Engagement models
Three ways to work together
There are no package prices on this page, and that is deliberate. A number quoted before the scope is understood is wrong in one direction or the other — so what you get here is how each model works, what is included, and what is explicitly not.
- Most common
Fixed-scope project
Quoted per project
Priced after discovery, not before
We agree the scope in discovery, I quote a fixed price against it, and that price holds. Changes outside the agreed scope get quoted separately rather than silently absorbed or silently dropped.
Best for
A defined outcome with a known shape — a site, an app, an integration, a rebuild.
Included
- Discovery, wireframes and a written scope you sign off
- Full design and build to the agreed scope
- QA, accessibility and security review before launch
- CI/CD pipeline and production deployment
- Handover documentation and code ownership transfer
- 30 days of post-launch defect fixes at no charge
Not included
- Scope added after sign-off (quoted separately)
- Ongoing content production
- Third-party licences, hosting and domain costs
Commitment: Typically 2–12 weeks
Start here Monthly retainer
Fixed monthly fee
Based on the days per month reserved
A reserved block of engineering days each month covering feature work, maintenance, security patching and incident response. Predictable for your budget, predictable for my calendar.
Best for
A product that is live and needs to keep moving without a full-time hire.
Included
- A reserved number of engineering days each month
- Dependency and security patching on a defined cadence
- Feature development against your priorities
- Monitoring and an agreed incident response time
- A monthly written summary of what shipped and what is next
Not included
- Unused days rolling over indefinitely (one month's carry-over)
- 24/7 on-call — response times are business-hours unless separately agreed
Commitment: 3-month minimum, then monthly
Start hereStaff augmentation
Day rate
Weekly or monthly blocks
I join your team, your repository and your standups as an engineer for an agreed number of days per week — usually to bring in a capability you do not have in-house yet, such as mobile, LLM integration or performance work.
Best for
An existing engineering team that needs a specific capability for a defined period.
Included
- Working directly in your repository and workflow
- Participation in your ceremonies and code review
- Knowledge transfer to your team as an explicit goal
- Documented decisions so the capability stays after I leave
Not included
- Line-management responsibility
- Fixed delivery commitments (you own the backlog and the priorities)
Commitment: 4-week minimum
Start here
Before you commit
The smallest way to find out if this works
A one-week audit — technical SEO, performance, or a security review — produces a prioritised findings list with effort estimates against each item. Clients regularly use it to decide whether a larger engagement is worth it, and it is yours whether or not you continue.
Indicative timelines
- Marketing or consultation site
- 2–4 weeks
- Web application with auth, database, admin
- 6–12 weeks
- First mobile app release
- 8–14 weeks
- Grounded AI assistant with an eval harness
- 3–6 weeks
- Audit (SEO, performance or security)
- 1 week
Ranges, not promises. The number that binds is the one in the fixed-scope proposal after discovery — see the process.
FAQ
Scope and pricing questions
How much does a website or app cost?
A focused marketing or consultation site is typically two to four weeks of work. A full web application with authentication, a database and an admin surface is usually six to twelve weeks. A first mobile release is eight to fourteen weeks. Exact pricing comes after discovery, because quoting before understanding the scope produces a number that is wrong in one direction or the other.
Do you work fixed-price or hourly?
Fixed-scope projects are fixed-price, quoted after discovery against a scope you have signed off. Ongoing work runs as a monthly retainer with a reserved number of days. Joining an existing team runs on a day rate. Hourly billing on an undefined scope serves neither of us.
What happens if the scope changes mid-project?
It gets quoted as a change, in writing, before it is built. What does not happen is silent absorption — which ends in a rushed delivery — or silent omission, which ends in a launch missing something you assumed was included.
Do you offer ongoing maintenance after launch?
Yes, as a monthly retainer covering dependency and security patching, platform compatibility work, monitoring and a budgeted allowance for small changes. Declining a retainer is a legitimate choice — you just get a documented pipeline your own team can run, and you make that decision knowingly.
Do you require a deposit?
Fixed-scope projects are invoiced in stages tied to delivery — typically a deposit to start, one or more payments at agreed milestones, and a balance at handover. Retainers are invoiced monthly in advance. Nothing is billed for work that has not been done.
Is hosting and domain cost included in your price?
No, and deliberately so. Hosting, domains and third-party licences stay in your name and on your card, because software you cannot pay the bills for is software you do not really own. Typical running costs are estimated during discovery so the total is not a surprise, and the platforms used here mostly have generous free tiers.
Self-qualified? Send the brief.
The form asks for project type, budget band and timeline. Two minutes, and the first conversation starts from a real understanding of what you need.