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Castlegar, BC. Serving the Kootenays and beyond.
8 min
Key takeaways
- A web design contract should cover scope, revisions, timeline, payments, ownership, the domain, handover, walking away and support.
- Under Canada’s Copyright Act, the designer owns the copyright until they assign it to you in writing.
- The domain should be registered in your business name. The registrant controls it.
- Every payment should have an amount and a trigger, with the full total written down.
- Ask for a full list of logins at launch, and for your name on every account.
On this page
What should a web design contract say in Canada?
A web design contract in Canada should name the pages and features, the revision rounds, the timeline and what pauses it, and the payment schedule. It should say who owns the code, design and content, and when. It should put the domain in your name, and cover handover, a walk-away plan and support after launch.
One clause matters more than the rest. Canada’s Copyright Act makes the author of a work its first owner, and a transfer of copyright only counts in writing. A contract that skips ownership leaves the design and code with whoever made them, even after you pay in full.
If you have never hired a web designer, what to expect when working with a web designer walks through the whole project first.
Which clauses should a web design contract include?
Nine of them. Each one answers a question that causes arguments later if nobody writes it down. Read the contract with this list beside it, and ask about any clause you cannot find.
- 01
Scope and page count
The contract names the pages, the features and the forms. It says who writes the words and who supplies the photos. It also lists what is left out, so nobody argues about it later.
- 02
Revision rounds
It says how many rounds of changes are included and what counts as one round. It also says what an extra round costs.
- 03
The timeline and what pauses it
It gives the key dates or an estimated length. It also says what stops the clock, such as waiting on your content or your feedback.
- 04
The payment schedule
Each payment has an amount and a trigger: signing, a milestone, or launch. You should know the full total before you sign.
- 05
Who owns the code, design and content, and when
It names who owns each piece and the moment ownership moves to you, usually at the final payment. It should say the copyright is assigned to you in writing.
- 06
Whose name is on the domain
The domain should be registered in your business name, with your email as the contact. The contract should say so.
- 07
Hosting and handing over access
It says whose account runs the site and who pays for it. It also promises a full list of logins at launch.
- 08
What happens if either side walks away
It sets the notice each side gives, what you pay for work already done, and which files you receive.
- 09
Support after launch
It says how long fixes are covered after launch, what counts as a fix, and what new work costs by the hour.
A good contract is boring on the day you sign it. It matters the day something goes wrong.
Who owns the website under a web design contract?
The contract decides, and Canadian copyright law fills any gap. A website is several things with separate owners: the code and design, your content, licensed pieces, the domain and the accounts. Check each one.
- The code and the design
- The designer owns the copyright when they make it, unless they are your employee. It moves to you only through a written assignment they sign.
- Your words and photos
- Content you wrote or photos you took stay yours. Make sure the contract does not hand them over by accident.
- Fonts, stock photos and plugins
- These are usually licensed to someone. The contract should say whose account holds each licence, and whether it transfers.
- The domain
- Whoever is listed as the registrant controls it. For a .ca, only the current registrant can ask for the registrant to change.
- The accounts
- Hosting, email, analytics and the Google Business Profile belong to whoever holds the logins. Ask for your name on each one.
Moral rights are separate from copyright. Under the Act, they cannot be assigned but can be waived. If you want the freedom to change the design later without asking, ask for the waiver in the same document. Who owns your website compares what you can take with you on Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and a custom build.
What payment schedule should a web design contract have?
Every payment should have an amount, a date or a trigger, and a place in a written total. Small jobs are often paid up front. Bigger jobs usually split the price between signing and launch, or bill as stages go live.
My own terms follow that shape. Projects under $1,500 are paid in full to start. Projects of $1,500 and up can be split, typically half to start and half at launch. The Empire and the Masterpiece bill by milestone.
