Our terms.
Updated 4th May 2026.
Here’s the gist…
Payment: 50% up front to get us started, with the balance due within 7 days. If payment runs late, interest and statutory late payment charges may apply, and we may need to pause work or withhold deliverables.
Orders: A PO, an email, or even a clear “yes, go ahead” on the phone counts as confirmation and gives us authority to start work, book studio time and allocate resource to the project.
Cancellation, pauses & delays: If a project is cancelled, paused or materially delayed after confirmation, any time already spent will be chargeable. Where booked studio time can’t reasonably be reallocated, a cancellation charge of up to 50% of the remaining booked project value may also apply.
Changes: Two rounds of light text tweaks are included. Bigger shifts, design changes, structural changes or extra revisions will be costed separately.
Digital projects: We build on Squarespace, Webflow or Shopify. We never use Wordpress — it’s too bulky, insecure and outdated for the kind of performance-led sites we prefer to build. Hosting fees come via us unless you take over the account, in which case our support stops unless agreed otherwise.
Ownership: Once paid in full, you own the final output files supplied as agreed. Source files, working files, drafts and work in progress remain the property of Studio Aitch unless agreed in writing, and source files can be supplied for an additional 25% of the project invoice.
Working files: If a project is paused or cancelled before completion, working files or work in progress may be supplied at our discretion once all outstanding invoices have been paid in full.
Liability: Our liability is capped at the project fee. You’re responsible for any content, assets or instructions you supply.
Termination: Non-payment or breach may result in immediate suspension or termination. Any outstanding fees become payable immediately.
Colour & print: Variations happen between screen and print. Physical samples are always recommended.
Data: We comply with data protection law. You remain responsible for how you collect, store and use customer data.
Force majeure: We’re not liable for delays caused by things outside our control.
This summary is just for clarity — the full Terms & Conditions below are the ones that apply.
1. Introduction
1.1 These terms and conditions ("Terms") govern every contract between Studio Aitch ("The Company", "We", "Us") and any person, firm, or company ("The Client") for the supply of goods and services.
1.2 These Terms prevail over any terms and conditions of the Client, whether oral or written, implied or otherwise.
1.3 Any variation must be agreed in writing by a Director of The Company.
1.4 All contracts between The Company and The Client will be governed by English law, and the parties agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
2. Definitions
2.1 "We/Us" refers to The Company.
2.2 "Client" refers to the person, partnership, or company contracting with The Company directly or via an agent or reseller.
2.3 "Service" means the services requested by The Client and provided by The Company.
2.4 "Agreement" refers to the contract between The Company and The Client subject to these Terms.
3. Price and Payment
3.1 The Client shall pay The Company the agreed fee as per estimate, quotation, or invoice.
3.2 Invoices are payable within 7 days of issue, regardless of client ‘payment policy’. Time for payment is of the essence.
3.3 If the Client has no credit account, a 50% deposit is required before work commences, with the balance due before release of materials or within 7 days of invoice, whichever is sooner.
3.4 Amendments or additions increasing the fee require a 50% advance payment of the increase unless otherwise agreed in writing.
3.5 The Company may demand full or interim payments at any time.
3.6 If a project is cancelled, postponed, paused or materially delayed by the Client after confirmation, The Client shall remain liable for all work carried out, time spent, costs, expenses and commitments incurred by The Company up to the date of cancellation, postponement, pause or delay.
Where project time has been scheduled, reserved or otherwise allocated by The Company, The Company may also charge a cancellation fee of up to 50% of the remaining booked project value where that time cannot reasonably be reallocated.
This charge reflects reserved studio time, preparation, scheduling, lost capacity and the opportunity cost of work that The Company may have declined, delayed or been unable to accept as a result of the confirmed booking.
For the avoidance of doubt, cancellation, postponement, pause or delay does not remove the Client’s obligation to pay for time already spent or work already undertaken, whether or not final deliverables have been completed or supplied.
All deposits, staged payments and payments already made are non-refundable unless otherwise agreed in writing.
3.7 The Client will indemnify The Company for all costs of recovering overdue amounts, including legal fees, debt collection agency fees, and administration costs.
