Who these terms are between
Hillform is an independent studio run by one developer in Imphal, Manipur, India. The developer's full legal name and tax details appear on every proposal and invoice. "You" means the agency or business that accepts a proposal. Accepting a proposal, paying a deposit or asking work to begin means you accept these terms. Where a signed proposal or a contract signed by both sides says something different, that document wins.
Independent contractor
Hillform works as an independent contractor, not as your employee, partner or agent. I decide how and when the work is done within the agreed scope and schedule, and I am responsible for my own taxes and equipment.
Proposals and scope
Every project starts with a written proposal: what will be built, from which designs, by when, and for how much. Work outside that list is a change request. I will tell you the cost and the effect on the date before doing it, and only start once you agree in writing (an email is enough).
Fees and payment
- Prices are quoted in USD or EUR. Advertised prices are starting points; the proposal sets the final price.
- First project with a new client: 50% before work starts, 50% on handover. Later projects: by milestone, as set out in the proposal.
- Monthly retainers are billed at the start of each month. Unused hours carry over for one month, then expire.
- Invoices are due within 14 days. Payment is by international bank transfer through Wise, Skydo or a similar provider. You pay the fees charged on your side; I pay those charged on mine.
- Prices exclude any taxes, duties or withholding that apply in your country, which are your responsibility. If you must withhold tax by law, you will provide the official certificate so I can claim the credit.
- Invoices unpaid 14 days after the due date carry interest of 1% per month, and I may pause work until they are paid. Delivery dates move by the length of the pause.
Your part
You provide final designs, copy, brand assets and access to the accounts the work needs (code repository, hosting and content editor), and one person who can approve work. You confirm you have the right to use everything you provide. Delays in getting these move the delivery date by the same amount.
Reviews and fixes
You get a preview link that I update every working evening. Fixed-price projects include two rounds of fixes against the agreed designs. After handover, I fix bugs in my own code free of charge for 30 days. A bug is something that does not work as the agreed design or specification says; new features and design changes are not bugs. Work is treated as accepted if you report no issues within 10 days of handover.
Ownership of the work
When the final invoice is paid in full, you own the code, designs and files made for your project, and you may pass them to your client. Until then I keep the rights to it. Open-source libraries and third-party services keep their own licences and terms. I may reuse general know-how and small, generic pieces of code that are not specific to your project.
Use of AI tools
I may use AI-assisted tools to speed up parts of the work, such as writing or reviewing code. Everything is checked by hand before delivery, and the ownership terms above apply to all of it in the same way. I do not enter your confidential material into AI tools that use it for training, and I will avoid AI tools entirely on a project if you ask in writing.
Confidentiality and branding
- Your clients see your agency's name, not mine. I never contact your clients unless you ask me to.
- Both sides keep the other's non-public business information confidential, during the project and for three years after it ends. I will also sign your NDA on request.
- I only show work in my portfolio with your written permission, and only in the form you approve (for example, anonymised).
Non-solicitation
While we work together and for 12 months after, I will not knowingly offer my services directly to a client you introduced to me, unless you agree in writing.
Personal data
If a project requires me to handle personal data on your behalf (for example, form entries or customer records), I will only process it to deliver the project, keep it secure, and delete it when the work ends. For clients subject to the GDPR, I will sign a data processing agreement on request.
Deadlines
I plan dates I can keep and tell you as soon as one is at risk. If something outside either side's control stops the work (illness, a long power or network outage, a natural event), the date moves by the length of the disruption and we agree the new plan in writing.
Ending a project
Either side can end a project with 14 days' written notice. You pay for the work done up to that point, and I hand over everything completed so far once that payment arrives. Monthly retainers can be cancelled with one month's notice. Either side may end the agreement immediately if the other seriously breaches these terms and does not fix it within 14 days of being told.
Liability
I build carefully and test what I build, but software can fail and I do not guarantee it will be error-free. My total liability for any claim about a project is limited to the fees you paid for that project. Neither side is liable for indirect losses such as lost profits, lost data or lost business. Nothing here limits liability that the law does not allow to be limited.
Law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of India. We will first try to settle any disagreement by talking it through in good faith for 30 days. If that fails, it will be settled by a single arbitrator under India's Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The arbitration will be held online, in English, with Imphal as the legal seat.
Changes to these terms
I may update these terms from time to time. The version in force when you accept a proposal applies to that project.
Questions
Write to hello@hillform.dev. How personal data is handled is set out in the privacy notice.