Proposal template for monthly retainers

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Retainer proposals are the most important proposals you’ll ever write — because they set up recurring revenue and define the ongoing relationship with a client. Get the scope right and a good retainer runs itself. Get it wrong and you’re constantly negotiating what’s included, dealing with scope creep, and working harder than the price justifies.

Here’s a complete retainer proposal template with guidance on how to scope, price, and protect yourself in an ongoing engagement.

Monthly Retainer Proposal Template

(Replace all bracketed text with your actual project details)

Executive Summary

[CLIENT COMPANY] needs [ongoing strategic support / consistent content production / continuous SEO management / monthly design capacity — describe the need] to [achieve goal: maintain growth momentum / stay ahead of competitors / handle increasing volume / free up your internal team].

Rather than engaging project-by-project — which creates gaps in execution and requires repeated onboarding — this proposal sets up a structured monthly engagement that gives you [X deliverables / X hours of capacity / X activities] each month, with clear reporting and a predictable cost.

This retainer is designed to [primary outcome] while giving you a single, accountable point of contact who understands your business deeply over time.

What’s Included Monthly

The monthly retainer covers the following scope. All items listed are included in the monthly fee; anything outside this list is an additional charge.

[Category 1 — e.g., Strategy & Planning]

• [X hours/month for strategy calls and planning]
• Monthly priority-setting review (30-minute call on [day of month])
• [Other specific activities]

[Category 2 — e.g., Execution / Deliverables]

• [Deliverable 1 — specify format, quantity, and cadence]
• [Deliverable 2]
• [Deliverable 3]
• Up to [X] rounds of revisions per deliverable

[Category 3 — e.g., Reporting & Communication]

• Monthly performance report delivered by [X] of each month
• Slack/email access during business hours (response within [X] hours)
• [Quarterly review call if applicable]

Monthly Deliverable Summary

What’s Not Included

The following are explicitly outside this retainer scope:

• [Item 1 — e.g., Paid media management or media buying]
• [Item 2 — e.g., Website development or CMS changes]
• [Item 3 — e.g., Work produced outside the monthly deliverable list above]
• Rush work required within [24/48] hours of request
• Work products requiring client-provided materials delayed more than [X] days

If you need work outside this scope, I’m happy to provide a separate quote.

How Hours Work (include if retainer is hours-based)

This retainer includes [X] hours per month. Hours are tracked using [Toggl / Harvest / other tool] and a summary is included in the monthly report.

Rollover policy: [Choose one]

• Option A: Unused hours expire at end of month — no rollover
• Option B: Unused hours roll over for up to [1] month
• Option C: No hourly tracking — deliverable-based only (remove this section)

Overage policy: Hours beyond the monthly allocation are billed at $[X]/hour, invoiced separately at the end of each month.

Process and Workflow

Monthly rhythm:

Approval process:

• Deliverables are delivered for review on the dates above
• Client has [5] business days to provide consolidated feedback
• Revisions completed within [3] business days of receiving feedback
• Delays in feedback push delivery of subsequent deliverables proportionally

Engagement Terms

Minimum engagement: [3/6] months

This engagement requires a minimum commitment because [meaningful results / consistent quality / deep collaboration] develops over time. Contracts cancelled before the minimum term are subject to an early termination fee of [X months’ retainer / remaining balance].

Renewal: After the minimum term, this retainer continues month-to-month with [30-day] written notice required for cancellation.

Annual option: If you prefer annual billing, a [10%] discount applies. Annual fee: $[X] (billed upfront or quarterly).

Scope adjustments: If your needs grow or change, we can adjust the scope with [30 days] notice. Both increases and decreases require a written amendment to this proposal.

Investment

Payment terms:

• Invoiced on the 1st of each month
• Net 7 payment terms
• Payment by [bank transfer / credit card / Stripe]

Onboarding fee: $[X] one-time (covers kickoff, access setup, strategy alignment, tool configuration). Alternatively: waived for [6-month / annual] commitments.

Assumptions

• Client provides required inputs (briefs, feedback, assets) within the timeframes above. Delays on the client side push deliverables proportionally — not an excuse to rush or skip.
• One primary point of contact on the client side. Feedback from multiple stakeholders must be consolidated before submission.
• Client is responsible for any third-party tool costs (subscriptions, ad spend, etc.) unless explicitly included in this scope.
• This engagement operates on a [monthly billing / retainer] model, not an hourly model. The monthly fee is fixed regardless of whether all deliverables are used.

Next Steps

To begin this retainer engagement:

1. Review this proposal and confirm scope
2. Sign the retainer agreement
3. Submit first month’s payment and onboarding fee (if applicable)

Engagement starts within [5] business days of signed agreement and payment.

Pricing guidance for retainer proposals

How to calculate your monthly retainer price:

1. Estimate hours per month (be honest — include strategy, communication, revision time, not just execution)
2. Multiply by your hourly rate
3. Apply a small discount (10-15%) as a retainer benefit — predictability is valuable to you
4. Round to a clean number

Example:

• 20 hours/month × $100/hour = $2,000
• 10% retainer discount = $1,800/month
• Rounded: $1,800/month

Don’t undersell the retainer. The predictability benefit runs both ways — the client gets predictable capacity, you get predictable income. Price to reflect that value, not just the hours.

Minimum engagement is critical. Short retainers (1-2 months) don’t give you time to do meaningful work or demonstrate results. Set a minimum that’s long enough to matter — and enforce it.

Review and increase annually. Build in language for annual rate reviews. Costs go up. Your expertise grows. Your rates should reflect both.

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