3.8 Hourly charges will be based on records maintained by The Company.
3.9 Overdue invoices will attract interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, calculated daily from the date the invoice becomes overdue, plus the applicable statutory late payment compensation and any reasonable recovery costs permitted under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts legislation.
3.10 If an invoice is more than 14 days overdue, The Company may suspend all services and withhold deliverables until full payment is received. All outstanding sums across any contracts become immediately payable on demand.
4. Ordering
4.1 Orders must be given in writing, by purchase order (PO), email confirmation, or other written request. Verbal orders will also be accepted but are at the Client’s risk.
4.2 Any confirmation, including by purchase order, email, written instruction or verbal agreement, constitutes authority for The Company to commence work and allocate studio time to the project. From that point, The Client becomes liable for all time spent, work undertaken, costs incurred, commitments made and any applicable cancellation charges under these Terms.
4.3 The Company may refuse any order at its discretion.
5. Quotations
5.1 Quotations are valid for 28 days.
5.2 If the final order differs from the original specification, The Company may revise the quotation. Changes are charged at £60/hour unless otherwise agreed.
5.3 Current rates:
Standard hourly: £60/hour
Retainer hourly: £54/hour
Minimum contract time: 8 hours/month
Minimum term: 3 months
Maximum rollover: 2 months equivalent, max 36 hours.
6. Project and account management
6.1 Written approval, PO, or order confirmation are required before commencement.
6.2 High-resolution imagery and all necessary assets must be supplied by the Client unless agreed otherwise.
6.3 Delays caused by the Client reset deadlines without penalty to The Company.
6.4 If no deadline is provided, The Company will advise a realistic timeframe.
6.5 Two rounds of minor textual corrections only are included. Any further or significant changes (e.g., design, structure, new content) will be re-quoted.
6.6 All amends must be supplied as marked PDFs or tracked Word documents. Informal or unresolved team comments will not be accepted.
6A. Cancellation, postponement, pauses and booked time
6A.1 Once a project has been confirmed, The Company will allocate studio time, resources and availability to the work.
6A.2 If The Client cancels, postpones, pauses or materially delays the project after confirmation, all work carried out and all time spent up to that point shall be chargeable.
6A.3 Where The Company has reserved specific project time, days or production capacity, The Company reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of up to 50% of the remaining booked project value where that time cannot reasonably be reallocated.
6A.4 This charge reflects the commercial impact of the cancellation, postponement, pause or delay, including reserved studio time, preparation, scheduling, lost capacity and the opportunity cost of other work being declined, delayed or unavailable.
6A.5 If a project is cancelled, postponed or paused before completion, The Company is not obliged to provide completed final deliverables. Any concepts, drafts, working files, work in progress, design files or project materials may be supplied at The Company’s discretion only once all outstanding invoices have been paid in full.
6A.6 For work agreed on a day-rate, hourly-rate, fixed-time or retained basis, The Client acknowledges that the fee relates to The Company’s time, creative work, expertise and availability, not solely to final deliverables.
6A.7 If a paused project is not recommenced within 30 days, The Company may treat the project as cancelled and invoice any outstanding time, costs, expenses, booked time and applicable cancellation charges.
7. The creative
7.1 Work will align with Client brand guidelines where available.
7.2 Projects are delivered using standard design frameworks unless a bespoke creative approach is requested at briefing.
7.3 Variants/options will be agreed before commencement.
7.4 Replacement of content after proofs may incur redesign fees.
8. Digital projects
8.1 Websites are built using Squarespace, Webflow, or Shopify as determined by The Company. Platform choice is at The Company’s discretion. The Company does not use Wordpress, due to its bulky architecture, historic security vulnerabilities, and poor performance compared to modern platforms.
8.2 Platforms are hosted services; raw design files are not included.
8.3 Hosting fees will be invoiced by The Company as the platform account holder. If a website is handed over to the Client in full (with transfer of account ownership), The Company’s invoicing responsibility for hosting ends immediately. In such cases, all support and maintenance from The Company will also cease, but may be requested separately under a new paid agreement.
8.4 Platform limitations:
Squarespace: non-transferable, limited export.
Webflow: HTML/CSS export available, CMS/e-commerce not transferable.
Shopify: hosted exclusively, with proprietary app dependencies.
