Legal
Planning Fee Agreement
Last updated: March 2026 This Planning Fee Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into between Elijah Lemanski, doing business through eplemanski.com ("Developer," "Consultant," "I," "me," or "my"), and the person or business requesting planning, scoping, and pre-development consulting services ("Client," "you," or "your"). This Agreement applies when you inquire about custom web development, WordPress development, plugin work, redesign work, migrations, integrations, performance work, or related digital services and are asked to pay a $250.00 planning fee before a full project proposal is prepared. By paying the planning fee, scheduling a planning engagement, checking any agreement box, or submitting project materials for planning work after being presented with this Agreement, you agree to be bound by its terms.1. Purpose of the Planning Fee
The $250.00 planning fee is charged to compensate me for the time, analysis, review, and professional judgment required to evaluate your inquiry in a serious and useful way before any build begins. Planning work is real work. It often involves reviewing your goals, existing website, requested features, business constraints, functionality needs, content structure, platform issues, timeline expectations, dependencies, and likely risks. The planning phase is designed to determine whether your project is a good fit, what it may require, what should be included, what should be excluded, what risks exist, and what a realistic scope and price range may look like. It is not a promise that I will accept the project, begin development immediately, or produce a final proposal on the terms you hoped for.2. Fee Amount and Payment Terms
The planning fee is a flat, non-refundable fee of $250.00 per planning engagement unless I expressly agree otherwise in writing. Payment is due in full before the planning engagement begins. I am under no obligation to review materials, reserve time, schedule calls, or prepare written recommendations until payment has been successfully received. If your payment fails, is reversed, is disputed, or results in a chargeback, I may immediately pause or stop all planning work and withhold any unfinished materials until the payment issue is resolved.3. What the Planning Fee May Include
Depending on the inquiry, the planning engagement may include some or all of the following:- review of your intake form, emails, notes, references, screenshots, and existing website or project materials;
- one or more calls, written follow-ups, or email exchanges to clarify goals and constraints;
- review of likely scope boundaries, technical complexity, and implementation risks;
- preliminary recommendations regarding platform fit, WordPress approach, plugin approach, architecture, workflow, or direction;
- a written scope outline, recommendation summary, estimate range, or proposal if I determine one is appropriate;
- identification of blockers, missing information, or unresolved requirements that must be addressed before development could begin.
4. What the Planning Fee Does Not Include
Unless I expressly agree otherwise in writing, the planning fee does not include:- actual website or plugin development;
- design execution, full mockups, Figma work, wireframes, branding, or copywriting;
- custom coding, implementation, migration work, content entry, SEO setup, hosting configuration, or launch work;
- ongoing troubleshooting for an existing live website;
- unlimited consulting, unlimited revisions, or open-ended access to advisory support;
- a guarantee that I will offer a build contract or that you will accept one if offered.
5. Non-Refundable Nature of the Fee
The planning fee is charged because I am allocating focused professional time to your inquiry. For that reason, the fee is non-refundable once planning work begins, even if:- you decide not to move forward;
- I recommend a smaller, different, or phased project than you expected;
- the likely project cost is outside your budget;
- you postpone the project;
- you choose to hire another provider;
- I determine the project is not a good fit for my services.
6. No Obligation to Enter a Development Project
Payment of the planning fee does not obligate either party to move forward into a larger project. I may determine that the project is not a fit because of scope, budget, timing, communication concerns, legal concerns, technical constraints, or lack of availability. You are also free to decline any proposal or recommendation I provide. The planning fee compensates only the planning phase. It does not create an automatic right to future services, project scheduling, production time, or locked pricing.7. Possible Credit Toward Future Work
The planning fee is not automatically credited toward a later project. If I choose to apply some or all of the planning fee toward a future build, that credit must be clearly stated in writing in the later proposal or agreement. If no written credit is stated, no credit applies.8. Timeline and Process
I will make reasonable efforts to begin and complete planning work within a reasonable time after payment, taking into account current workload, project complexity, my need for information from you, and scheduling constraints. Planning timelines are estimates, not guarantees. The process may pause or extend if you are slow to respond, if your requirements materially change, if important information is missing, or if technical review reveals complications that require additional clarification.9. Your Responsibilities During Planning
You agree to provide accurate, complete, and timely information during the planning phase, including where relevant:- business goals and desired outcomes;
- required features and functionality;
- budget expectations and preferred timeline;
- platform details, logins, hosting details, or technical context where needed;
- existing issues, limitations, or third-party dependencies that may affect the work.