Free template
Free Service Agreement Template
A service agreement protects both sides of a recurring relationship: it spells out what you will do, how much it costs, how often, and what happens if either party wants out. This free service agreement template covers the clauses a service business actually needs, in plain language. Download it as Word or PDF, fill in the brackets, and have both parties sign. For anything high-value, have a local attorney review it.
Click any field to fill it in. Line-item totals, discount and tax update automatically, and your work is saved in this browser as you type. Draw your signature at the bottom, then print, download, or copy.
| Agreement date | |
| Effective date |
How to use this service agreement template
- 1
Fill in both parties' details and the agreement and effective dates.
- 2
In Section 1, describe the services, frequency, and scope as specifically as you can. Vague scope is where disputes start.
- 3
Set the payment amount, billing frequency, and terms in Section 3.
- 4
Adjust the term, cancellation notice, and liability clauses to match how you actually work.
- 5
Have both parties sign and keep a copy. For high-value or unusual agreements, have a local attorney review it first.
What a service agreement should include
- Both parties' legal names and contact details
- A clear description of the services and frequency
- The term and start date
- Payment amount, schedule, and late terms
- Scheduling, access, and cancellation terms
- Liability and insurance language
- Signature lines for both parties
Common service agreement mistakes to avoid
- Vague scope that leads to disputes later
- No cancellation or written-notice terms
- Skipping liability and insurance language
- Not having both parties sign and date it
- Using it for high-value deals without an attorney review
What happens after you send it
A service agreement does its real work after it leaves your hands, and that part is not on the document.
The agreement is read twice and the second time is the one that counts
Once at signing, when everyone is optimistic, and once when something has gone wrong. Write it for the second reading. Clauses that felt pedantic at signup, like notice periods and what happens to prepaid work, are the only parts anyone will look at.
Renewal quietly becomes the whole relationship
A year in, neither side remembers what was signed and both act on habit. If it renews automatically, say so and say when. If it does not, the anniversary is a date you need in a calendar, because an expired agreement covering ongoing work is worse than no agreement.
Price changes are a clause, not an email
Every recurring service eventually needs to charge more. An agreement that says how and with what notice turns that into an administrative step. One that is silent turns it into a negotiation with every customer at once, and some of them will leave over the surprise rather than the amount.
Stop filling in templates
A signed agreement is the start of a recurring relationship, not the end of the paperwork. Smarfle keeps every client's services, recurring schedule, agreements, and billing in one place, auto-generates the recurring invoices, and charges the card on file, so the agreement you sign actually runs itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is a service agreement?+
A service agreement is a contract between a service provider and a client that defines the services, term, payment, scheduling, cancellation, and liability. It protects both sides in an ongoing or recurring relationship.
What should a service agreement include?+
The fields are listed above. The clause people omit is how the agreement ends, and it is the only one that matters when the relationship sours. State the notice period, whether it renews automatically, and what happens to work already scheduled. An agreement with no exit is the one that gets argued over.
Is this service agreement template legally binding?+
A signed agreement is generally binding, but laws vary by state and by industry. This template is a solid starting point in plain language. For high-value or unusual agreements, have a local attorney review it before you use it.
Does the agreement need a signature to hold?+
A signature is not the only way to show both sides agreed, but it is by far the easiest to prove, so get one. An electronic signature is fine in the United States under the E-SIGN Act. Keep a copy that both parties can see, and never rely on a verbal change to a written agreement.
How do I manage recurring service agreements after signing?+
Smarfle stores each client's agreement, recurring schedule, and billing in one place, generates the recurring invoices automatically, and charges the saved card, so the agreement runs without manual work.
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