Should unused hours roll over?

Usually not. Rollover turns a retainer into prepaid hours and removes the reason for the monthly fee. Say it clearly and plan the month together.

How do I end a retainer cleanly?

Thirty days written notice either way, in the terms. It protects both sides and makes the client comfortable starting.

Is an online signature enough for a consulting agreement?

Yes for a services agreement. The signed PDF and certificate of completion give you a record of who agreed to what and when.

Consulting retainer agreement template

A retainer is a promise of availability, and the agreement should make the promise concrete: how many hours, how fast you respond, what happens to unused time, and how either side ends it. This template does that in plain language a client will actually read, and gets the first month paid at signing.

Use this templateFree, unlimited, no card.

The template, as your client sees it

Fieldstone Advisory

Licensed and insured

Monthly consulting retainer

Prepared for
Dana Whitfield

By
Mike Reilly

The arrangement

A monthly block of hours you can plan around

A monthly block of hours for strategy, review, and hands-on help, with a standing weekly call and same-day responses on the days I work with you. Unused hours do not roll over, so we plan the month together on the first call.

At a glance

What is included

✓A monthly block of hours
✓A standing weekly call
✓Same-day responses on working days
✓A written summary each month

Not included: travel, billed at cost with approval

Your investment

Pricing

Retainer, 20 hours per month First month	$4,000.00
Kickoff assessment One time, delivered in week one	$1,500.00
Additional hours, per hourOptional, not included 5 × $225.00	$1,125.00
Team workshop, half dayOptional, not included	$1,800.00

Total: $5,500.00
Deposit on signing: $5,500.00
Balance on completion: $0.00

Good to know

Questions people ask before saying yes

What if I do not use all the hours?+

Up to a quarter of them roll into the next month. Unused beyond that do not, which keeps the retainer honest on both sides.

How do we start?+

A kickoff call in the first week, then the standing call on the day we agree.

What happens when you sign

Step 1

Sign below

Typed or drawn, takes a minute

Step 2

Pay the deposit

Card on this page, or a check

Step 3

We pick a start date

You hear from us within two business days

Terms

The first month is due at signing, then billed on the first of each month. Auto-renews monthly; either side can end it with 30 days written notice. Work outside the scope is quoted separately. Confidentiality both ways.

Sample content and prices. Optional items are marked; on a real proposal the client toggles them and the total updates.

What a retainer agreement should include

The hours block and what counts against it. The standing meeting and response time on working days. Unused hours do not roll over, said plainly. A kickoff assessment as a one-time line so the first month has a deliverable, not just availability.

Auto-renewal with 30 days notice either way, confidentiality both ways, and a line that out-of-scope work is quoted separately. That last line is what keeps the retainer from silently becoming an unlimited plan.

How to price the optional items

Additional hours at a listed rate as an optional line with a small quantity, off by default. It sets the price of overage before overage happens. A half-day workshop as an optional line lets the client add a visible event to the first quarter without a second negotiation.

Mistakes that lose consulting clients

Vague deliverables. "Strategic support" is not a scope. Name the call, the response time, and the kickoff document. No end clause. Clients hesitate to start what they cannot stop; a 30-day out lowers the barrier and almost nobody uses it. Waiting for a purchase order. Signing online with the first month paid is faster for everyone.

Deposit and payment

The first month in full at signing, then monthly on the first. The template sets the deposit at 100 percent of the first line for exactly that reason.

Questions

Should unused hours roll over?: Usually not. Rollover turns a retainer into prepaid hours and removes the reason for the monthly fee. Say it clearly and plan the month together.
How do I end a retainer cleanly?: Thirty days written notice either way, in the terms. It protects both sides and makes the client comfortable starting.
Is an online signature enough for a consulting agreement?: Yes for a services agreement. The signed PDF and certificate of completion give you a record of who agreed to what and when.

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