Bespoke software development at a fixed price
We are a UK bespoke software development company. We build custom software to a scope agreed in writing, for a price fixed before work starts, so you know what you are getting and what it costs.
Who carries the risk of an overrun
Any estimate can turn out to be wrong. The difference between the two arrangements is who pays when it is.
Paid by the day
If the work takes longer than estimated, the bill grows.
Fixed price
If the work takes longer than estimated, the price stays where it was.
When bespoke is the right answer
Packaged software is the right choice for work that every business does the same way: accounts, payroll, email. Bespoke software earns its cost where your business does something its own way and that way is worth keeping. The signs are familiar: a packaged product that nearly fits, surrounded by spreadsheets that fill the gaps; staff re-typing the same information into three systems; a process that depends on one person knowing which file to open.
A system built around how you work removes that friction. It is also yours: there are no per-user licence fees that rise each year, and it changes when your business does.
Why we work at a fixed price
Open-ended, pay-by-the-day development puts all the risk on the client. If the work takes twice as long, the client pays twice as much. We think the supplier, who does the estimating, should carry that risk.
A fixed price also forces a useful discipline at the start. Before either side commits, the scope has to be clear enough to price, which means the difficult questions are asked in week one. In our experience projects go wrong because of what was never discussed, far more often than because of what was built badly.
Fixed price is not right for everything. If the requirements cannot be pinned down yet, we will say so and suggest a short paid discovery or a monthly arrangement until they can. Our article on when fixed-price development works sets out the conditions.
Built to be looked after
Much of our work is maintaining software for years after it was written, often software built by others. That shapes how we build. New systems come with automated tests around the behaviour that matters, a scripted build and release, and documentation another team could follow. It costs little to do at the time and saves a great deal later.
Start with a defined piece
If you have a specific need, one of our fixed-price packages may already cover it. If the project is larger or less defined, tell us what you want the system to do and we will tell you what we would need to know to price it.
Talk to us
Describe the system and what you need. You will hear back from someone who can answer technical questions.
Discuss your project 0800 433 7990What we build
- Internal business systems
- Job management, scheduling, stock, quoting, case handling: the systems that replace spreadsheets and paper when a business outgrows them.
- Customer and supplier portals
- Secure sites where your customers place orders, track work, download documents or manage their account.
- Replacements for ageing systems
- A new build that takes over from an Access database, a desktop application or a system whose supplier has gone.
- Integrations
- Connections between the systems you already have, so data is entered once and reaches accounting, CRM and operations.
- Reporting and dashboards
- Management information drawn from several systems into one place, refreshed automatically.
- AI features
- Document reading, search across your own records and drafting assistance, built into the system where they save time.
How a fixed-price project runs
Discovery
We learn how the work is done today, who will use the system and what it has to connect to. Anything that could change the price is investigated now.
Scope and price
You receive a written scope with assumptions, exclusions and acceptance checks, and a single fixed price.
Build in visible steps
You see working software regularly during the build and can correct misunderstandings while they are cheap to fix.
Acceptance
The finished system is checked against the agreed acceptance checks, with real data, by the people who will use it.
Launch and support
We put it live, train users if needed and fix defects under warranty. Ongoing support is a separate monthly arrangement.
A good fit when
- You can describe what the system must do, even if not how.
- You need a known cost for a budget or a board decision.
- No packaged product fits the way your business works without awkward compromises.
- You want one supplier accountable for the outcome.
Probably not for you if
- The idea is still being explored and the requirements will change week to week; a monthly arrangement suits that better.
- A packaged product does the job; we will tell you if we think one would.
- You need the cheapest possible quote and are not concerned with what happens after delivery.
“CodeFirst is the best software company we have dealt with so far. Speed is great on the system delivered. A nice product to use, stable and scalable.”
Questions we are asked
How can you fix the price of software?
By agreeing the scope properly first. The discovery stage exists to remove the unknowns that make software prices unreliable: unclear requirements, messy existing data and third-party systems nobody has tested. Once those are resolved, the remaining work can be estimated with confidence, and the risk of our estimate being wrong is ours.
What if we need to change something partway through?
You tell us and we quote the change. You can add it, swap it for something of similar size in the agreed scope, or leave it for a later phase. Nothing is added to the price without your agreement.
How much does bespoke software cost?
It depends on how much the system does and what it connects to. Our cost calculator gives a range for your project in a couple of minutes, our fixed-price packages show typical figures for common projects, and anything larger is quoted after discovery.
What is the difference between bespoke software and custom software?
None. Bespoke is the usual word in the UK and custom is more common in the United States. Both mean software written for one organisation, as opposed to a packaged product sold to many.
How long does it take?
A defined internal application typically takes weeks, not many months. We give a delivery date with the fixed price.
Do you use AI to write the software?
We use AI tools throughout development, which is a large part of why our prices and timescales are lower than they used to be. Engineers design the system, review every change and are accountable for the result.
Who owns the finished software?
You do, including the source code, once the project is paid for.
Tell us about your system
Say what it does, what it is built on and what is worrying you. We will reply with what we would look at first and whether we are the right people to help.