Website packages can also go on a 12-month plan. The Trailhead is $2,000 once, or $500 at signing and 12 payments of $142 ($2,204 total) on Own It Monthly. At payment 12, the code, design and content transfer to you, and the domain is in your name from day one.
What should worry me in a web design contract?
Missing clauses worry me more than strict ones. A contract that says nothing about ownership, the domain or leaving has already decided those questions in the designer’s favour.
- No ownership clause at all. Silence leaves the copyright with the designer.
- The domain is registered in the designer’s name or the agency’s name.
- The site can only run on the designer’s own hosting, with a fee to leave.
- A monthly fee with no end date and no point where the site becomes yours.
- “Unlimited revisions” with no definition of what a revision is.
- No clause for what happens if the designer stops partway.
- A total that is missing, or split into monthly amounts with no full price beside them.
A low price is not a warning sign on its own. Is a cheap website quote a red flag? shows how to tell a lean quote from a vague one.
How do my own terms answer these clauses?
I publish my prices and terms, so you can check them against this list before you get in touch. Here is where each of the big clauses lands with me.
- Payment
- Projects under $1,500 are paid in full to start. Projects of $1,500 and up can be split, typically half to start and half at launch. Own It Monthly starts with 25% at signing, then 12 monthly payments.
- Ownership
- On Own It Monthly, the code, design and content transfer to you at payment 12. The files live in your own GitHub account.
- The domain
- It is registered in your name, with registrar lock and two-factor switched on.
- Hosting
- Your choice. I host it at no extra cost, or you hold your own Vercel account at 20 USD a month.
- Timeline
- Every delivery window is an estimate based on past builds, counted from when I have what I need from you.
I work from Castlegar with businesses across the Kootenays and anywhere else. The packages are on my website builds page.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Before you sign a large contract, ask a lawyer to read it.
Sources and further reading
- Copyright Act (Canada)
Read September 23, 2026, current to September 3, 2026. Section 13(1) makes the author the first owner, 13(3) covers work made by an employee, 13(4) requires an assignment in writing signed by the owner, and 14.1(2) says moral rights cannot be assigned but can be waived.
- CIRA: General Registration Rules
Read September 23, 2026. To change the registrant of a .ca, the current registrant asks its registrar of record to submit the update.
- ICANN: FAQs for registrants on transferring your domain name
Read September 23, 2026. The registrant starts a transfer, and the registrar must provide the auth code within five calendar days.
- Own It Monthly at Kootenay Made Digital
The 12-payment plan named in this guide, with the pay-once price beside every plan.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a written contract for a website in Canada?
For ownership, yes. Canada’s Copyright Act says an assignment of copyright is only valid in writing, signed by the owner. Without that page, the designer keeps the copyright in the code and the design, even after you pay.
Who owns my website if the contract says nothing about it?
Under the Copyright Act, the author of a work is its first owner, unless they made it as your employee. A freelancer or a studio is not your employee. The domain belongs to whoever is listed as the registrant, and each account belongs to whoever holds it. A lawyer can tell you what you can still do with the site.
What payment schedule is normal for a web design contract?
Small jobs are often paid in full at the start. Bigger ones are usually split between signing and launch, or billed by milestone. My terms are in full to start for projects under $1,500, and split for projects of $1,500 and up, typically half to start and half at launch.
What should happen if my web designer stops partway through?
The contract should answer that before it happens. Look for the notice each side gives, what you pay for finished work, and which files and logins you receive. If the contract is silent, start by securing the domain and the hosting logins.
Should the domain be in the web design contract?
Yes. The contract should say the domain is registered in your business name, with your email as the contact. Whoever is listed as the registrant controls the domain, including any later transfer.
Related pages
- Professional services websites
- Municipal websites
- Trades and contractor websites
- Web design across British Columbia
- Web design for Canadian businesses
Kootenay Made Digital
I build websites, local presence, and calm AI setups for Kootenay small businesses. Plain language, published prices, and clear work that makes you easier to find and easier to choose.
