What is a shredding services agreement?
Customers hand a shredding company their most sensitive paper: payroll, patient files, contracts and bank statements. What they're really buying is a promise that nobody will read it between the office and the shredder. A shredding services agreement makes that promise specific, so the customer can show auditors and regulators how its records were destroyed.
This template covers on-site truck shredding, off-site plant shredding and drop-off, on a schedule, on call or as a one-off purge. It lists the locked containers, the materials accepted and an optional shred size. It sets chain-of-custody rules: screened staff, locked transport, a monitored plant and destruction within a set time, with a collection record the customer can check. A certificate of destruction follows each service, and shredded paper is mixed before recycling. Prices are listed with no hidden surcharges, a yearly price change lets the customer leave, and the company must report any lost or exposed material without delay.
- Best for
- Document destruction and secure shredding companies
- Signed by
- The shredding company and the customer
- Service
- Scheduled, on call or a one-off purge
- Length
- About 3 pages
When to use a shredding services agreement
- Locked consoles in a medical practice emptied every two weeks
- A one-off purge of old files when an office moves
- On-site truck shredding for a law firm that wants to watch
- Hard drive destruction with serial numbers on the certificate
- On-call pickups for an accountant after tax season
What you fill in
18 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: shredding company, customer.
1 The parties
- Shredding company (your business)*
- Your phone or email*
- Certification held (optional)
- Customer*
- Customer phone or email*
- Service address*
2 The service
- Where shredding happens* on site, in the Company's shredding truck at the Customer's premises · off site, at the Company's secure plant after transport in a locked vehicle · drop-off, with the Customer bringing material to the Company's plant
- Service frequency* scheduled, every week · scheduled, every 2 weeks · scheduled, every 4 weeks · on call, when the Customer requests a pickup · one-off purge on the date below
- One-off or first service date*
- Locked containers supplied
- Materials accepted*
- Shred size or security level (optional)
3 Price and term
- Currency*
- Prices*
- Minimum charge per visit (optional)
- Invoices payable within (days)*
- Term for scheduled service (months)*
- Governing law*
4 Who signs
- Shredding company signature and date, job title · The document destruction business.
- Customer signature and date, job title · The business or person whose material is destroyed.
What the shredding services agreement covers
- The service
- Security and chain of custody
- Certificate of destruction
- Recycling
- Price and payment
- Confidentiality and responsibility
- Term and general
Using the shredding services agreement, step by step
1 Choose the service
Pick on-site, off-site or drop-off shredding, the frequency and the first or one-off date.
2 Containers and materials
List the locked containers you'll supply, edit the materials accepted, and add a shred size if the customer needs one.
3 Set the prices
Enter prices per console, per box and per drive, any minimum charge per visit and payment terms.
4 Term and send
Set the term for scheduled service, add the governing law and send it to the customer.
Tips before you send it
- Record hard drive serial numbers at pickup. The certificate can then list them, which auditors look for.
- Only name a certification you actually hold. The template has you tell the customer if it lapses.
- Healthcare and finance customers may need a separate data processing agreement too, where the law requires one. The template provides for one.
- Remind customers to check their record retention rules before a purge. Shredded material can't be returned.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Shredding services agreement: frequently asked questions
What does chain of custody mean here?
From pickup to destruction, only screened staff handle the material, it travels locked, is kept in a monitored area and is destroyed within a set time, with each collection recorded.
What goes on the certificate of destruction?
The date and place, the quantity, the method, the staff responsible, and serial numbers for any media where recorded.
Who decides which records can be destroyed?
The customer. The template makes it responsible for retention rules and legal holds, because material can't be returned once it's in a container.
What if material goes missing?
The company must tell the customer without delay and is responsible for losses caused by not following the agreement.
Is the template free?
Yes. It's free with FileIt eSignature, and the customer signs from the email link without an account.