The clauses
Nine clauses every website
maintenance agreement needs.
Whether you're signing someone else's website maintenance contract or writing your own, these are the terms that decide how the relationship goes on a bad day.
An example
How our website maintenance
agreement handles each clause.
Use this as a benchmark when you compare contracts. Every term below is also published on our plans and pricing pages.
| Clause | Our terms |
|---|---|
| Scope | Set by plan: staging-tested updates, daily off-site backups, uptime and SSL monitoring, a monthly report; Care + Secure adds hardening, malware scanning, performance checks and support hours. |
| Exclusions | New builds, redesigns, content writing, paid ads and hosting. Quoted separately as projects or retainers. |
| Response times | First response within one business day. Care + Secure emergencies: 2 hours in business hours, 4 hours outside. |
| Change requests | Anything outside the plan is quoted and agreed in writing before work starts. |
| Ownership | You own your domain, hosting, code, content and admin access at all times. We work inside your accounts. |
| Fees | Published per site per month on the pricing page. Setup or migration work quoted in writing first. |
| Term | Month to month. No annual contract. |
| Termination | Thirty days' notice. No exit fee. |
| Handover | Every credential handed back within 48 hours of leaving. |
Before you sign
Red flags in a website
maintenance contract.
Most of these aren't unusual. That's exactly why they're worth reading for.
Samples & PDFs
About sample contracts
and PDF templates.
Free website maintenance contract samples and PDFs are a useful starting point for structure, but they're written for nobody in particular. Check any template against the nine clauses above, fill in real numbers rather than "reasonable" ones, and have a lawyer review anything you'll rely on. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.
Related documents
Maintenance agreement, SLA
or retainer: what's the difference?
| Document | What it covers | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance agreement | The whole relationship: scope, fees, ownership, term and exit. | Always. It's the contract. |
| Service level agreement (SLA) | Measurable promises: response times, uptime monitoring, emergency cover. | Usually a section of the agreement, or a schedule attached to it. |
| Retainer | A monthly budget of hours or deliverables for improvement work. | When you want ongoing development or growth work, not just upkeep. |
| Statement of work | One project: what's delivered, by when, for how much. | For builds, redesigns and migrations outside maintenance. |
Questions, answered
Website maintenance contracts:
common questions.
What should a website maintenance contract include?
Scope of work, exclusions, response times, support hours and overage, change-request approval, access and ownership, security and data handling, fees, and termination and handover terms. Each should use real numbers rather than words like "reasonable".
Is there a free website maintenance contract PDF I can use?
Many sites offer sample contracts and PDF templates. They're useful for structure, but check them against the nine clauses on this page and have a lawyer review anything you'll rely on. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.
How long should a website maintenance agreement last?
Month to month is the fairest default for the site owner. Annual terms usually trade a small discount for being locked in; if you accept one, check the renewal and cancellation window carefully.
Who should own the domain and hosting?
You, the site owner, always. A maintenance provider should work inside your accounts rather than registering them in their own name.
What happens when I end a maintenance contract?
A good agreement states the notice period, confirms there's no exit fee, and commits to handing back every credential within a set time. Ours is thirty days' notice, no exit fee and a 48-hour handover.
Should response times be in the contract?
Yes, as numbers: first response, and emergency response in and outside business hours. Without numbers, a service level can't be held to.
How should extra work be handled?
Out-of-scope work should be quoted and approved in writing before it starts. That single clause prevents most maintenance billing disputes.
Can I see your standard terms before signing?
Yes. Ask through the form on this page and they'll be sent in writing, with no call required.
What's a reasonable notice period for a maintenance contract?
Thirty days is common and fair for month-to-month maintenance. Be wary of long notice periods tied to automatic annual renewal.
Should hosting be part of a website maintenance contract?
Only if the provider is actually hosting the site. If they're not, the contract should say hosting stays in your name and is excluded, so there's no confusion about who's responsible for it.
Can a maintenance contract include content updates?
Yes, if the contract says so and states how many hours are included. Otherwise content changes should be listed as out of scope and quoted per request.