Freelance and contractorsAgreement
Retainer agreement template
For ongoing work billed monthly: the client pays upfront for a set amount of your time each month, and both sides know what happens with unused hours or extra requests.
Opens in the Salsox editor with 5 signing fields already placed for Provider and Client. Add their emails and send. The free plan sends 3 documents a month.
Who signs
- Provider (you)
- Client
Preview
Monthly Retainer Agreement
This Retainer Agreement is made on 1 November 2026 between Stackwise Studio, of 9 Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos (the "Provider"), and Orbit Fitness Ltd, of 17 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos (the "Client").
1. Services and allowance
The Provider will make itself available for ongoing maintenance, small features and hosting support for the client's booking website (the "Services"). The retainer includes up to 20 hours of Services each calendar month, and the Provider will respond to requests within one working day on working days.
2. Unused and extra hours
Up to 5 unused hours roll over to the next month only. Work beyond the monthly hours needs the Client's approval first and is billed at NGN 35,000 per hour at the end of the month.
3. Fees and payment
The monthly fee is NGN 600,000, invoiced on the 1st of each month in advance and payable within seven days. The first month's fee is due on signing. If payment is late, the Provider may pause the Services until it is received.
4. Term
This Agreement starts on 1 November 2026 and continues month to month until ended under clause 7.
5. Requests and reporting
The Client will send requests through the shared project board or by email. The Provider will record hours used and share a summary with each invoice.
6. Ownership and confidentiality
The Client owns the work produced once the relevant month's fees are paid; the Provider keeps its pre-existing tools and know-how. Each party keeps the other's confidential information private.
7. Ending the Agreement
Either party may end this Agreement with 30 days' written notice. Fees for the notice period remain payable, and the Provider will complete or hand over work in progress.
8. General
The Provider is an independent contractor. Its total liability is limited to the fees paid in the three months before a claim. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and may be signed electronically.
Signatures
Provider: Stackwise Studio Signature: Signature · Provider Date: Date · Provider
Client: Orbit Fitness Ltd Signature: Signature · Client Date: Date · Client Name: Name · Client
These templates are general starting points, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries and states: check that a template suits your situation, or ask a lawyer, before you rely on it.
About the Retainer agreement template
A retainer turns repeated small jobs into a predictable monthly arrangement. The client pays at the start of each month for a block of your time; you commit to being available and responding quickly. Both sides plan around it instead of negotiating every request.
The clauses that prevent arguments are the ones about edges: how many hours the fee buys, whether unused hours roll over (a small, capped rollover feels fair without building a backlog), what extra work costs and that it needs approval first, and what happens if an invoice is late. A monthly hours report with each invoice keeps trust high.
Either side can end it with notice, and fees for the notice period remain due, which gives you time to fill the gap and the client time to hand over.
- Signers
- 2
- Signing fields placed
- 5
- Details to fill in
- 17
How to use this template
Open it in Salsox
Choose Use this template. Sign up free if you have no account; the template opens straight after.
Fill in the details
Type your details into each blank, or start from the sample to see how it reads. Save it as your own template to reuse it.
Add signers and send
The editor already has every signature, date and initials field in place. Add each signer's email and send; they sign on their phone, and everyone gets the sealed copy with its audit trail.
Used in
Questions
Should unused retainer hours roll over?
It is your choice. Many freelancers allow a limited rollover, such as one month or a few hours, so clients feel treated fairly without building up a large backlog of owed time.
Is a retainer paid in advance?
Usually, yes: the fee for each month is paid at the start of that month. That is what secures your availability for the client.
How much notice should either side give?
Thirty days is common. It gives the client time to find a replacement and you time to fill the gap in your schedule.
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Start from this template in Salsox: fill in the blanks, add your signers and send by email, WhatsApp or SMS. Signers sign one field at a time on their phone, and you can collect a payment in the same step.