This article is for you if you are either of the following:
- You’re a freelance developer or freelancing agency and you want to offer your services to a client.
- You’re a client and you want to take the service from a freelance developer.
If you belong to either group, you’re in the right place! 🙂
Disclaimer: Before I share the contract templates for freelance developers with you, I’m legally required to tell you that I’m not an attorney (I’m a programmer first and teacher second). So, you cannot take this as legal advice. Instead, I simply share some contract templates with you that I found useful during my own career as a freelance developer.
Yeah, I also like the color of the disclaimer background. Are you ready for the legal stuff? So, let’s get it over already!
ALL LINKS OPEN IN A NEW TAB! I hate those links that don’t do this.
#1 Freelance Web Development Contract (GoogleDocs, PDF)
Based on the contract given at the source, I’ve created a Google Docs contract and a PDF that you can access here:
- Google Docs Template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mHNWFx-MCfMB1bM-yhOeufFi9T_Gh8TVJmF_1qMuvCg/edit?usp=sharing
- PDF Download: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mHNWFx-MCfMB1bM-yhOeufFi9T_Gh8TVJmF_1qMuvCg/edit?usp=sharing
This contract is 100% based on the excellent resource from Stuff & Nonsense at the following site:
Link: https://stuffandnonsense.co.uk/projects/contract-killer
This particular contract was quite useful during my career as a freelance developer earning $100 per hour and more—and I’m very grateful for the great work they’ve put into it. It’s also a contract that doesn’t shy away clients because it’s easy to read, relatable, and authentic. Love it!
#2 Freelance Developer Contract (GoogleDocs, PDF)
Again, based on the contract given at the source, I’ve created a Google Docs contract and a PDF that you can access here:
- Google Docs Template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M_KdKLh6U15TjVTpIsEvEgvsY_VzsBxrUwdqyaOR-7E/edit?usp=sharing
- PDF Download: https://blog.finxter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Freelance-Developer-Contract.pdf
You can find the full contract either on the Google Docs I created for you (click on the image!) or at the original site as given in the following link.
Link: https://www.docracy.com/0kpa5hfcobb/freelance-developer-contract
Do you prefer a Word template? No problem, there’s a contract template for you as well!
#3 Basic Freelance Contract Template (Word)
Do you seek more general contract templates for freelancers? Here’s a Word contract template from legaltemplates.net:
What I particularly like about this template is that the underscores highlight clearly where you need to fill in the blanks. It cannot get any simpler than that!
Link: https://legaltemplates.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Freelance-Contract.doc
You don’t need four contracts—one is sufficient. However, I found that there’s one resource missing of a general freelancer contract (not necessarily tailored towards freelance develoepers) that’s also available as a Google Docs. As it turns out, there’s one that fits these requirements perfectly!
#4 General Freelancing Contract (GoogleDocs)
This excellent freelancing contract is from Jyssica Schwartz—and it addresses a wide spectrum of issues. Here’s the table of contents:
Click the following image to check out the interactive contract template on GoogleDocs:
This is a comprehensive contract but it requires a bit more work for you to get started. Here’s the link to the original contract resource:
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bg_1m1C05YqTJzp5MBZMhlREemUrFrOvOE7rsNOc2X0/edit
These four contract templates should be sufficient to get you started with your first few gigs. I know it can be a pain to customize a given contract template—you have to read over it at least once—but view it as a one-time investment into your business success. If you set up the contract once, it can protect you from litigation for many years to come. Get this one thing done today and make one big step progress towards your new freelancing adventure!
I hope you liked this article—before you go, please allow me to present my new book: Leaving the Rat Race with Python where I show the best success tips for upcoming freelancers in the programming space:
Do you want to develop the skills of a well-rounded Python professional—while getting paid in the process? Become a Python freelancer and order your book Leaving the Rat Race with Python on Amazon (Kindle/Print)!
Where to Go From Here?
Enough theory. Let’s get some practice!
Coders get paid six figures and more because they can solve problems more effectively using machine intelligence and automation.
To become more successful in coding, solve more real problems for real people. That’s how you polish the skills you really need in practice. After all, what’s the use of learning theory that nobody ever needs?
You build high-value coding skills by working on practical coding projects!
Do you want to stop learning with toy projects and focus on practical code projects that earn you money and solve real problems for people?
🚀 If your answer is YES!, consider becoming a Python freelance developer! It’s the best way of approaching the task of improving your Python skills—even if you are a complete beginner.
If you just want to learn about the freelancing opportunity, feel free to watch my free webinar “How to Build Your High-Income Skill Python” and learn how I grew my coding business online and how you can, too—from the comfort of your own home.