Fixed-price software development
You get a written scope, a price and the checks the finished work must pass, all agreed before we start. If the work takes us longer than we expected, the price stays the same.
Packages
These are pieces of work we do often enough to price in advance. Ranges cover the usual span from a simple case to a complicated one; your quote is a single fixed figure.
| Package | Typical price | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Code auditAn independent written assessment of a system's condition, risks and options. | £1,950 fixed | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Access database to web applicationAn Access database rebuilt as a multi-user web application on SQL Server. | £8,000 to £15,000 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Spreadsheet to web applicationA critical Excel workbook rebuilt as a web application for several users at once. | £6,000 to £12,000 | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Customer portalA secure portal where customers see and act on their own data in your system. | £12,000 to £25,000 | 6 to 10 weeks |
| System integrationTwo systems connected so data is entered once, with failures reported. | £5,000 to £12,000 | 2 to 5 weeks |
| .NET upgrade assessmentA written, staged and sized plan for moving an application to current .NET. | £2,500 fixed | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Emergency software supportAn engineer on a failed system for a fixed fee, client or not. | £480 fixed | The first four hours |
| Developer absence coverWe learn your system and cover faults while your developer is away. | £1,450 fixed | A handover session, then up to two weeks of cover |
Prices exclude VAT.
Starting with a system you already have?
The route most clients take, with the price of each step. You can stop after any of them and keep what it produced.
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A first call
Free20 minutes
You describe the system and what prompted the call. We say whether we can help, and if we are not the right people we say that too.
Arrange a call -
A code audit
£1,950 fixed1 to 2 weeks
A written report on the condition of the system, its risks and what to do first. It is yours whatever you decide, and the fee is credited against any work that follows.
What the audit covers -
A first piece of work
Fixed priceAgreed in writing
Usually the priority items from the audit, or one defined package. Scope, price and acceptance checks are agreed before we start.
How fixed price works -
Ongoing support, if you want it
From £450 a monthCancel with 30 days' notice
A monthly plan covering faults, updates and small changes. The code, accounts and documentation stay yours throughout.
Support plans
Fixed price or time and materials
The two ways software is bought, and who carries the risk in each.
The full comparison| Aspect | Fixed price | Time and materials |
|---|---|---|
| If the work overruns | The supplier pays | You pay |
| What must be agreed first | Scope, price and acceptance checks | A day rate and a rough plan |
| Changes during the work | Each one is quoted and agreed | Made as you go, and billed |
| Budget certainty | High | Low until the work is done |
| Suits | Work whose outcome can be described | Exploratory work and ongoing improvement |
We offer fixed-price development for anything whose outcome can be described, from a code audit to a complete bespoke system. Where it cannot be described yet, we say so. Our article on when fixed-price software development works sets out what to agree first.
How fixed price works
A fixed price is only as good as the scope behind it. Most of the effort goes into agreeing that scope properly.
You describe the outcome
What the software must do, who uses it, what it connects to and how you will judge that it is finished.
We resolve the unknowns
Anything that could change the price is investigated first: the state of existing data, access to third-party systems, technical constraints.
We agree scope, price and acceptance checks
A written scope with assumptions and exclusions, a fixed price, and the checks the finished work has to pass.
We build and you review as we go
You see working software during the build, so there are no surprises at the end.
You accept against the agreed checks
When the checks pass, the project is complete. Anything new is quoted separately.
Questions we are asked
What happens if I need to change something during the project?
You tell us, we assess what it changes and quote it. You can add it at the quoted price, swap it for something of similar size in the agreed scope, or leave it for a later phase. Nothing is added to the bill without your agreement.
What if the work takes you longer than expected?
That is our risk, not yours. The price is fixed for the agreed scope. It is the reason we investigate unknowns before quoting.
When is fixed price the wrong choice?
When the outcome cannot be described yet. Exploratory work, open-ended improvement of an existing system and ongoing support are better handled as a monthly arrangement, and we will say so.
Who owns the code?
You do, once the project is paid for. You also get the source code, the build instructions and the documentation needed for another team to take it on.
Is support included after delivery?
Each project includes a short warranty period for defects against the agreed scope. Ongoing support, hosting and changes are a separate monthly arrangement that you can take or leave.
Have a project in mind?
Describe what you need the software to do. We will tell you whether it suits a fixed price and what we would need to know to quote it.