Templates

Freelance project plan

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Capture client needs, scope, quote preparation, delivery milestones, and an acceptance checklist — with a complete café website example.

Template preview

Loads an independent copy without AI. Your current draft is saved locally so you can restore it or undo.

Who it is for

  • Freelancers taking on web, design, writing, or translation projects
  • Small studios that need to quote clients and pin down scope
  • Independent consultants who want client notes and delivery status in one place

Steps

  1. Collect the client's own words under "Client needs", separating must-haves from nice-to-haves.
  2. Write both "Included" and "Not included" under "Scope", and confirm each line with the client before quoting.
  3. Estimate effort under "Quote preparation" first, then work out the price and payment terms.
  4. Turn the milestones in your contract into dated "Delivery milestones" tasks.
  5. Before handover, tick through the "Acceptance checklist", then export the text outline as a PDF for the client to confirm.

Example

Jordan (fictional), a freelance designer, lands the café website project. She uses this template to turn the client's chat messages into a must-have list and copies the "Not included" items into her quote, which heads off scope creep later. Each week she exports the milestones and checklist as a PDF so the client can see progress at a glance.

Names, companies, amounts and dates in templates and examples are fictional and for demonstration only.

How to use

  1. The more specific "Not included" is, the fewer rework and pricing disputes you will have.
  2. The amounts are only an example — price by your own effort and local rates.
  3. Use a Mermaid Gantt chart to turn the delivery milestones into a timeline for the client.
Outline preview
  • Café website projectExample: the client, amounts, and dates are fictional. The quote shows how to break down a price, not market rates.
  • Client needs
  • Goal: a new customer finds the address and opening hours on a phone within 10 seconds
  • Must have: menu, locations, brand story, contact details
  • Nice to have: seasonal event announcements
  • Contact: Rosa, the owner (fictional); replies to messages after 6 pm on weekdays
  • Scope
  • Included
  • Design and build of 5 pages: home, menu, locations, story, contact
  • Works on phones and desktops
  • 2 rounds of design revisions
  • Not included
  • Copywriting and product photography
  • Domain and hosting fees (purchased by the client)
  • Ongoing content updates after launch
  • Quote preparation
  • Effort estimate
  • Design: 3 days
  • Development: 4 days
  • Testing and launch: 1 day
  • Price breakdown (fictional amounts)
  • Design: $1,800
  • Development: $2,400
  • Revisions beyond round 2: $300 per round
  • Payment terms
  • 50% on signing, 50% on acceptance
  • Delivery milestones
  • ☑ Contract signed and deposit received · 2026-11-04
  • ☐ Homepage design delivered · 2026-11-10
  • ☐ All page designs delivered · 2026-11-14
  • ☐ Site built and deployed to a staging URL · 2026-11-21
  • ☐ Live launch · 2026-11-25
  • Acceptance checklist
  • ☐ Every page displays correctly on iPhone and Android
  • ☐ Each address opens turn-by-turn directions in one tap
  • ☐ Menu prices match the client's spreadsheet
  • ☐ Source files and an account handover list are delivered
  • Communication log
  • Nov 1: client prefers dark green as the main color
  • Nov 3: confirmed that online ordering is out of scope
View Markdown source
# Café website project
> Example: the client, amounts, and dates are fictional. The quote shows how to break down a price, not market rates.
## Client needs
- Goal: a new customer finds the address and opening hours on a phone within 10 seconds
- Must have: menu, locations, brand story, contact details
- Nice to have: seasonal event announcements
- Contact: Rosa, the owner (fictional); replies to messages after 6 pm on weekdays
## Scope
### Included
- Design and build of 5 pages: home, menu, locations, story, contact
- Works on phones and desktops
- 2 rounds of design revisions
### Not included
- Copywriting and product photography
- Domain and hosting fees (purchased by the client)
- Ongoing content updates after launch
## Quote preparation
### Effort estimate
- Design: 3 days
- Development: 4 days
- Testing and launch: 1 day
### Price breakdown (fictional amounts)
- Design: $1,800
- Development: $2,400
- Revisions beyond round 2: $300 per round
### Payment terms
- 50% on signing, 50% on acceptance
## Delivery milestones
- [x] Contract signed and deposit received <!-- due:2026-11-04 -->
- [ ] Homepage design delivered <!-- due:2026-11-10 -->
- [ ] All page designs delivered <!-- due:2026-11-14 -->
- [ ] Site built and deployed to a staging URL <!-- due:2026-11-21 -->
- [ ] Live launch <!-- due:2026-11-25 -->
## Acceptance checklist
- [ ] Every page displays correctly on iPhone and Android
- [ ] Each address opens turn-by-turn directions in one tap
- [ ] Menu prices match the client's spreadsheet
- [ ] Source files and an account handover list are delivered
## Communication log
- Nov 1: client prefers dark green as the main color
- Nov 3: confirmed that online ordering is out of scope

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