Website retainer
Keep developing your website as your priorities change. I can build new features and integrations, work through a larger project over several months, and handle maintenance, bug fixes and updates.
I reserve at least 16 engineering hours for your site each month. I agree priorities with you and estimate each task before starting. Hours do not roll over. You get a monthly summary of how I spent them.
From 960 USDexcl. VAT
- 16 hours a month minimum, reserved from day one, used that month or gone.
- A reply within one business day, and an estimate in hours before any request starts.
- Your requests shipped from that block, with anything past it quoted before it starts.
Inside the retainer
What a month covers
Ongoing development
New pages, CMS models, features and integrations. A larger project can progress across several months, with priorities agreed as it develops.
Dependency updates
Vulnerable and outdated packages updated from the reserved hours, with a straight call on what to leave alone.
Maintenance and bug fixes
I investigate bugs, improve slow pages and make updates to your site from the same monthly hours.
Preview before release
I review each change on its own preview before publishing.
In practice
How a month runs
Once, before the first month, you give me access to the site's Git repository, such as a GitHub repository. After that, every month runs the same way.
Month starts, hours go into reserve
The allocation is available from day one for whatever comes up.
You send work as it appears
A feature, an integration, a bug or a page to change. I reply within one business day, agree priorities with you and estimate the hours before I start.
Around the 20th, I check the budget
If hours are left, you get an email offering to spend them before the month closes.
Month ends with a summary
Where the hours went, what shipped, what I would tackle next. Hours do not roll over.
Client feedback
What it is like to have me on the other end
He also impressed me with his very courteous manner and consistently transparent and precise communication. His response times were always fast. Working with him was extremely pleasant and productive. I highly recommend Augustyn to any team that values reliable and technically skilled developers.
Yves Ernst · Project Manager
Augustyn is a joy to work with! It is clear that he cares about more than just web development - he cares about the users. He works quickly without ever compromising on quality, making him a fantastic collaborator.
Ali McDerment · Project Manager
I'm extremely pleased with Augustyn. He's an incredibly hard worker, has a great eye for detail, and has helped me get my project over the finish line. He's very responsive on slack and courteous on calls. Couldn't be more happy he's on my team.
John Robert Reed · Head of Marketing
Augustyn has been exceptional across both projects, delivering high-quality work throughout and making a real positive impact. The team has greatly appreciated his support, expertise, and collaborative approach, and he has quickly become a valued and trusted member of the wider team.
Cathy Stroud · Senior Agile Delivery Manager
Augustyn is an incredible contributor and knowledgeable technical resource, and I was impressed by his thoughtful solutions as well as excellent communication skills. [...] I would not hesitate to collaborate with him again on any future projects.
Eric Letsche · Head of Product
01 / 05
Questions about retainers
How much does it cost?
It costs from 960 USD excl. VAT a month, which buys the minimum block of 16 hours at 60 USD an hour. Below 16 hours a retainer does not buy enough continuity to be worth it. A site that needs more hours gets a higher flat monthly rate, quoted before the retainer starts.
What if I do not use all my hours?
They expire at the end of the month, because hours do not roll over. Around the 20th I email you what is left and offer to spend it before the month closes.
What counts against the hours?
Development, new features, integrations, maintenance, bug fixes, performance work, code review, dependency updates and planning. I estimate each task before starting. A larger task can span several months, and extra hours are agreed in writing before I use them.
Can a retainer cover a larger development project?
Yes. I can develop the project over several months using your reserved hours. I agree priorities and estimates with you as the scope develops. If you need a defined scope delivered as one project, I also offer website development billed by time or at a fixed price.
How is a retainer different from project work?
A retainer reserves engineering hours every month for ongoing work. Project work covers a particular build, billed for the time spent or at a fixed price for an agreed scope. Both can include development. The choice depends on how you want to plan the work and pay for it.
How quickly do you respond?
Within one business day, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 19:00 Central European Time. I estimate each request in hours before work starts. How long it takes depends on its size. I do not provide 24/7 cover or an on-call rota. If the site is down, say so in the subject line and it goes first on the next working day.
Is it cheaper if I already bought an audit?
Yes. After a website audit or a rescue diagnosis, the first month is half price.
Do you maintain WordPress sites?
No. I maintain sites whose code is kept in a Git repository. I do not maintain WordPress sites or sites without version control.
What do you need to start?
First I quote the flat monthly rate for your site. Before the retainer starts, you give me access to the site's Git repository, such as a GitHub repository.
Can I stop the retainer?
You can stop at the end of any month after the first three months. The initial term is three months, then the retainer runs month to month.
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