Built for designers, studios, and freelance creatives
The proposal says yes. The deposit lands. You just design.
Send a branded proposal with an accept link, collect the deposit the moment the client signs, and keep scope honest with optional add-ons the client picks at acceptance.
In short
The Contractor Codex handles the client side of creative work: proposals with e-signatures, deposits collected at acceptance, optional add-ons the client chooses upfront instead of scope creep later, and retainers for ongoing work. Your clients see one branded portal with their proposals, files, invoices, and progress. It is $15/month with every feature included, against alternatives that start near $36 and climb by feature tier.
- Card details never touch our serversEvery payment is taken on Stripe's own secure pages. We never see, store, or handle a card number.
- Bank logins never touch our serversBank connections run through Plaid. You sign in with your bank, and we only ever receive read access to transactions.
- Your money goes straight to your bankClient payments land in your account directly. We never hold your money, and we never sit between you and it.
An assistant that already knows your numbers
Ask in plain words. It reads your live data, breaks the answer down, and offers the next step. Anything that emails a client or moves money shows you an approval card first, and sends nothing until you say yes.
You: Who owes me money?
Clients owe $11,650 in total. $3,400 of that is past due:
Solstice Coffee's brand identity balance is 26 days late.
The rest is current: the Waverly site's launch invoice ($5,250, due Aug 15) and two retainers billing on the 1st.
Example conversation. Names and figures are illustrative.
Deposits, milestones, and scope that stays scoped
Creative projects go sideways in two places: starting without money down, and revisions nobody priced. Both have a home here: the deposit collects at acceptance, and revision rounds ride the proposal as optional add-ons the client picks upfront.
- Deposit at acceptance, balance on delivery, or staged payments for bigger engagements
- Optional add-ons: extra revision rounds and rush delivery, priced on the proposal, chosen by the client
- Monthly retainers for ongoing work: first month collects at acceptance, then autopilot
- E-signed agreements with a full audit trail, in-house or through your Docusign account
Your price list, already started
Your quote library starts loaded with creative line items you can price once and reuse on every proposal:
| Line item | What it covers | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| Brand discovery session | Workshop to define voice, tone, and visual direction. | $400 |
| Logo design (3 concepts) | Three initial directions plus revisions on selected. | $1,200 |
| Brand guidelines | Comprehensive brand standards document. | $1,500 |
| Print collateral design | Business cards, letterhead, and one collateral piece. | $600 |
| Social media templates | Set of 10 customizable templates. | $400 |
| Photography (half-day) | Up to 4 hours on-site, edited deliverables included. | $750 |
Six of the starter items your library ships with. Edit any price once and reuse it on every quote. These are defaults to start from, not prices we set for you.
FAQ for designers and creative studios
Can clients pick optional extras on the proposal?
Yes. Mark line items as optional and the client chooses them at acceptance time. Extra revision rounds, a rush fee, or an add-on deliverable get priced upfront instead of negotiated mid-project.
How do deposits work?
You set the deposit percentage on the quote. The moment the client accepts, the deposit invoice goes out automatically with a pay link, and the money lands in your bank account through Stripe.
Can I bill a monthly retainer for ongoing design work?
Yes. Add the retainer to the proposal and the first month collects at acceptance. From month two it bills automatically, with included hours and overage rates following your rules.
How does this compare to HoneyBook?
HoneyBook is a broad booking suite for event-adjacent creatives, starting around $36/month with features split across tiers. The Contractor Codex is narrower and deeper on quote-to-cash: every feature is included at $15/month, under your brand rather than ours. We keep an honest side-by-side on our HoneyBook alternative page.
What does it cost?
Standard is $15/month plus a 0.8% service fee on payments. Pro is $35/month with a 0.1% fee for higher volume. Unlimited clients and projects on both, and a 30-day free trial.
Try it free for 30 days
Unlimited clients and projects, every feature on every plan, under your own brand. From $15/month after the trial, and nothing is charged until it ends.