What is a custom order agreement?
A custom order agreement is what a maker signs with a customer before building something that can't easily be sold to anyone else — a dining table to exact measurements, an engraved wedding gift, a commissioned painting, a bespoke dress, or a batch of personalised products. Because the item is made for one person, the usual "return it if you change your mind" logic doesn't work, and the agreement needs to say so clearly.
This template records the item, quantity and specification, any materials the customer supplies, and what the customer approves before production starts — a sketch, a digital mock-up, a sample, or a final confirmation of the specification — with a set number of revisions. It sets the price, the deposit and when the balance is due, and lets you choose whether the deposit is refundable (less costs incurred) until production starts or non-refundable. It covers lead time, collection or delivery, storage if the customer doesn't collect, natural variation in handmade items, how defects are reported and fixed, who owns the designs, and whether you may photograph the finished piece.
- Best for
- Furniture makers, artists, jewellers, tailors, engravers, small workshops and Etsy-style sellers
- Signed by
- The customer and the maker
- Deposit
- Refundable less costs until production starts, or non-refundable — you choose
- Length
- 2–3 pages, initialled on every page
When to Use a custom order agreement
- A furniture maker building a table, cabinet or kitchen island to the customer's measurements
- An artist or illustrator taking a paid commission
- A jeweller or engraver making a personalised ring, pendant or gift
- A tailor or dressmaker making a bespoke garment
- A small business producing a batch of personalised or branded products
What You Fill In
23 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: maker, customer.
1 The parties
- Your business or name*
- Your phone or email
- Customer's name*
- Customer's address
2 The item
- Order date*
- The item*
- Quantity*
- Specification*
- Materials the customer supplies
3 Design approval
- What the customer approves first* a design sketch or drawing · a digital mock-up or proof · a material or colour sample · a final confirmation of the specification
- Design revisions included
4 Price and payment
- Currency*
- Total price*
- Deposit*
- The deposit is* refundable, less costs already incurred, until production starts · non-refundable once paid
- The balance is due* before delivery or collection · on delivery or collection · within 7 days of delivery
5 Delivery
- Lead time*
- Collection or delivery* collected by the Customer from the Maker · delivered by the Maker to the Customer's address · shipped by courier to the Customer's address
- Delivery or shipping charge
- Days to collect or accept delivery after notice*
6 Other terms
- Days to report defects after delivery*
- The maker may photograph the item for its portfolio* Yes · No
- Governing law*
7 Who signs
- Maker signature and date, initials on every page · The maker, artist, workshop or small business making the item.
- Customer signature and date, initials on every page · The person or business ordering the item.
What the custom order agreement Covers
- The item
- Design approval
- Price and payment
- Lead time and delivery
- Cancellation and refunds
- Quality, defects and natural variation
- Designs and photographs
- General
Using the custom order agreement, step by step
1 Write a precise specification
Dimensions, materials, colours, finish, personalisation and quantity. Most disputes about made-to-order work come down to a vague description, so be specific and include anything the customer said mattered to them.
2 Choose the approval step
Pick what the customer signs off before you start — a sketch, a mock-up, a material sample, or just the specification — and how many revisions are included. Production only starts after that approval and the deposit.
3 Set the money and the refund rule
Enter the price, the deposit and when the balance is due, then choose the deposit rule. The agreement already states that once production has started the order can't be cancelled, apart from defects.
4 Agree lead time and handover
Give a realistic lead time, choose collection, delivery or courier, and set how long the customer has to collect once the item is ready. Then add the customer as a signer and send.
Tips Before You Send It
- Photograph the customer's own materials (fabric, stones, photos) when you receive them.
- Keep approvals in writing — the agreement accepts email, so a reply of "approved" to your mock-up is enough.
- Some places limit non-refundable deposits for consumers. The refundable-less-costs option is the safer default.
- Include care instructions with the finished item — the defects clause excludes damage from not following them.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Custom order agreement: frequently asked questions
Can I refuse refunds on a custom order?
The agreement says the order can't be cancelled or refunded once production has started, except for defects or a mismatch with the specification. In many places made-to-order goods are excluded from the usual consumer right to cancel, but local consumer law may still give the customer rights, and the agreement says those rights apply.
What if the customer never approves the design?
The agreement lets you pause the order and move the production slot if the customer doesn't respond to an approval request within 30 days. The deposit rule you chose decides what happens to the deposit if they then cancel.
Are small differences from the sample a defect?
Not under this agreement. It says natural variation in grain, colour and texture, and small differences in size and finish, are part of handmade items and natural materials. A real defect or mismatch with the specification must be reported within the number of days you set.
Is an e-signed custom order agreement binding?
Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary contracts like this in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.