How I work with clients.
Every build is different, so I don’t sell fixed packages off the shelf. What I can be straight about is how I charge, what drives the cost, and what you always get — so there are no surprises when the quote arrives.
Three ways to work together
Fixed price
For work with a clear scope. Once we’ve defined what’s being built, I give you a fixed quote broken into milestones, so you know the total before we start and pay as each piece is delivered. Best for a defined website, store or feature.
Day rate
For open-ended or evolving work — ongoing development, a build where the scope will shift, or picking up an existing codebase. Billed for the days worked, with a running estimate so the total never runs away from you.
Retainer
For continuity — a block of reserved capacity each month for maintenance, improvements and priority support once something is live. Predictable for you, and it keeps me familiar with your system so changes are fast.
What the quote is built from
Two projects that sound the same can be very different underneath. When I estimate, these are what move the number:
- How defined the scope is — a clear brief is faster to price and faster to build than “we’ll figure it out as we go”.
- Complexity under the surface — real-time data, payments, integrations and anything that has to stay correct under load.
- How many outside systems it has to talk to, and how well those behave.
- Timeline — a hard deadline that compresses the work costs more than a comfortable one.
- Whether it’s a fresh build or work on an existing codebase that has to be understood first.
What you always get, at any price
- The code, and ownership of it. Source transfers to you at handover — it’s in the terms, not a paid extra. No lock-in.
- A handover anyone can pick up. Documented, tested from a clean checkout, so the next developer can run and deploy it without calling me.
- Me, directly. You talk to the person building it, not a project manager relaying messages.
- A written estimate before anything starts. You approve the number and the milestones first.
- Milestone billing. Larger builds are split into stages, each invoiced as it’s agreed and delivered — you’re never paying far ahead of the work.
How a project runs
Tell me about it
You describe what you’re building, roughly when you need it and any budget in mind. I reply within one working day.
Scope and estimate
We pin down what’s actually needed — sometimes less than you expected. I send a written estimate with milestones and a rough timeline.
You approve
Nothing is billed until you’ve agreed the scope, the price and how it’s split. The first milestone confirms your start date.
Build, in the open
I build in milestones you can see. You’re never guessing where it’s at, and scope changes are quoted before they happen, not after.
Handover you own
You get the working system, the source code, and a handover that lets anyone run it. Support or a retainer after that is your call.
Invoicing & payment
I invoice in GBP, USD or EUR — whichever suits you. Payment is by secure card / Stripe, bank transfer or Payoneer. For larger builds the first milestone is invoiced up front to confirm the start date; the amount is agreed in writing before any work begins.
This page explains how I charge, not a fixed price list — custom work is quoted per project. For a real number, the fastest route is to describe the project and I’ll come back with an estimate.
Common questions
Why don’t you list fixed prices?
Because custom software isn’t a fixed product. A “website” can mean a five-page brochure or a platform with accounts, payments and integrations. A public price would either scare off the larger project or underprice it. An estimate against your actual brief is honest; a headline number usually isn’t.
Roughly what should I budget?
Tell me the project and I’ll give you a real figure within a working day — including if it’s less than you expected. That’s more useful than a range that may not fit what you actually need.
Do you take a deposit?
For larger builds, yes — the first milestone is invoiced up front to confirm your start date. The amount depends on the project and is agreed in writing before anything begins.
Which currencies can I pay in?
GBP, USD or EUR, by card / Stripe, bank transfer or Payoneer.
Do I own the finished code?
Yes. Source code transfers to you at handover as standard — it’s in the terms, and the handover is built so any developer can take it over. There is no lock-in.
Ready for a real number?
Describe the project in plain language and I’ll come back with an estimate and the milestones — within one working day.