Web Design Contract Checklist for Singapore: 10 Clauses

Most web design projects go wrong for one of two reasons: the scope was vague, or nobody agreed who owns what at the end. Both problems start in the contract, or in the lack of one. This checklist covers the ten clauses worth reading carefully before you sign a web design contract in Singapore, with examples of what to look for and what to ask your agency or freelancer to clarify.

Criteria for vetting a web development agency in Singapore — A contract is easier to judge when you already know what a reliable agency looks like.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For large or complex projects, have your own lawyer review the final agreement.

Contents

Quick checklist: 10 clauses to review

Scope and deliverables: exactly what you are getting, and what is excluded.
Timeline and milestones: dates, review periods and what happens if either side is late.
Fees, payment schedule and GST: total price, when payments fall due, and what is quoted before or after GST.
Revisions and change requests: how many rounds, and how extra work is quoted.
Ownership and intellectual property: who owns the design, code, content and third-party licences.
Domain, hosting and account access: your company should be the owner of every account.
Data protection and PDPA: who handles personal data collected through the site.
Testing, launch and warranty: how “finished” is defined, and who fixes bugs after launch.
Maintenance and support: what happens after the site goes live.
Termination, refunds and disputes: how either side can exit, and how disagreements are resolved.

1. Scope and deliverables

The scope clause decides what you are actually buying. “A 10-page corporate website” is not enough. A useful scope describes the number and type of pages or templates, the features you need (contact forms, booking, search, multilingual content, a blog, an online store), the integrations (CRM, payment gateway, analytics, WhatsApp chat), who writes the copy and supplies images, whether existing content will be migrated, and which devices and browsers will be supported.

Just as important is what is excluded. If something was discussed in a meeting but is not written down, assume it is not included. Ask for the written scope to be updated before you sign.

2. Timeline and milestones

A good timeline names milestones, such as design concept, design approval, development, content upload, testing and launch, with dates or durations for each. It should also say how long you have to give feedback at each stage and what happens when either side is late. Many contracts move the schedule by the same number of days when the client is late with content or approvals. For realistic durations, see how long a website project takes.

Where to cut web design costs and where not to — Know which costs are safe to reduce and which are risky to cut before agreeing a price.

3. Fees, payment schedule and GST

Check the total price, what it includes, and when each payment is due. A deposit, one or more milestone payments and a final payment at launch is a common structure, but there is no fixed rule. What matters is that payments are tied to progress you can verify.

Confirm whether the price is quoted before or after GST. The prevailing GST rate in Singapore is 9% at the time of writing; if you are unsure how GST applies to your project, check with IRAS or your accountant. Also ask whether third-party costs, such as premium plugins, stock photos, paid fonts and hosting, are included or billed separately. For typical price ranges, read our guide to website design cost in Singapore.

4. Revisions and change requests

“Unlimited revisions” sounds generous but often leads to delays. A clearly capped number of revision rounds, with a definition such as “one consolidated set of feedback per round”, is easier for both sides. The contract should also explain how change requests work: new features outside the scope should be quoted in writing before any work starts.

5. Ownership and intellectual property

Who owns the finished website? Look for wording that transfers ownership of the custom design, code and content you paid for to your company once payment is complete. Then check the details:

Design files and source code: will you receive them, for example design files and the full theme or code?
Third-party licences: themes, plugins, fonts and stock images are usually licensed rather than owned. Find out whose name the licence is in and whether it needs to be renewed.
Portfolio rights: the agency may want to show your project in its portfolio. Decide whether that is acceptable.

If you might move to another provider later, this clause decides how easy that will be.

6. Domain, hosting and account access

Your domain name should be registered in your company’s name, with you as the registrant, not in the name of the agency or freelancer. The same applies to hosting, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, your Google Business Profile and any marketing tools: you should be the owner, with the provider added as a user. Ask for admin login details at handover.

If the provider hosts the site, ask about backups, uptime and what happens to your site if the relationship ends. For background, see our guides to registering a domain name in Singapore and domain and hosting options.

7. Data protection and PDPA

If your website collects personal data through contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, booking forms or analytics, Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) applies to your organisation. Check who prepares the consent wording and privacy policy, where form submissions are stored and who can access them, and whether the provider processes data on your behalf (the PDPA calls this a data intermediary). Responsibility for compliance stays with your organisation, so make sure the contract and the build match what your privacy policy says. The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) website explains organisations’ obligations in detail.

8. Testing, launch and warranty

Look for acceptance criteria: how will you confirm the site is finished? A checklist of pages and features, testing on major browsers and mobile devices, and basic speed and SEO checks are reasonable. The contract should also state a bug-fix or warranty period after launch and explain the difference between a bug (something that does not work as agreed) and a new request (something you want added).

9. Maintenance and support after launch

A website needs software updates, backups and security monitoring after launch. Check whether the contract covers any support, for how long, and what response times apply. If maintenance is a separate agreement, ask for a written scope and price. Our overview of website maintenance and security shows what a typical plan includes.

