A good contract establishes expectations for both sides, thus minimizing disputes in the future.
Quickly, here are the 6 Essentials of a Web Design Contract:
- A few milestones and a final deadline
- Specific deliverables
- At least 3 concepts
- At least 3 revisions
- Payment -- half up front, half on delivery
- You own copyright to all work product
It will be up to the designer to provide a contract. They will probably cut-and-paste parts of your RFP into the contract. Don't just sign it! Read the entire contract and make sure you'll get what you need. Even minor issues should go into the agreement to avoid problems with spotty memories.
With the contract signed and filed, it's time to get down to work. The next page has my tips on working with a Web designer.