Service Agreements & Contracts

Free Retainer Agreement Template (PDF)

A retainer agreement sets up an ongoing services relationship for a recurring fee — a defined amount of time or scope available each billing period, with clear terms for what happens if a client needs more than that.

When to use it

Use this for an ongoing relationship rather than a one-off project — a fixed number of hours or a defined scope made available every month or quarter, common for consultants, agencies, and freelancers with recurring clients.

What's typically included

• Services description
• Retainer fee and billing cycle
• Overage terms
• Unused-time and rollover policy
• What's out of scope
• Term and renewal
• Termination
• Independent contractor status
• Limitation of liability
• Governing law

How to fill it in

• The monthly fee and included hours are the two custom blanks — fill them in once, and be realistic about the hours you can actually deliver at that price every month.
• State the rollover policy explicitly ("unused hours do not roll over" or a specific cap) — an unstated policy tends to default to whatever the client assumes, which is usually the more generous option.
• Fill in the overage rate for work beyond the included hours so it's agreed upfront rather than negotiated after the client has already gone over.

This template is a general starting point, not legal advice — customize it and have it reviewed for your situation.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if the client doesn't use all their included hours in a month?

That's exactly what the rollover policy section decides — state clearly whether unused hours carry over, expire, or partially roll over, since this template doesn't assume one behavior by default.

Is an electronically signed retainer agreement legally binding?

Yes, under the U.S. ESIGN Act and state UETA laws, an electronic signature is just as binding as one on paper.

How does this renew each month — automatically, or does it need to be re-signed?

As written, the term and renewal section is built for automatic renewal until either party gives notice to terminate — edit that section if you'd rather require an active renewal instead.