For UK contractors

Contractor agreement template for the UK

A business-to-business contractor agreement with substitution, control and payment terms that reflect genuine self-employment.

4.9
|eIDAS · ESIGN · UETA aligned|Free to start

Who it's for

Built for the people who actually use it

Limited company contractors

B2B terms that reflect genuine independence.

Trades & site contractors

Rates, materials, insurance and site rules covered.

Hiring businesses

Engage contractors with clear, defensible written terms.

What's in the contract

Every clause you actually need

Drafted in plain English by AI, jurisdiction-aware, editable line-by-line. No legalese unless you want it.

Services & deliverables

The outcome contracted for, not hours of attendance.

Right of substitution

An unfettered right to send a suitably qualified substitute.

Control

The contractor decides how and when the work is performed.

Mutuality of obligation

No obligation to offer or accept further assignments.

Rates & invoicing

Day or hourly rate, invoice cycle and payment window.

Insurance

Public liability and professional indemnity requirements.

Equipment & materials

Who provides tools, and how materials are charged.

Termination

Notice, immediate termination triggers and payment on exit.

How it works

From blank page to signed PDF in 3 steps

Describe in plain English

Tell SigningVault who's involved and what you're agreeing. The AI drafts the right contract with the right clauses.

Tweak in seconds

Edit any line, swap clauses, change jurisdiction. Add signature fields with a click.

Send & sign

Recipients get a private signing link by email. They sign in-browser — no account, no app. You both get the sealed PDF.

Legal & compliance

Contractor status and IR35 in the UK

Employment status in the UK is determined by the reality of the working relationship, not the label on the contract. The three key tests are personal service and substitution, control, and mutuality of obligation — and the written agreement should accurately reflect all three.

Signatures captured on SigningVault are Simple Electronic Signatures under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and the UK eIDAS Regulation. Every signature is stored with the signer's name, email, IP address and a UTC timestamp in a tamper-evident audit trail, so the agreement stands up if it is ever challenged.

  • Legally binding in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
  • Tamper-evident audit trail with IP address and UTC timestamp
  • Signed PDF and certificate of completion for both parties
  • Fully editable — change any clause before you send it

FAQ

Common questions

Does a written contract determine IR35 status?+

No, but it matters. HMRC and the tribunals look at the actual working practices, and a contract that matches those practices is strong supporting evidence.

Who decides IR35 status?+

For medium and large private sector clients and all public sector clients, the end client makes the determination. Small companies leave the decision with the contractor's own company.

Is a right of substitution enough on its own?+

No. It is influential but must be genuine and unfettered in practice, alongside control and lack of mutuality.

What insurance should a contractor carry?+

Public liability is common for site work; professional indemnity for advisory or technical work. The template sets minimum cover levels.

Draft yours in under 60 seconds

No credit card. No templates to wade through. Just describe the agreement and SigningVault writes it.