of the applicable fees, deliverables created specifically for the Client under this retainer are assigned to the Client. The Studio retains ownership of pre-existing materials, code, tools, and know-how, and grants the Client a non-exclusive licence to use them as embedded in the deliverables. The Studio may reference completed, non-confidential work in a portfolio unless the Client opts out in writing.

I have read and agree to the confidentiality and intellectual property terms in this section.

Section 7 — Termination & Renewal

After the initial term, this agreement renews automatically for successive periods of the same length unless either party gives written notice of non-renewal at least 30 days before the current period ends. Either party may terminate for material breach that remains uncured 14 days after written notice. On termination, the Client pays for all work performed and capacity reserved through the effective termination date, and the Studio hands over paid-for deliverables and any access credentials it holds.

I have read and agree to the termination and renewal terms in this section.

Section 8 — General Acknowledgments

I have read and understood each section of this agreement.

I have had the opportunity to ask questions and seek independent advice.

I consent to electronic signatures having the same legal effect as handwritten signatures.

I am authorized to enter into this agreement on behalf of the party named above.

Section 9 — Signatures

Studio — printed name:

Date:

Client — printed name:

Date:

Optional — upload a countersigned scan of this agreement:

This template is provided for reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult qualified counsel before relying on this document.