How to Write a Client Agreement for Your Drafting Services?

Drafting gives us the blueprint of any architectural project with detailed and neat drawings. These services are readily available through independent drafters or commercial companies.

To provide the best drafting service, you must always sign an agreement with your client to prevent mishaps. These agreements are signed before commencing the project and contain clauses and terms both parties must abide by during the project.

This article will tell you how to create a drafting services agreement template for your clients to sign. Through these agreements, there will be better assurance between the parties, guaranteeing a great partnership.

Things To Do Before Making A Drafting Service Agreement

When you decide to sign a service contract with another party, you’re creating an agreement that can be taken up to legal consequences if needed. Hence, these documents must be comprehensive and to the point without having phrases that may confuse you later.

It also needs to sound official, and you must make sure not to use casual wordings. For this reason, if you’re in charge of writing such contracts, you must do your homework first. We’ve discussed some of the steps you can take to be well-prepared before creating a drafting services agreement template.

Look Through Examples

It is essential that you know what you’re getting into before starting something. Likewise, it’s best to read through some previous templates or actual contracts to write a drafting service agreement. If you’re working in a company, you can ask your employer to pull up some of the previous agreements for you to look into. On the other hand, if you’re an independent contractor, reach out to our best friend in all solutions- Google! The web has tons of examples of what a service agreement should look like. So, familiarize yourself with the structure. Pay special attention to the kind of language and terms used and learn some, if possible. This way, you’ll be well prepared when creating your template for drafting and have a clear goal on how to style it.

Discuss With Relevant Parties

Our second step is if you’re a draftsman working in a company or a group. Discuss with your colleagues the terms and conditions you want in the agreement.

This could be anything from your organization’s payment schedules or the termination clauses you think are important to you. Find out any points that are a must-have for your organization when reaching an agreement with any party beforehand. Talk about the needs and expectations you might have from the client as a drafter. Otherwise, when drafting the template, you will be confused about what conditions to put on that will serve the true purpose.

How to Make a Service Level Agreement Template

Writing a service agreement is relatively easy if you know what you’re getting into. The template needs a general structure and clauses specific to your company that can apply to most drafting services you provide. Considering you already know the content you want in your agreement, let us tell you how to structure it officially. Below are the steps to writing a drafting service contract quickly by yourself −

Give Your Agreement a Title

The first step is to set a title to your agreement so that anybody who sees the document knows what it is. You have various options in choosing a title. Some examples are− ‘General Service Agreement’, ‘Client Agreement’, ‘Customer Agreement’, etc. Choose as you deem fit. It’s best to choose a title that clearly indicates the intention of the agreement paper. We recommend including the date to denote when the agreement was made. It can save you from unexpected legal issues.

Provide Client and Contractor Information

At the beginning of a service, the contract retains the information of the parties involved− the client and the contractor/service provider. So, after the title, make separate sections for the information of the two parties and fill in as due. The contract should have both parties’ legal names and addresses. If the parties are companies, the legally authorized name of the organizations should be there, including their listed address.

Detail the Work Plan

In this step, thoroughly write about the work plan you have. Not down how you will design the project, what tools you will use, the credentials of your CAD software, which staff will be working with you, etc. Sometimes, many drafters like to have a general template that they only need to edit a little for every different client. In that case, you can keep this section with general wording and instead attach a schedule with the document. Write something like, “The contractor agrees to provide the client with all the services detailed in Schedule 1 attached with this document.”

Set the Timeline

The next step is to specify by which date or the amount of time you will take to finish the work. The timeline can also include a schedule if you design for the client frequently or multiple times.

Moreover, you can also include special requirements like needing the work done in a certain amount of time here.

Elaborate on the Payment Conditions

A service contract’s most important part is the payment terms. It is the section where most misunderstandings are caused, so be very specific about the clauses you add to the payment.

Always include the amount to be paid, its currency, payment date, and mode. If the payment will be made in multiple steps, mention the specific timeline. In addition, if you provide invoices or any other material to the client before payment, remember to include that in the agreement. Nobody should be able to tell you that this agreement’s compensation term needed to be more precise!

Also, mention additional payment terms if either party incurs any extra expenses. It is common to have extra costs, and what should be done in such cases should be specified in the agreement.

Specify the Termination Clauses

Every contract has conditions in which either party can dissolve the agreement. Some common situations include natural disasters, dissatisfaction with any party, etc. Therefore, in your contract as well, specify the conditions in which termination of this agreement will be in effect.

Consequences for Breach of Agreement

If you’re monetarily signing a deal worth a lot, it will be excellent for you to add the breach of contract terms. Here, you will include what happens if either party goes against the agreement and the actions that will be taken against them.

An example could be adding the clause that if the drafter does not use the specified tools/materials in the project, or does not hand out the work as promised, there will be a percentage reduction from the total payment. Clauses like this add better protection to the contract and prevent any intentional mishaps from the other party.

Additional Requirements

Depending on your need, there are some additional conditions that you may add to your drafting services agreement template. For example, one such clause is the ownership clause which is often included in the case of intellectual properties like drafted designs. Many people also have confidentiality terms if the work assigned includes confidential information that cannot go public. You can add liability or tax inclusion clauses if they apply to your service requirements.

Get Signed by Both Parties

Last but not least, at the very bottom of your agreement should have space for both parties’ signatures, their names, and the date they signed the document. This is the most crucial part of the agreement, as it will have no meaning without it! After the signatures, the paper will be in full force and effect. Therefore, in these simple steps, you can easily draft a drafting service agreement template by yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions About  Drafting Services Agreement Template

Writing an agreement is a tough job. We understand that you might have several questions and confusions about this topic before you start writing one. Therefore, below we have answered some of the most common ones.

Where can I find examples of contracts for draft services?

Examples of drafting agreements can be found online. You can also ask your local drafter or an architect to show you an agreement they’ve made with their client to get a better idea.

Can you write your drafting service agreement?

Yes, you can write your own service agreement. But always ensure it is in the appropriate language and follows the criteria for it to serve the purpose.

Can anyone write the terms of service of their contract?

Yes, anyone is free to write their terms of service, which will be legally binding if accepted.

How long should a service agreement for drafting be?

Draft service agreements should be binding for as long as the service requires it to be so. Whether you’ll be getting the service for a week, or several years, mention that in the agreement, and the written consent shall last for that amount of time.

What are the disadvantages of a service contract?

A significant disadvantage is that if you break any clause of this agreement, you will face legal consequences. You might be punished legally accordingly, depending on the extent of your breach.

Final Words

Drafting service agreements help the job get done smoothly without any misunderstandings or mishaps between parties. It ensures quality, time, and assurance. So, getting a service agreement for your drafting gigs can be one of the most beneficial ideas. Therefore, you’ve learned all the basics about how to create a drafting services agreement template for your business. Now, go ahead and customize your own template and ensure quality services in all your future endeavors!