Contract clauses

What does an “unlimited revisions” clause mean for a freelancer?

It means the fee is fixed but the work is not. You have agreed to keep going until the client is satisfied, and nothing in the contract defines when that is — so the hourly rate you actually earn falls every time they ask again.

What the clause actually does

• Removes the boundary between “delivered” and “not delivered yet”. Without a revision limit, acceptance is whatever the client says it is.
• Shifts the entire risk of a vague brief onto you. If they did not know what they wanted at the start, you pay for the discovery.
• Interacts badly with payment terms. If the final instalment is due “on acceptance”, unlimited revisions means the client controls when — or whether — you get paid.

The version that should worry you

The Contractor shall make such revisions to the Deliverables as the Client may request until the Client is satisfied, at no additional charge.

“Until the Client is satisfied” is a subjective standard with no ceiling. There is no number of rounds, no time limit, and no definition of what a revision is — a complete redesign and a font change are both “a revision”.

A version worth signing

The Contractor shall provide up to two (2) rounds of revisions to the Deliverables at no additional charge. A revision round means one consolidated set of change requests delivered within five (5) business days of the Contractor's submission. Further revisions, and any change to the agreed scope, shall be billed at the Contractor's standard hourly rate of [rate].

How to ask for it

Ask for a number and a definition, not just a number. Two rounds is standard. The definition matters more: “one consolidated set of change requests” stops five people sending five separate lists and each one counting as nothing.

This page explains what a clause does in general commercial terms. It is not legal advice, and what is enforceable varies by jurisdiction — for anything turning on that, ask a lawyer where you are.