Contracts and notice periods: what to accept and what to refuse
Marketing agreements are short documents that cause long problems. Most of the damage comes from four or five clauses that nobody read. This guide goes through the terms that matter in a trades marketing contract, says which to accept and which to refuse, and explains what to do if you have already signed something you regret.
The market has moved towards rolling monthly
A decade ago, 12-month minimum terms were standard. They are now the exception among agencies that specialise in trades. Of the agencies in this directory that publish terms, most state rolling monthly agreements with no lock-in: One Base Media says no contracts, Trustmark Trades says no contract, Roofing SEO Services says rolling monthly on 30 days' notice, SanXpert Digital says rolling monthly with no contracts, Websites for Tradespeople says hosting is cancellable monthly.
That matters for your negotiating position. If an agency insists on 12 months, you can point to a dozen competitors that do not. Our comparison of UK trades marketing agencies records terms where they are published.
Clause by clause
| Clause | Common wording | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum term | 12 months from signature | Refuse for SEO and ads. Accept up to 3 months where setup work is genuinely heavy, such as a full site build |
| Notice period | 90 days in writing, after the minimum term | Refuse. Accept 30 days |
| Auto-renewal | Renews for a further 12 months unless cancelled 60 days before | Refuse. Accept rolling monthly after any initial term |
| Asset ownership | All work product remains the property of the agency | Refuse. Domain, site, profiles and ad accounts in your name |
| Early exit fee | Remaining months payable in full | Refuse. Accept a one-month fee at most |
| Price changes | Fees may be revised at the agency's discretion | Refuse. Accept annual review with 30 days' written notice |
| Scope | Services as described on our website | Refuse. Accept a written list attached to the agreement |
| Performance | No warranty as to results | Accept. No honest agency guarantees rankings. But add reporting obligations |
| Exclusivity | We may work with other clients in your sector | Negotiate. See below |
Minimum terms: when they are fair
An agency building a 15-page website before you pay anything has a real cost to recover. A short minimum term, or a build fee, is a fair way to do it. Riley Marketing, for one, builds the site up front and then runs with no setup fee and cancel-any-time terms, which puts the risk on the agency rather than the client. Other agencies recover the cost with a modest initial term instead. Either is reasonable.
What is not reasonable is a 12-month lock-in for ongoing services such as SEO or ad management, where the agency's work this month is roughly the same as its work next month. The lock-in exists to stop you leaving, not to recover a cost.
Notice: 30 days is the standard
Thirty days gives an agency time to hand over and gives you time to arrange a replacement. Ninety days means you pay for a quarter of work from an agency you have already decided to leave, and that agency has no reason to try.
Check how notice must be given. 'In writing' should include email. A clause requiring recorded delivery to a registered office is designed to be missed.
Auto-renewal: the clause that costs most
A 12-month agreement that renews automatically for a further 12 months unless cancelled in a 30-day window is a 24-month agreement for anyone who forgets a date. Most people forget.
Refuse it. If the agency insists on an initial term, the agreement should fall to rolling monthly at the end of it. Put a reminder in your calendar anyway.
Asset ownership: read this one twice
This clause decides whether leaving is possible. Agreements vary on who owns the domain, the website files, the written content, the Google Business Profile, the ad accounts and any tracked phone numbers.
Several agencies in this directory state the client keeps everything. Roofing SEO Services says the client keeps all assets on leaving. ServiceLeads says the client owns the ad account. Digital 4 Trades says it will not hold a website hostage. Where an agency says nothing, assume the default is that they own it, and ask.
A pay-monthly website on the agency's own platform is the exception. You are renting. That can be a fair deal at a low price, as long as you know you will leave with nothing but your domain. Our guide to pay-monthly versus upfront website companies covers how to think about that trade.
Exclusivity: get the four elements
If exclusivity is part of the pitch, it should be part of the agreement: area by postcode district, trades covered, channels covered, and duration. A verbal promise is a verbal promise. Our explainer on what area exclusivity really means sets out how to word it.
Clauses you should add
- Reporting: a monthly report covering what was done and what it produced, in plain terms. Calls and enquiries, not just impressions.
- Access: you hold admin access to every account at all times, with the agency as a manager or user.
- Handover: on termination, the agency provides logins, files and a list of what was built within 14 days.
- Subcontracting: the agency states whether work is done in-house or by third parties, and tells you if that changes.
- Ad spend: paid by you directly to the platform, not via the agency, unless itemised separately on every invoice.
If you are already locked in
Read the agreement you signed, properly. Find the minimum term end date, the notice period and the method of giving notice. Give notice now, in the required form, to take effect at the earliest permitted date. Do not wait for the window; most agreements let you give notice early to expire later.
While you wait, take copies of everything. Export the website if you can. Confirm in writing who owns the domain and request a transfer if it is yours. Download ad account data. Add yourself as primary owner on the Google Business Profile.
If the agency has failed to deliver what the agreement says, write to them setting out the failures and asking for early release. Many will agree rather than argue. If they refuse and the sums are small, the small claims track is available for amounts under £10,000 in England and Wales, and Citizens Advice can explain the process. For larger sums take advice.
Then, before signing with anyone else, run the checks in our guide to checking an agency is legitimate and compare the terms side by side.
A fair agreement in one paragraph
Rolling monthly after no more than three months. Thirty days' notice by email. No auto-renewal. Client owns domain, site, content, profiles and ad accounts. Scope listed. Fees fixed for 12 months then reviewed with notice. Monthly reporting. Handover within 14 days of termination. Exclusivity, if offered, defined by area, trade, channel and duration. Anything less than that needs a reason, and the agency should be able to give it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 12-month minimum term normal for trades marketing?
No longer. Most trades-specialist agencies in this directory that publish terms offer rolling monthly agreements. A short initial term of up to three months is fair where heavy setup work is involved.
What notice period should I accept?
Thirty days, given by email. Ninety days means paying for a quarter of work from an agency you have already decided to leave.
Who should own the website and ad accounts?
You, with the agency given access. The exception is a rented pay-monthly site, where you should know in advance that you leave with only your domain.
I signed a bad contract. What now?
Give notice now in the required form to expire at the earliest permitted date, take copies of all assets and data, and write to the agency listing any failures to deliver. Many will agree an early release.