Service agreement template
A short service agreement for a single job or a simple ongoing service. One table holds the scope, dates, fees and deposit, and eleven sections cover the rest. Free to download, with no sign-up and no email address.
Contract templates › Service agreement template
What is a service agreement?
A service agreement is a contract between a provider and a client for a defined piece of work. It records what the provider will do, when, for how much, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template is the short form: one contract for one job, such as a repair, a design project, regular cleaning or a monthly marketing retainer. It is the single-job alternative to the master service agreement, which sets standing terms for several projects with the same client.
The agreement runs to four pages, followed by one page of nine completion notes that you delete before signing. It is not an employment agreement and is not designed for the sale of goods.
When to use this template, and when not
Use it when
- You have one job, or one simple ongoing service, for one client.
- The scope, dates, fees and any deposit fit in a single table.
- You want payment, ownership of the work, confidentiality and liability settled in a few pages.
Use something else when
- You expect several projects for the same client, each with its own scope, price and timetable. Use the master service agreement template with a statement of work for each project.
- You are hiring an employee. See the employment contract template.
- The work is on a home. Many states have home-improvement contract statutes, and a longer, state-specific form may be required.
- You are selling goods. This template is not designed for that.
What is in this service agreement template
| Section | What it does |
|---|---|
| 1. The Services | A table you complete with the services, deliverables, location, dates, fees, payment schedule, deposit and expenses; changes must be agreed in writing. |
| 2. Fees and Payment | Sets invoicing, a blank for the payment period, crediting of the deposit, a blank for the late-payment interest rate, and who pays sales tax. |
| 3. Client Responsibilities | The client gives timely access, information and approvals at no charge; a client delay extends the dates in section 1. |
| 4. Standard of Performance; Warranty | The provider works with reasonable skill and holds required licenses, and corrects or refunds defective work reported within a blank number of days. |
| 5. Ownership of Deliverables | The client owns each deliverable once it has paid for it; the provider keeps its own tools and methods and licenses those included in a deliverable. |
| 6. Confidentiality | Each party keeps the other’s non-public information confidential for three years after the agreement ends, and longer for trade secrets. |
| 7. Term and Termination | Blanks for the termination notice period and the period to cure a breach; the client pays for work done and any deposit balance is refunded. |
| 8. Limitation of Liability | Excludes indirect losses and caps each party’s liability at the fees, with stated exceptions such as negligent injury, property damage and fraud. |
| 9. Independent Contractor | States that the provider is an independent contractor who controls how the work is done and pays for its own tools, taxes and insurance. |
| 10. Governing Law; Jurisdiction | Blanks for the governing state and for the location of the courts that hear any dispute. |
| 11. General Provisions | Entire agreement, amendment, assignment, notices, force majeure, severability, survival, counterparts and electronic signatures. |
How to fill it in
- Enter the effective date and each party’s name and address in the opening paragraph, keeping the bracketed wording for an individual or an entity and deleting the other.
- Complete every row of the table in section 1: the description of the services, deliverables, location, dates, fees, payment schedule, deposit and expenses.
- In section 2, enter the number of days the client has to pay an invoice and the monthly interest rate on late payments.
- In section 4, enter the number of days the client has to report work that does not meet the standard.
- In section 7, enter the notice period for ending the agreement and the number of days to cure a breach.
- In section 10, enter the governing state and the location of the courts.
- Complete the signature block, including each party’s email for notices, and delete the notes page before signing.
How to e-sign your service agreement
- Save the completed service agreement as a PDF.
- Upload it to QuickSigner and add each signer’s email.
- Place the signature fields and send. Each party signs from a secure link, without an account.
Section 11 of the template confirms that the agreement may be signed electronically and that electronic signatures have the same legal effect as handwritten ones. The free plan covers 5 documents a month. The free plan adds signature fields only, so type names, titles and dates into the document before you save it.
Service agreement template FAQs
What is the difference between a service agreement and a master service agreement?
A service agreement covers one job or one simple ongoing service, while a master service agreement sets standing terms for several projects. In this template the scope, dates and fees sit in a table in section 1. If you expect several projects for the same client, each with its own scope, price and timetable, use a master service agreement with statements of work instead.
Who owns the work under this service agreement?
The client owns each deliverable once it has paid all fees due for it. Until then the provider owns it. Under section 5 the provider keeps the tools, templates, methods and software it had before or made independently, and gives the client a perpetual, royalty-free license to any of them included in a deliverable.
Is the deposit refundable?
Yes, to the extent it exceeds what the provider has earned when the agreement ends. Section 2 credits the deposit against the final invoice, and section 7 requires the provider to refund any balance within 30 days after termination. If you want a non-refundable deposit instead, check first whether the governing state will enforce one.
Can I use this template with a consumer client?
You can, but check the consumer-protection rules of the client’s state first, because they may require extra terms and may override parts of the agreement. As of October 2026, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives the buyer three business days to cancel certain sales that a seller personally solicits at the buyer’s home or away from the seller’s regular place of business. The rule has exceptions, and this template does not contain the cancellation notice it requires.
What happens if I leave a blank empty?
A default applies for five of the blanks. Invoices are due in 30 days, late payments bear interest at 1% per month or the legal maximum if lower, defects must be reported within 30 days, either party may end the agreement on 14 days’ notice, and a breach must be cured within 10 days. The other blanks, such as the table in section 1 and the governing state, have no default and must be completed.
Does this agreement make the provider an independent contractor?
Not by itself. Section 9 states that the provider is an independent contractor, but federal and state agencies look at the real working relationship, and the tests vary by state. If the provider is an individual freelancer, also check whether a state or city freelance-worker law applies.
Related templates
- Master service agreement template, for several projects with the same client
- Statement of work template
- Independent contractor agreement template
- NDA template
Last updated Oct 7, 2026. This template is provided by QuickSigner for general information only and is not legal advice. Service contracts are affected by consumer-protection, licensing, tax and worker-classification rules that vary by state. Have this document reviewed by a qualified attorney before use.
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