A contract is the last chance to fix a misunderstanding before it becomes an expensive dispute. These are the questions worth asking directly, in writing, before you sign.

On scope and delivery

  • What exactly is in and out of scope for the quoted price?
  • How are change requests estimated and approved?
  • What does "done" mean for each milestone — who signs off?

On ownership

  • Who owns the source code, and when does ownership transfer?
  • Are any third-party libraries or the vendor's internal frameworks excluded from that transfer?
  • Who owns designs, documentation, and credentials created during the project?

On risk and exit

  • What happens if either side wants to end the engagement early?
  • Is there a warranty period for post-launch defects, and what does it cover?
  • How is confidential data handled after the contract ends?

If a vendor is uncomfortable answering any of these in writing, treat that as information about how the rest of the engagement will go.