When the packages don't fit.
Some projects need a real e-commerce store, a custom booking system, or a backend that talks to your existing tools. That's a Custom Build. Flat-priced, scoped before any code is written, no hourly invoices, no surprise charges.
The kinds of projects I take on.
If your project is on this list, or anything in the same neighborhood, send a description and I'll write back with a quote.
- E-commerce stores. Shopify with custom theme work for the typical case. A bespoke Stripe-backed checkout when Shopify's constraints get in the way.
- Custom booking and scheduling systems. Built around your specific availability rules, with SMS or email confirmations and a calendar sync. Off-the-shelf tools when they fit, hand-coded when they don't.
- Calculators, configurators, and quote tools. Whatever your specific service needs. Lawn-care square-footage estimators, real estate ROI calculators, custom-product configurators, all in browser, no logins required.
- Backend integrations. Connect your website to your CRM, accounting software, existing booking tool, ERP, anything with an API. Lead routing, automatic invoicing, syncing inventory across systems.
- Full-stack web applications. Member portals, dashboards, internal tools, multi-tenant apps. Auth, databases, the whole stack. TypeScript, Postgres, deployed on platforms that don't go down.
- Anything else technical. If it involves writing code, talking to APIs, or running servers, it's probably a Custom Build. Send a description and I'll tell you whether I'm the right person and what it costs.
Three steps before any code is written.
Custom Builds need real scoping. The price isn't on a card; it's on a quote, written for your specific project.
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01
You describe the project
One email, plain language. What you're trying to ship and what's frustrating about the existing tools. Don't worry about technical detail.
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02
I send 3 to 5 questions
Usually about how your customers actually use the thing, what your edge cases are, and which integrations matter. Then a flat-price quote with scope, milestones, and timeline.
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03
Build & launch
Sign off, deposit, build with milestones. You see progress at each one with a revision round per milestone. At launch you get the live system, the source code, and a handover doc.
Flat price, scoped per project.
Custom Builds start at $3,000 and go up depending on scope, integrations, and timeline. Below are the shapes of recent projects to give you an honest anchor.
Paid 40% deposit / 30% at preview / 30% at launch via Stripe (same split as Growth Website).
Real quotes are project-specific. Some recent shapes:
- A custom booking widget for a salon with availability rules and SMS confirmations: $3,000 to $4,500.
- A Shopify store with custom theme, around 50 products, Stripe-managed shipping: $4,500 to $7,500.
- A full-stack web application with auth, a dashboard, and a couple of integrations: $10,000 and up.
- A bespoke e-commerce platform with custom checkout and admin panel: $15,000 and up.
If a request lands outside the agreed scope after sign-off, I tell you the price before I touch it. No hourly invoices, no add-ons you didn't ask for, no scope creep.
Whatever the project, these are baseline.
- A scoping conversation by email before any code is written. Free, no commitment.
- A flat-price quote in writing with scope, milestones, and timeline. The price doesn't change unless the scope does.
- Source code in a private GitHub repo under your account. Full ownership.
- Deploy keys and account ownership transferred at launch. Nothing held hostage.
- Documentation for ongoing maintenance and edits, written in plain language.
- 30-day bug warranty from launch. If something I wrote breaks in that window, I fix it for free.
- Optional Care Plan handoff for ongoing maintenance after the warranty window.
Custom Build questions.
What's the actual upper bound on a Custom Build?
There isn't one. Most Custom Builds for small and mid-sized businesses land between $3,000 and $15,000. Larger projects (multi-tenant applications, custom e-commerce platforms with bespoke checkout, full back-office tools) can run into the $20K to $50K range. Whatever the scope, the price is flat, written, and agreed before any code is written.
How long does a Custom Build take?
Depends on scope and complexity. A simple custom booking widget runs much faster than a multi-tenant web application; both can be Custom Builds. The actual timeline lands in your written quote, scoped against your specific project.
What technology stack do you use?
Whatever fits the project. For e-commerce: Shopify if it's a clean fit (the typical case), or a custom Stripe-backed checkout if Shopify's constraints get in the way. For booking systems: hand-coded around your specific rules, deployed on Cloudflare Workers or a small Node service. For full-stack apps: TypeScript, Postgres, hosted on Cloudflare or a managed platform.
The stack choice goes in the written quote so there are no surprises and you can take it to another developer if you ever need to.
Do you handle ongoing maintenance after launch?
Yes. Every Custom Build comes with a 30-day bug warranty from launch (covered, no charge). Past that, ongoing maintenance is either a Care Plan ($49 to $149/mo depending on system complexity) or a per-task quote. The quote names the maintenance tier so you know what you're signing up for.
Who owns the code?
You do. At launch you get the source code in a private GitHub repo under your account, full deploy keys, ownership of every account I created on your behalf, and a handover document. Nothing is hostage. If you decide to take the project to a different developer in two years, you walk away with everything.
Can I get a real quote before committing?
Yes. Email a description of what you want to build. I'll send back 3 to 5 clarifying questions, then a flat-price quote with scope, milestones, and a timeline. The quote itself is free; you only pay if you sign off and start the project. No retainers, no discovery fees, no awkward sales calls.
What if my idea is too small to be a Custom Build?
Tell me anyway. Sometimes the right answer is embedding a third-party tool (Calendly for booking, Stripe Payment Links for one-off products, Square Appointments for service businesses) into a Growth Website at $1,800 instead of a from-scratch Custom Build. I'll be honest about which path fits.