Proposal template · Web developer
Web developer proposal template
Pitch a web build with scope tied to outcomes, a phased timeline, and fees by phase. Free PDF — covers discovery, design, build, QA, and launch.
When to use this template
Before kickoff on a fixed-fee build (marketing site, web app, e-commerce, internal tool). The proposal should align you and the client on what 'done' means before estimates are written, so mid-project scope conversations have a baseline to reference.
What to include
- Project overview tied to the business problem, not just the tech ('reduce time-to-quote from 3 days to same-day' beats 'redesign the website')
- Goals as measurable outcomes, with rough KPIs where you can
- Deliverables: codebase + deployed environments + handoff docs
- Tech stack and hosting assumptions — surface them, don't bury them
- Phased timeline (discovery → design → build → QA → launch) with target dates
- Fees broken by phase so partial payment milestones are obvious
- Assumptions: client provides content, design, brand assets, third-party API access
- Change request process (so the SOW you write next has a hook to reference)
Sample sections
Overview
Acme is launching a new pricing model on June 1 and needs a marketing site that explains the model and qualifies inbound demos. The current WordPress site routes everyone to a generic contact form. The new site will publish three plan-specific landing pages with embedded calculators and a calendar-based demo booking flow.
Goals
Three measurable outcomes by end of Q3:
- Demo bookings ≥ 35 / month (from ~8 today)
- Time-on-page on plan pages ≥ 90 seconds
- Page Lighthouse score ≥ 90 across performance and accessibility
Deliverables
Production-ready Next.js 15 codebase deployed to Vercel staging + production. Tailwind + shadcn/ui component library. Editable content schema in Sanity. README + 30-min recorded handoff walkthrough.
Sample fees
| Description | Qty | Unit | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 — Discovery + technical planning | 1 | $1,500.00 | $1,500.00 |
| Phase 2 — Design implementation (templates + components) | 1 | $3,500.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Phase 3 — Backend integration (CMS + booking + analytics) | 1 | $4,000.00 | $4,000.00 |
| Phase 4 — QA, accessibility audit, and launch | 1 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
Figures are illustrative, in USD. Replace with your own when you open the generator.
Example copy you can adapt
This proposal covers the full build for the new pricing-page site, kicking off the week of May 19 with a target launch on June 28. Fees are quoted as fixed for each phase; the discovery phase ends with a written scope-of-work that supersedes this proposal for the implementation phases. Hosting and third-party services (Vercel, Sanity, Cal.com) are billed directly to Acme and not included below.
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Open the proposal generatorFrequently asked
- Hourly or fixed-fee?
- Fixed-fee per phase works when the deliverables are well-defined (marketing sites, content site rebuilds). Move to hourly for discovery and for ongoing maintenance — the unknowns are too large to estimate well. A common pattern: fixed discovery → fixed build phases → hourly post-launch retainer.
- Who pays for hosting, domains, and SaaS subscriptions?
- Usually the client, billed directly by each vendor. Hosting, headless CMS, analytics, and transactional email all have their own tiered pricing — surface the categories in the proposal so the running cost isn't a surprise later. If the client prefers a single bundled line, pull the actual rates first so what you bill matches what they pay.
- What if the client wants a feature that wasn't in the proposal?
- Capture it in writing as a change request, estimate the impact on timeline and fees, and have them approve before you start. Verbal 'just a quick change' requests are the common path to scope drift — make the written step part of the workflow so neither side has to decide on the spot.
- Should I include a contract or just the proposal?
- Send the proposal first so the client can react to scope and price without legalese in the way. If they accept, follow with a contract or MSA that references the proposal as Exhibit A. For smaller engagements, some teams use a one-page agreement in place of a full MSA — the point is to have something signed before code is written.