10. Termination, refunds and dispute resolution

Find out what happens if either side ends the project early: what you pay for work already done, what you receive (files and work in progress), and whether the deposit is refundable and under what conditions. Look for a governing law clause (Singapore law is typical for Singapore businesses) and a dispute process. Many agreements start with good-faith discussion and mediation before court, and mediation services such as the Singapore Mediation Centre exist for commercial disputes.

Fixed price or time-based pricing?

Web design contracts usually use one of two pricing structures, and each handles risk differently.

Fixed price sets one fee for a defined scope. It gives you a predictable budget, but only if the scope is written precisely. If a page, feature or integration is not listed, expect it to be quoted as extra. The more detail in clause 1, the more protection a fixed price gives you.

Time and materials bills for the hours actually worked, often with an estimate or cap. It suits projects where requirements will change as you go, but it needs regular reporting and a clear limit, otherwise the final cost is hard to predict.

Some agencies combine the two: a fixed price for the defined core, and an hourly rate for approved changes. Whatever the structure, the contract should show how extra work is requested, estimated and approved in writing before it begins.

Costs that are often left out of the quotation

A low headline price can hide recurring or third-party costs. Ask for these to be listed in the contract, with who pays and when each renews:

Domain name registration and renewal.
Hosting, including what happens after any free first-year period.
Premium themes, plugins, fonts, stock images or video licences.
Email accounts, SSL certificates and backup services.
Third-party tools such as booking, payment, CRM or marketing integrations.
Copywriting, translation, photography or video, if not included.
Ongoing maintenance, security monitoring and content updates.

Our guide to website design cost in Singapore explains what usually drives the price.

Handover checklist: what you should receive at the end

Many disputes happen at the end of a project, when a client discovers they do not hold something they assumed they owned. Write a handover list into the contract and tick it off before the final payment.

Admin logins for the website, with your own administrator account.
Domain registrar and DNS access in your name, or a documented transfer.
Hosting account access, or a written plan for where the site is hosted and who manages it.
Files and assets: logos, images, fonts and design files you are entitled to use.
A list of plugins, themes and tools used, with licence details and renewal dates.
Analytics, Search Console and tag manager accounts, with you as the owner.
A backup of the finished site.
Basic training or documentation so your team can manage content.

Sign off in writing: how to treat milestones

Treat each milestone as a decision point. Review what was delivered against the scope, give feedback in writing within the agreed period, and approve it in writing. Silence is not always agreement, but a clear approval trail protects both sides. If something is missed, the written scope is the reference to point to.

Red flags to watch for

No written scope, or a one-line description of the project.
Pressure to pay the full amount upfront.
The domain or hosting is registered in the provider’s name by default.
Ownership of the site only transfers if you also buy a maintenance plan.
Vague promises such as “SEO included” or a guaranteed first-page ranking, with no defined deliverables.
No company details, such as a registered business name, UEN or address.

Before you sign: a short list of questions to ask the agency

Who will work on the project, and will any work be outsourced or sent overseas?
What happens if the project is delayed by me, and what happens if it is delayed by you?
What exactly counts as a revision, and what counts as a new request?
Which assets and code will I own at the end, and what is licensed to me instead?
How is my customers’ data handled, stored and protected?
What support do I get after launch, for how long and at what cost?
Can I speak to a past client, or see work similar to my project?

A reliable agency will answer these directly. Hesitation or vague answers are information in themselves. If you want to compare agencies first, read our tips on hiring a reliable website developer in Singapore.

This checklist is general information, not legal advice. For larger or more complex projects, ask a lawyer to review the contract before you sign.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a contract for a small website project?

Yes. Even a short signed agreement or proposal should cover scope, price, timeline, ownership and what happens after launch. The more informal the arrangement, the more likely a disagreement is to turn into a dispute.

Who owns my website after it is built?

It depends on the contract. Many providers transfer ownership of custom work after full payment, but third-party themes, plugins and fonts are usually licensed, not owned. Check the ownership clause and ask for it to be explicit.

Can an agency keep my domain name?

It should not. Ask for the domain to be registered in your company’s name, and keep the registrar login yourself.

Should I pay everything upfront?

Splitting payments into a deposit, milestone payments and a final payment at launch is common, and ties your money to progress. Be cautious about paying the full amount before work begins.

Is a quotation the same as a contract?

A signed quotation can form part of an agreement, but quotations often leave out ownership, warranty, termination and dispute terms. Read what it actually covers and ask for the missing clauses.

Is an electronic signature acceptable on a web design contract?

Electronic signatures are widely used for business contracts in Singapore, and the Electronic Transactions Act recognises them in many situations. For high-value or unusual agreements, check with your lawyer. Whichever method you use, keep the signed copy and every version of the quotation and scope attached to it.

What should I do if the project scope changes halfway?

Ask for a written change request that states the new work, the price impact and the effect on the timeline, and approve it before work begins. Avoid verbal agreements on changes, because they are the usual source of disputes about extra charges.

Can I cancel the project if I am unhappy?

That depends on the termination clause. Check how either side can end the agreement, how much notice is required, what you pay for work already done and what you receive in return, such as files completed so far. Understand these terms before you sign, not after a disagreement.

Web Design Contract Checklist: 10 Clauses to Check Before You Sign