Freelance Development Policy

This document outlines the policies, terms, and working standards governing freelance full-stack development services provided by codewjay. It is designed to establish clear expectations, ensure professional collaboration, and promote a smooth working relationship between the developer and clients throughout the duration of any project.

For the purpose of this document, the term “Developer” refers specifically to codewjay.

By engaging the Developer’s services, the client acknowledges and agrees to the policies and conditions outlined in this document, which are intended to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficient project delivery.

All projects will be executed strictly in accordance with the approved Requirement Document, which serves as the final reference point for the project scope, features, design direction, and functionality. This document is agreed upon by both the client and the Developer before development begins and represents the complete scope of work for the project.

The Requirement Document acts as the single source of truth throughout the entire project lifecycle. All development decisions, feature implementations, and design choices will be based strictly on this document.

Once development has commenced, any additional features, modifications, or deviations from the approved requirements will not be included in the original agreement. Such requests will be treated as new or separate requirements.

In such cases:

• The Developer will assess the requested changes to determine their impact on the system, including complexity, timeline, and workload.
• A revised cost estimate and updated timeline will be provided before any additional work begins.
• Work on such changes will only proceed once the client has formally approved the revised terms in writing.

Any assumptions, features, or expectations not explicitly documented in the approved Requirement Document are considered out of scope.

This structure ensures clarity, prevents scope creep, and maintains alignment between both parties throughout the project.

Clients are entitled to one (1) major revision and one (1) minor revision within the project lifecycle.

A minimum of 25% upfront payment is required before the commencement of any project. This initial payment serves as confirmation of commitment from the client and allows development work to begin, including planning, setup, and initial design or technical structuring.

At least 50% of the total project fee must be paid upon completion of the first major milestone, typically the UI/UX design phase or the first agreed review stage. This milestone payment is required before further development continues beyond the approved design direction. Work may be paused if this payment is not received within the agreed timeframe.

The final payment must be completed before the handover, deployment, or transfer of the finished product. This includes access to the live website, source code (where applicable), repositories, hosting credentials, or any production-level assets.

To ensure smooth project flow:

• Each payment is tied to clear project milestones agreed upon before commencement.
• Failure to make payments on time may result in suspension or delay of project work.
• The developer reserves the right to withhold delivery of final files, deployment, or access until full payment has been received.

All payments are non-transferable and must be completed according to the agreed schedule to maintain project continuity.

Project timelines will be clearly defined and agreed upon before the commencement of any work. These timelines are based on the assumption of timely communication, feedback, and provision of all required materials from the client.

The client is expected to:

• Provide all necessary content (text, images, branding assets, etc.) before or during the agreed stages of the project.
• Review deliverables and provide feedback within a reasonable timeframe (typically 1–3 business days unless otherwise agreed).

Any delays caused by the client—including but not limited to late feedback, delayed approvals, unclear instructions, or failure to provide required materials—may result in adjustments to the project timeline.

In such cases:

• The delivery date will be extended accordingly to accommodate the delay.
• The developer will not be held responsible for missed deadlines resulting from client-side delays.

If a delay from the client extends beyond a prolonged period (3–5 working days of inactivity), the project may be paused or rescheduled. Restarting the project may require a revised timeline and, in some cases, additional fees depending on the scope and availability.

All official communication regarding the project must be conducted through agreed-upon channels such as email, Slack, or any other platform defined at the start of the project. This ensures proper documentation, clarity, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

The client is expected to maintain timely and consistent communication in order to support smooth project execution. This includes responding to messages, feedback requests, and approvals within a reasonable timeframe (typically 1–3 business days unless otherwise agreed).

To maintain efficiency and workflow:

• Only instructions and approvals communicated through the agreed channels will be considered valid.
• Verbal discussions (e.g., phone calls or meetings) must be followed up with written confirmation to be implemented.
• The developer will not be held responsible for delays, errors, or omissions resulting from unclear, inconsistent, or delayed communication from the client.

Failure to maintain consistent communication may result in project delays, timeline adjustments, or temporary suspension of work until clarity is restored.

Upon completion and full delivery of the project, the developer will provide the client with a complimentary maintenance period of one (1) month. This period begins immediately after the final handover and deployment of the project.

During this 1-month free maintenance period, the following services are included:

• Fixing of bugs or errors directly related to the delivered and approved functionality.
• Resolution of technical issues that prevent the proper functioning of the application or website.
• Minor adjustments required to ensure stability and usability of the delivered product.

This free maintenance period does not include:

• New feature requests or additions outside the agreed Requirement Document.
• Major design changes or restructuring of existing layouts.
• Third-party integrations not originally included in the scope.
• Content updates beyond minor corrections.

After the 1-month maintenance period has ended, any further support, updates, bug fixes, or system maintenance will require a separate maintenance agreement. This agreement will be governed by a dedicated maintenance policy document, which will define pricing, scope of support, response times, and service levels.

The developer reserves the right to decline unpaid post-maintenance requests once the free maintenance period has elapsed unless an active maintenance agreement is in place.

This structure ensures the long-term stability of the project while providing the client with adequate post-launch support.

Upon full and final payment, ownership rights to the completed and approved project will be transferred to the client. This includes the final website or application as delivered, in accordance with the agreed Requirement Document.

Until full payment has been received, all work produced remains the intellectual property of the developer, and the client is not permitted to use, deploy, distribute, or modify the project in any form.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing:

• Ownership applies only to the final delivered product and not to underlying tools, reusable components, frameworks, or development methodologies used during the project.
• Any third-party assets, libraries, plugins, or integrations used in the project remain subject to their respective licenses and terms.
• The developer reserves the right to showcase the completed project, including designs, screenshots, and descriptions, in its portfolio, case studies, and promotional materials (e.g., website, social media, or presentations), unless explicitly restricted by a prior written agreement.

Any request for full confidentiality or non-disclosure must be agreed upon before the commencement of the project and may be subject to additional terms or fees.

Either party may terminate the project by providing written notice through the agreed communication channel.

If the client initiates termination:

• All payments made up to the point of termination are strictly non-refundable once work has commenced.
• The client will be billed for all work completed up to the termination date, including any completed milestones, design work, development work, or delivered assets, whether fully approved or in progress.
• Any unfinished work will remain the property of the developer until all outstanding payments are settled.
• Upon settlement of all outstanding balances, the client may request transfer of completed work as-is, without further modifications or refinements.

If the developer initiates termination:

• The client will be provided with all completed and paid-for deliverables up to the termination point.
• Any unused prepaid amounts may be refunded at the developer’s discretion, depending on the stage of completion and work already performed.

In all cases:

• Termination does not cancel the client’s obligation to pay for work already completed.
• Work in progress will be delivered in its current state only if payment obligations have been fulfilled.

By engaging the services of the Developer, the client acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agreed to all terms, policies, and conditions outlined in this document. This agreement becomes effective upon the commencement of any project-related communication, payment, or confirmation of engagement.

The client further agrees that this document forms a binding understanding between both parties regarding the scope, execution, and delivery of the project.