Website Design and Build Agreement

For web designers and agencies building websites for business clients – brief, design rounds, content, accessibility, testing, launch, hosting, ownership and aftercare.

Editable Word document
19
10pages
Guidance notes included
aml consultancy solutions

Tech & SaaS

Website Design and Build Agreement

About this document

What it’s for

A contract for designing and building a website (on a platform such as WordPress, Webflow, Shopify or a custom build) for a business client. It deals with the practical issues that cause most website disputes: late content, endless design revisions, launch sign-off, who owns the site and domain, and what happens after launch.

When to use it

  • For new websites, redesigns, e-commerce sites and landing-page projects
  • Where the designer may also arrange hosting, domains or ongoing maintenance
  • Use the Statement of Work and Change Request Form in this pack for later phases

What’s inside

The document is laid out in the sections below. Each one comes with a plain-English guidance note explaining what it does and what to change.

  1. Definitions and interpretation
  2. The Services
  3. Client responsibilities
  4. Design and revisions
  5. Client Content and third-party materials
  6. Build, standards and accessibility
  7. Testing, acceptance and Launch
  8. Hosting, domains and Platform accounts
  9. Changes
  10. Fees and payment
  11. Intellectual property
  12. Legal compliance of the Website
  13. Confidentiality
  14. Data protection and security
  15. Warranties and liability
  16. Ongoing maintenance (optional)
  17. Termination
  18. Force majeure
  19. General
  20. Disputes, governing law and jurisdiction
  21. Definitions and interpretation
  22. The Services
  23. Client responsibilities
  24. Design and revisions
  25. Client Content and third-party materials
  26. Build, standards and accessibility
  27. Testing, acceptance and Launch
  28. Hosting, domains and Platform accounts
  29. Changes
  30. Fees and payment
  31. Intellectual property
  32. Legal compliance of the Website
  33. Confidentiality
  34. Data protection and security
  35. Warranties and liability
  36. Ongoing maintenance (optional)
  37. Termination
  38. Force majeure
  39. General
  40. Disputes, governing law and jurisdiction

Also included

  • Site map and page templates
  • Functionality and integrations
  • Standards
  • Personal data processed by the Designer
  • Before Launch
  • At and after Launch

How to complete it

  • Complete Schedule 1 (brief and specification) and Schedule 2 (timetable and fees)
  • Decide the number of design rounds in clause 4 and the snagging period in clause 7
  • Decide who owns the hosting and domain accounts (clause 8) – ideally the client
  • Check the liability cap in clause 15 and the cancellation fee in clause 17

Key points to check

  • Clients remain responsible for their own privacy notice and cookie banner – this agreement makes that clear
  • Use licensed fonts, images and plug-ins only, and list them at handover

Our templates are professionally structured starting points for UK businesses, not legal advice. For anything complex, unusual or high-value, have your final version checked by a solicitor.

Included in the pack

Tech & SaaS

£20

for every document in this category

Editable Microsoft Word files

Guidance notes in every document

Written for UK businesses

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