For developers and agencies providing ongoing website maintenance, updates, and technical support.
When to use this template
Website maintenance retainers are a reliable revenue stream — until a client treats their $500/month retainer as unlimited development support. This template is precise about what "maintenance" means, how many hours are included, what response times cover, and critically, what is not covered.
Sets the context, parties, and purpose. This is the first thing a client reads and the last thing they remember.
This Statement of Work governs the ongoing website maintenance and support services provided by [Agency Name] ("Agency") to [Client Name] ("Client") for the website at [URL]. The Agency will keep the website secure, up to date, and performant within the hours and response times defined below. This is a maintenance retainer, not a development retainer. New features, redesigns, and significant content changes are outside this scope.
The complete list of what you will deliver. If it is not listed here, you are not obligated to do it.
Equally important as scope. Explicitly naming exclusions kills the "I thought that was included" conversation.
Commitments on both sides. Milestones keep projects moving and give you a paper trail when clients cause delays.
The most violated clause in any SOW. Define exactly what a revision is, how many are included, and what extra costs.
Monthly reports are informational and not subject to revision. Content changes submitted within the monthly hours allowance are completed as requested — one round of minor corrections is included per request.
Protect your cash flow. Late payment clauses and upfront deposits are non-negotiable for sustainable agencies.
Monthly retainer: $[Amount]/month, invoiced on the 1st of each month and payable within ten (10) business days. Unused hours do not roll over to the following month. Hours in excess of the monthly allowance are billed at $[rate]/hour and included on the following month's invoice. Minimum engagement: [X] months. Thirty (30) days' written notice required to cancel. Overdue invoices suspend all services including security monitoring.
The scope creep firewall. Every out-of-scope request routes through here — no exceptions.
Any development work, new features, page redesigns, or tasks requiring more than [X] hours that fall outside routine maintenance require a written Change Order before the Agency proceeds. The Agency will provide estimates within two (2) business days.
Shift responsibility for inputs to the client. If they don't deliver, the timeline moves.
Define "done" before you start. Silence-equals-acceptance clauses prevent endless feedback loops.
Monthly deliverables are accepted when the report is delivered and not disputed within five (5) business days. The engagement continues until terminated with thirty (30) days' written notice. On termination, the Agency will provide a final backup, document all active plugins and configurations, and assist with a 2-hour handover session.
Typically 2–5 hours/month for basic maintenance. Anything more than 5 hours starts to be development work. Set the hours low and use change orders for additional work.
Text updates, image swaps, adding a team member, updating contact info. Not: new pages, redesigned sections, or new functionality. Define specific examples in the SOW to avoid ambiguity.
Only if you control the hosting environment. If you do, charge for it separately as a line item. Do not bundle hosting into a flat maintenance fee — it obscures your costs.
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