Web Design Proposal Template for Freelancers

A copy-ready proposal for a website design project, followed by a section-by-section guide to what a web design proposal should include and why each part matters to the client.

Updated September 30, 2026

The template

Written for design-only projects, with an optional design-and-build option in the pricing. Replace the brackets and remove anything that doesn't apply.

Web design proposal template

WEBSITE DESIGN PROPOSAL: [Client company]
Prepared for: [Client name]
Prepared by: [Your name], [Your studio]
Date: [Date]   Valid until: [Date + 30 days]

1. WHERE YOU ARE NOW
[Two or three sentences in the client's words: what the current site does badly, who noticed, and what it costs them. E.g. "Your site was built before you added the consulting service, so new visitors can't tell you offer it, and most enquiries still ask about the old product."]

2. WHAT THE NEW SITE NEEDS TO DO
- Primary goal: [e.g. get qualified consultation requests]
- Main audience: [who they are, what they're looking for]
- Measure of success: [e.g. more enquiries through the form, fewer "what do you do?" questions on calls]

3. DESIGN SCOPE
- Discovery: a [60]-minute workshop, review of [3-5] competitor or reference sites, sitemap
- Wireframes for [number] key pages: [Home, Services, About, Case study, Contact]
- Visual design of those [number] page templates, desktop and mobile
- A small design system: colours, type scale, buttons, form fields, cards
- [2] rounds of revisions on wireframes and [2] on visual design
- Final design files in [Figma], organised and handed over with developer notes

4. NOT INCLUDED
- Development and launch [or: "Development is quoted as Option B below"]
- Copywriting [or: "Copy editing of your supplied text"]
- Photography, illustration or new brand identity work
- Stock images or fonts that need a paid licence (quoted before use)

5. PROCESS AND TIMELINE
Week 1: Discovery workshop, sitemap agreed
Week 2: Wireframes; your feedback within [3] business days
Weeks 3-4: Visual design of the homepage first, then the remaining templates
Week 5: Final revisions and handover
Timeline assumes content and feedback arrive on schedule. Delays move later dates by the same amount.

6. INVESTMENT
Option A: Design only ..... [price]
Option B: Design and build in [Webflow / WordPress / etc.], including CMS setup and launch ..... [price]
Payment: [50]% to start, [50]% on handover (Option A) or at launch (Option B).

7. WHAT I NEED FROM YOU
- Logo files, brand colours and fonts, if you have them
- Draft copy for each page, or a decision to add copywriting
- One decision-maker available for the workshop and each review

8. TERMS
- Revisions beyond the rounds above are billed at [rate].
- New pages or features are quoted before work starts.
- You own the final designs once the last invoice is paid. I may show the work in my portfolio unless you ask me not to.
- Either side may end the project with written notice. Work completed to date is billed.

9. NEXT STEPS
Accept this proposal and I'll send the deposit invoice and a workshop time. I can start on [date] if we confirm by [date].

What to include in a web design proposal

Every section of the template answers a question the client has before they can say yes. If a section doesn't answer one for this client, cut it.

Where they are now: "Do you understand our problem?" Written in their words, it's the strongest part of the proposal.
What the site needs to do: "What will we get out of this?" One primary goal keeps every later design decision honest.
Design scope: "What exactly am I paying for?" Count page templates and revision rounds.
Not included: "What will surprise me later?" Development, copy and photography are the usual gaps.
Process and timeline: "When is it done, and what do you need from me?"
Investment: "How much, and when do I pay?"
Terms: "What if something goes wrong?" Revisions, ownership, cancellation.
Next steps: "How do I say yes?"

Design-only or design and build?

Many clients assume a web designer also builds the site. If you only design, say so in the scope and in "Not included". If you do both, offering them as two options lets the client choose, and it makes the design-only price look like the smaller commitment it is.

Example numbers, not market rates: Option A design only at $3,000, Option B design and build at $6,500. Base your own numbers on the days each option actually takes you.

Define a revision round

"Two rounds of revisions" only protects you if a round has a definition. A useful one: the client sends one consolidated list of changes per round, from one decision-maker, within the agreed number of days. Scattered feedback from several people over two weeks is how two rounds become ten.

Show the homepage first

Designing the homepage before the other templates, and getting it approved, sets the visual direction once. If the client changes direction at that point, you've redone one page instead of five. Say this in the timeline so the order doesn't look like a delay.

Checklist before you send

The opening describes their current site's problem specifically
One primary goal is named
Page templates and revision rounds are counted
Development, copy and imagery are either included or clearly excluded
The timeline lists what you need from them
Payment schedule and ownership are stated
There's a valid-until date