Free Service Contract Template — Fill & Sign Online
A service contract is the general-purpose agreement for selling work rather than products. It answers four questions: what will be done, what it costs, who is liable when something goes wrong, and how either side gets out.
If your work fits a more specific template (design, consulting, construction, cleaning) start there instead. This one is for everything else, and for the first version of an agreement you will specialise later.
Self-signing is free, local & private, never uploaded. Sending for signature needs a free account (just your email).
The four things every service contract settles
- Scope: the services, the deliverables and the dates. Also state what is not included, which is the half most templates omit.
- Fees and payment terms: the amount, the invoice schedule, the payment window, and the late-payment interest rate.
- Client dependencies: access, information and decisions you need, with dates, so their delay does not become your breach.
- Liability cap: usually limited to fees paid. Without it a small contract carries unlimited exposure.
- Confidentiality: mutual, covering what each side sees of the other's business.
- Intellectual property: who owns what is produced, and when ownership transfers.
- Termination: notice period, immediate termination for material breach, and payment for work already done.
Mistakes in general service contracts
- No liability cap. This is the clause most often missing from small-business contracts and the one with the largest downside.
- No late-payment terms. Without a stated interest rate and payment window, chasing an invoice has no contractual teeth.
- Scope with no exclusions. Everything unstated is assumed included by the person who is paying.
- No termination clause. Without one, ending the contract early is itself a breach, even when both sides want out.
Common questions
What is the difference between a service contract and a service agreement?
Nothing legally: the terms are used interchangeably. What matters is the content, not the heading at the top of the page.
Should I cap my liability?
Yes, and the usual cap is the total fees paid under the contract. Note that liability for death, personal injury and fraud cannot be capped in most jurisdictions, and a clause attempting it may be struck out, which is why a well-drafted cap carves those out explicitly.
Is an electronically signed service contract binding?
Yes, in every major jurisdiction. FairSign seals each finished document with an audit trail recording who signed, when, and from where, which is what you would need to produce if the agreement were ever questioned.
This page is general information for small businesses, not legal advice. For your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.