8.5 Imagery is excluded unless otherwise agreed.
8.6 Browser/platform rendering variations are unavoidable.
8.7 Payment integrations may require separate client accounts. Transaction fees apply per provider.
8.8 Support is provided by the platforms. Additional support from The Company may be chargeable.
8.9 Cancellation requires 60 days’ notice. Fees paid are non-refundable. Work in progress and completed milestones remain payable. Exports will be provided where possible, subject to platform limitations.
9. Approval
9.1 Final approval must be given via The Company’s proof form before release of files.
9.2 Colour samples are indicative only. Material samples should be requested by the Client.
10. Provision of Information
10.1 The Client must supply accurate information as required.
10.2 The Company may use information for credit checks or debt recovery.
10.3 Confidentiality will be maintained subject to legal obligations.
10.4 Provision of false information entitles The Company to suspend services immediately.
11. Turnaround Times
11.1 Quoted turnaround times are targets only. No liability is accepted for delays.
12. Data and file storage
12.1 The Company is not obliged to store files for more than 2 months after project completion.
12.2 Cloud storage (e.g., Dropbox) and local backups may be used.
13. Print Finish
13.1 The Company decides print finish, stock, and quality unless otherwise instructed.
14. Colour Balancing
14.1 If reference material is provided, colour balance will match where practicable. Otherwise, The Company’s judgment applies.
15. Uncollected Work
15.1 Uncollected items after 3 months may be disposed of.
16. Ownership and Intellectual Property
16.1 All Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) created by The Company remain its exclusive property until full payment.
16.2 Upon payment in full of all outstanding invoices relating to the project, the Client shall own the final output files supplied by The Company as the agreed project deliverables, such as final PDFs, JPEGs, PNGs, SVGs, exported web assets, presentation files or final HTML/CSS exports where expressly included in the agreed scope.
16.3 Source files, working files, editable files, drafts, concepts, unused creative routes, internal notes, research, development files and work in progress remain the property of The Company unless otherwise agreed in writing. Source files may be supplied at The Company’s discretion for an additional fee of 25% of the total project invoice, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
16.4 Until full payment has been received, the Client receives no ownership of any final output files, source files, working files or project materials. Any permission to view or use supplied materials prior to full payment is limited, temporary and revocable, and terminates automatically if payment is late.
16.5 The Company reserves all moral rights, including the right to be identified as author.
16.6 Any unauthorised use constitutes infringement, entitling The Company to legal remedies.
16.7 Use of Work for Promotional Purposes. The Company reserves the right to display, publish, or otherwise use completed work (including but not limited to designs, websites, branding, and campaigns) for the purposes of self-promotion, marketing, and inclusion in its portfolio, whether online or offline. This applies to work delivered directly to the Client and to work undertaken as a third-party supplier, provided such use does not disclose any confidential information.
Such use shall not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or partnership by the Client or any brand owner unless expressly agreed in writing. If the Client wishes to restrict such usage, they must notify The Company in writing prior to project commencement.
17 Liability and Indemnity
17.1 The Company’s liability is capped at the total fees paid under the contract.
17.2 The Company is not liable for indirect, consequential, or economic loss.
17.3 The Client indemnifies The Company against all claims, costs, damages, and expenses arising from Client-provided materials, instructions, or use of deliverables.
17A. Insurance
17A.1 The Company maintains professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, and employer’s liability insurance (where applicable) at levels reasonably expected for a business of its size and industry. Evidence of cover can be provided upon request.
17A.2 The Company’s liability to the Client is limited to the extent of such insurance cover and subject always to the exclusions and caps set out in these Terms.
17A.3 The Client acknowledges that it is responsible for maintaining its own appropriate insurances (including but not limited to cyber, product liability, and business interruption cover) as required for its operations.
18. Termination
18.1 The Company may terminate or suspend services immediately if the Client fails to pay, breaches obligations, or becomes insolvent.
18.2 On termination, all fees due become payable immediately. Paid fees are non-refundable.
19. Data Protection
19.1 Each party shall comply with applicable data protection laws.
19.2 The Company accepts no liability for Client misuse of personal data.
20. Force Majeure
20.1 The Company is not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, strikes, platform outages, power failures, pandemics, or government restrictions.
21. Entire Agreement
21.1 These Terms and the Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the parties. The Client acknowledges it has not relied on any representation not expressly included herein.