Bespoke Projects

Fixed-scope, fixed-price delivery for projects with clearly defined requirements.

Fixed-Price Delivery for Defined Projects

Bespoke project pricing is for clients who have a specific outcome they need delivered and want certainty on the total cost before committing. We scope the work thoroughly, provide a detailed estimate broken down by phase and feature, and deliver against that estimate with defined milestones and regular progress updates.

A fixed-price project requires more upfront investment in the scoping process than a day rate engagement - but that investment is worthwhile. A properly scoped project produces a clear specification, a realistic timeline, and a price that reflects what the work actually involves. It also protects both parties: you know what you are committing to, and we know what we are committing to deliver.

We do not quote bespoke projects without a proper scoping conversation. A number given before understanding your requirements is not a quote - it is a guess. We will give you an indicative range based on a description of your project, and a detailed fixed-price estimate after a scoping engagement.

Who This Is For

Businesses with a specific project outcome they need delivered at a known total cost
Organisations that need to budget for a project accurately before it begins
Teams commissioning a new platform, system replacement, or complex integration
Businesses that want defined milestones and clear accountability for delivery
Clients who want a complete handover - source code, documentation, and knowledge transfer - at the end of the project
Businesses that want risk controlled through a defined specification and milestone-based delivery rather than open-ended engagements

What Drives Project Cost

Scope and Feature Complexity

The number of features, the complexity of the business logic, and the number of user types and workflows the system needs to support are the primary cost drivers. A simple internal tool with one user type and a handful of screens costs significantly less than a multi-tenant SaaS platform with subscription billing, onboarding, and a complex permission model.

Integrations

Every third-party system your application needs to connect to adds development time. Well-documented modern APIs are straightforward. Legacy systems, poorly documented APIs, and integrations requiring significant data transformation add meaningful cost. The number and complexity of integrations is consistently underestimated as a cost driver.

Data Complexity

Systems handling complex data relationships, high volumes, or demanding reporting requirements need more careful database design and query optimisation. A system producing real-time analytics across millions of records costs more to build correctly than one storing and retrieving simple records.

Timeline and Urgency

Compressed timelines cost more because they require more intensive work and leave less room for the iterative refinement that produces better software. A six-month delivery at a measured pace costs less than the same scope in eight weeks.

Post-Launch Requirements

The level of ongoing support and maintenance required after launch affects the overall engagement cost. Systems designed to evolve significantly after launch benefit from architectural decisions that make future development cheaper - which sometimes requires more upfront investment.

What Different Budgets Typically Achieve

Slide or click a budget band to see what's typically achievable at that level.

Smaller Larger
Under £10K

Targeted, Well-Defined Work

Technical analysis and planning work, targeted integrations, DevOps setup, and ad-hoc development support. Not typically sufficient for a new bespoke application build unless scope is very tightly constrained.

Days to weeks Single focused outcome
£10K - £30K

MVPs and Focused Builds

Focused MVPs with a clearly defined core feature set, targeted internal tools replacing a specific manual process, moderately complex integrations, and database design or migration projects. Sufficient for a real, production-quality deliverable with appropriate scope discipline.

6 - 12 weeks Production MVP or focused tool
£30K - £75K

Full-Featured Applications

Full-featured web or mobile applications, SaaS platforms with billing and user management, complex internal systems replacing multiple manual processes, and significant integration projects connecting multiple systems. The majority of bespoke application projects fall in this range.

3 - 6 months Properly featured product
£75K+

Platforms and Enterprise Builds

Large-scale platform builds, enterprise system replacements, complex multi-system integrations, and projects with significant ongoing development commitments. Projects at this scale typically involve phased delivery with defined milestones across a longer engagement.

6+ months, phased Platform or enterprise system

These ranges are indicative only. We provide detailed, itemised estimates after understanding what you need - never before.

All budget figures shown exclude VAT. VAT is charged at the standard UK rate where applicable.

How We Scope and Price a Project

1
Initial Conversation

A free conversation to understand your project at a high level - what you are trying to build, what problem it solves, what your timeline looks like, and what your budget range is. This gives us enough to tell you whether your requirements and budget are likely to be compatible, and whether a full scoping engagement makes sense.

2
Scoping Engagement

A structured process - typically one to three days depending on project complexity - where we map your requirements in detail, design the system architecture, identify integration requirements, and produce a full technical specification. This scoping work is charged separately and produces the document that the fixed-price estimate is based on.

3
Fixed-Price Estimate

A detailed estimate broken down by phase, feature, and integration - showing what is included, what it costs, and what the timeline looks like. This is the number you can budget against and plan around. We do not change this number unless you change the scope.

4
Milestone-Based Delivery

Work is delivered in defined phases with milestones, demos, and sign-offs at each stage. You see working software regularly and have the opportunity to give feedback and steer direction before each subsequent phase begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Requirements always evolve to some degree as a project progresses and the software takes shape. We handle minor changes within the agreed scope without additional charge. Significant changes that add meaningful development time are discussed openly - we explain the impact on timeline and cost before proceeding, so you can make an informed decision about whether to include them.

Yes - the scoping engagement is charged work that produces a deliverable: a technical specification and a fixed-price estimate. The cost of scoping is typically a small fraction of the project cost and is the most valuable investment in a bespoke project because it is what makes everything else predictable. If the project does not proceed after scoping, you still have a specification you can use with any developer.

Full ownership of everything - source code, database schema, architecture documentation, deployment configuration, and a handover walkthrough with your team. There is no vendor lock-in, no ongoing licensing requirement, and no dependency on us to make future changes. The software is entirely yours.

Yes - we regularly take over projects from other developers, whether because of a relationship breakdown, a change in direction, or a team that has moved on. We conduct a thorough review of the existing codebase before committing to a price for continuing it, and we give you an honest assessment of what we find including any issues that will affect the cost or timeline.

Have a project in mind?

Tell us what you want to build. We will give you an indicative range and walk you through the scoping process.

Let's Talk

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