These terms and conditions are here to ensure that clients and I are on the same page from the start of a project – they protect clients’ interests as much as mine and help avoid any confusion down the line. Please take a moment to read through these points. If anything isn’t clear or you have questions, I’m please discuss them with me before we begin.
1. Project Start
Work begins only once the following are in place:
- A signed contract or written agreement
- A clear and agreed-upon brief
- A confirmed project fee
- An initial payment (minimum 40–50% unless otherwise agreed)
Where the client is a consumer rather than a business, they have a statutory right to cancel this agreement within 14 days of entering into it. By asking me to begin work during that period, the client agrees to work commencing before the cancellation period ends, and acknowledges that if they then cancel, they will be charged for work already carried out, in proportion to what has been supplied.
2. Scope & Changes
The project fee covers the design and build outlined in an agreed brief. Copywriting is not included unless specifically agreed in writing. Any additional pages, features, functionality, content support, or revisions beyond the agreed package will be quoted separately before work proceeds. Unless otherwise specified, the base fee includes up to two rounds of revisions.
Out-of-scope and urgent requests: all requests for work outside the agreed scope must be submitted in writing and will be subject to a formal quote and written approval before commencement.
Requests submitted:
- with less than 72 hours’ notice, or
- outside agreed working hours (Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm GMT)
may incur a 50% premium fee and/or extended delivery timelines, and may be declined at my discretion. No work will begin without prior written agreement and confirmation of fees.
3. Client Responsibilities
The client is responsible for providing all written content, images, assets, and information needed for the site, unless copywriting or content creation has been explicitly included as part of the project. All materials should be provided in a timely manner. Delays in receiving content or decisions may delay the project timeline.
The client is responsible for domain and platform subscription costs. These are not included in design and/or implementation fees.
The client is responsible for ensuring that all content supplied to me complies with relevant laws and regulations, including copyright law and the rights of third parties. I accept no liability for content provided by the client that is found to be unlawful, infringing, or non-compliant.
4. Data Protection
I do not hold, store or process personal data on the client’s behalf. Any personal data collected through the site – including contact form submissions, mailing list sign-ups, and analytics data – is collected by and under the control of the client, who is the data controller and is responsible for compliance with data protection law, including the UK GDPR and PECR. This includes cookie consent, privacy notices, and the lawful basis for any marketing communications.
Where I install third-party tools during the build (for example analytics or mailing list embeds), I will confirm in writing at handover what is present on the site. Responsibility for the lawful operation of those tools rests with the client.
I do not undertake work involving special category data as defined in the UK GDPR.
Separately from the above, I hold and process the client’s own contact and project details – such as name, email address, correspondence and invoicing records – as a data controller in my own right, for the purpose of carrying out the work and meeting my legal and accounting obligations. This is covered by my Privacy Policy.
5. Payments
Invoices must be paid within 14 days unless otherwise stated. Work pauses automatically if payments fall overdue. The final site will only be transferred, launched, or handed over once all fees are paid in full.
Overdue invoices may accrue interest at 4% above the Bank of England base rate, calculated daily from the due date until payment is received.
6. Timeline
Any proposed timeline depends on the client supplying content and feedback as agreed. Delays on the client side may shift delivery dates.
7. Cancellations & Termination
Fixed-scope projects. If the client cancels after work has begun, the initial payment is non-refundable, subject to section 1 above. Any additional work completed will be invoiced at the agreed hourly rate or as a proportion of the project fee. Either party may end the project in writing at any time; all work completed to that point remains payable.
Ongoing arrangements. Where a monthly or retained arrangement has been separately agreed, either party may terminate on 30 days’ written notice. All fees for completed work or scheduled sessions remain payable.
In either case, no further work will be undertaken after termination unless a new written agreement is signed and payment received in advance.
8. Platform & Technical Notes
Websites are built using platforms (for example Squarespace, Cargo, WordPress) and set up for responsive behaviour within those systems’ capabilities. Sites are tested across major modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) and common device sizes during development. However, browser differences, third-party changes, or platform limitations may affect appearance or performance. Extensive stress testing, performance optimisation beyond standard best practices, or testing across legacy browsers requires additional time and will be quoted for separately if needed.
Accessibility. Accessibility means making a site usable by disabled people – for example by people using screen readers, by people who navigate with a keyboard rather than a mouse, and by people who need large text or high contrast. There is an international standard for this, called WCAG, with three levels of conformance; the middle level, AA, is what most organisations aim for.
I build to reasonable current practice, but I do not guarantee that a site meets WCAG 2.2 AA or any other formal standard unless accessibility work has been specifically discussed, quoted for, and included in the brief. Website platforms vary in how accessible they are underneath, and some of that is outside my control. If accessibility conformance matters to you – for example because you are applying for public funding, or working with a public body – please raise it at the briefing stage and I will quote for it.
Accessibility of content you add to the site after handover is your responsibility.
Internet connectivity, hosting uptime, and third-party service availability are outside my control and responsibility. Temporary outages, performance issues, or inaccessibility caused by internet infrastructure, hosting providers, DNS propagation, or platform downtime do not constitute a failure on my part and are not grounds for refund or dispute.
9. Maintenance & Aftercare
Ongoing maintenance, updates, monitoring, backups, future changes, or training are not included unless a monthly or hourly arrangement is agreed separately.
On final payment, all login credentials and account ownership transfer to the client. From that date I have no access to and no responsibility for the site, including its operation, security, updates, backups, or any personal data collected or processed through it.
10. Intellectual Property
All design files, layouts, and related materials remain my property until the project is paid for in full.
On receipt of final payment, I assign to the client all rights in the bespoke design work created specifically for the project. Third-party components – including platform templates, themes, plugins, fonts and stock imagery – are licensed rather than assigned, and remain subject to their own licence terms. The client is responsible for maintaining any subscriptions or licences required to keep the site running.
Preliminary drafts, unused concepts, and working files remain mine.
I retain a non-exclusive licence to display completed work in my portfolio and to use it for promotional purposes, unless the client requests otherwise in writing before project completion.
11. Communication & Professional Boundaries
Communication and decision-making take place during agreed working hours and through agreed channels.
12. Confidentiality
Both parties agree to keep confidential any sensitive business information, pricing, or proprietary materials shared during the course of the project. This obligation continues after the project has concluded.
13. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, my total liability for any claim arising out of or in connection with this agreement, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, shall not exceed the total fees payable by the client for the project in question. I shall not be liable for any indirect or consequential loss, including loss of revenue, business, or anticipated profits.
Nothing in this agreement limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded. Where the client is a consumer, nothing in this agreement affects their statutory rights.
14. Governing Law
This agreement is governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from or in connection with these terms shall first be addressed through good-faith negotiation between the parties before any legal proceedings are commenced.
These T&Cs are routinely updated. Last additions, August 2026.