Use a deposit to reserve capacity
A deposit confirms commitment and covers the cost of beginning. State whether the project starts only after cleared payment and required client inputs are received.
For short projects, a deposit and final balance may be enough. For longer work, split the remaining amount across objective milestones.
Tie milestones to observable events
Use events such as kickoff, delivery of an approved phase, staging release, or final handoff. Avoid milestones based only on subjective satisfaction because they are hard to administer.
State the amount, invoice date, due date, and whether later work pauses when an invoice is overdue.
Handle delays and changes
Explain what happens when client feedback, access, or content is late. The schedule may move, reserved capacity may be released, and a restart date may depend on availability.
Keep change-request fees separate from the original payment schedule unless both sides approve a revised schedule in writing.