If your project has stalled, read what to do when your developer goes quiet first. That page is free advice you can act on today without hiring anyone, and it is the right first step.
This page is for when you have done that and need somebody to take it on.
What we do first
Before quoting anything, we look at what exists.
The assessment
- Can you actually get the code?This is the first question, and sometimes the answer ends the conversation.
- What state is it in?Is it a working foundation with gaps, or a demo with nothing behind it.
- Who owns what?Repository, accounts, store listings, and the data.
- How much is genuinely reusable?Often the design is worth more than the code.
- What would a rebuild cost instead?Asked honestly, not rhetorically.
The uncomfortable answer
Why this happens
Almost always the same causes: open-ended scope with no deadline, a single freelancer with no backup, payment structured so the incentive to finish disappeared, or a project that was too big for the budget from the start.
A fixed price, a fixed fortnight, and code you own from day one removes all four. That is not a coincidence, it is why we work this way.
Common questions
Can you finish what someone else started?
Sometimes. It depends entirely on the state of the code and whether you can get access to it. We look before we quote, and quite often the honest answer is that rebuilding is faster and cheaper than untangling.
What if I cannot get the code from my old developer?
Then you have a legal question before you have a technical one. Check your contract for IP ownership and whether payment was completed. If the code is genuinely unrecoverable, a rebuild from a fixed scope is usually quicker than you fear.
Will you tell me honestly if it is not worth saving?
Yes, and we frequently do. Recommending a rebuild when a rescue is possible would be dishonest; recommending a rescue when the foundation is bad would be worse.