Everything I'd say on a first call
Pricing, process and the small print.
Everything I'd tell you on a first call, written down. If something here doesn't fit your project, the first call is still free.
Pricing
Ways to work together
You might need technical direction, have designs to build, have a client's site in trouble or need someone each month. I price projects by their scope and agree ongoing work separately. A review is useful when we need to investigate before deciding what to do.
Projects
€8k
From
A build from your designs, a rescue that turns into a rebuild, a migration or a focused improvement. The proposal defines the work, deliverables, price and timeline. For larger projects, I can separate a useful first release from what comes later.
- Good for
- Work with a defined outcome and scope.
Indicative project budgets
- A build from approved designs
- €8k–€20k
- Editorial platforms, multilingual builds and complex migrations
- €12k–€40k+
Guides to the size of the work, not packages. I quote after looking at what needs building and what it needs to achieve, and some work falls outside these ranges. Smaller one-off fixes are €100 per hour, with an estimate agreed before I start.
Pitch support
€300
Fixed fee
The technical part of your pitch, written down: the platform recommendation and an estimate with its assumptions, plus one call with your client. The first conversation is free. If you win and I build it, the fee comes off the build.
- Good for
- Agencies pitching a website to a client.
Review
€1500
Fixed fee
A defined review of your website, platform or proposed build. You get the findings, priorities and a recommendation for the next step. When there is enough information, I include a fixed quote. If I take on the resulting project, the review fee comes off the agreed total.
- Good for
- Decisions that need investigation before a proposal.
Technical maintenance
€300
From, per month
Agreed updates and checks to keep your website working. I assess the platform first and specify what is covered. New features, major upgrades and work outside that scope are quoted separately.
- Good for
- A website that needs looking after, without a development roadmap.
Reserved time
€1000
From, per month
A monthly retainer with agreed capacity for fixes, changes and new features. Your work has priority in my schedule, and we plan what to tackle next. The starting level reserves 10 hours each month, with a 3-month initial commitment.
- Good for
- Agencies that need a regular technical partner for the sites they look after.
Maintenance or a retainer?
Maintenance covers a defined set of technical tasks and checks. A retainer reserves capacity for the work your team needs each month. Maintenance can be part of that capacity if we agree it in the proposal.
Ask about ongoing helpWhat's in
Included in website builds
- Technical planning and platform recommendation
- Content model and, where needed, translation workflow
- CMS setup and content structure your editors can use
- Responsive build from the approved designs
- QA on real devices and browsers
- Accessibility and performance checks
- Basic technical SEO (structure, metadata, sitemaps, redirects)
- Editor training and a written handover
- 30 days to correct defects after launch
Website builds include 30 days to correct defects in the agreed work after launch. New requests and changes to the approved scope are separate.
What's out
Not included unless agreed
- Hosting and third-party licences (billed to you or your client directly)
- Visual design and brand identity (your agency's part)
- Copywriting, translation and large content entry
- Features outside the agreed scope
Agencies
How I work with agencies.
- White-label or client-facing. You decide.
- Your designs built as designed, under your brand.
- Need an NDA before you share designs? I can sign one.
- Code and repositories handed over at launch, to your client or to you.
- I join client and IT calls when it helps. I don't contact your client without you.
- One point of contact: me.
Tenders and boards
If your client buys through a tender.
Institutions often can't just hire someone. For your tender response, I can provide a written technical proposal with scope, milestones and a fixed price, references from institutions I've worked with, and a contract in English or Portuguese.
Invoices come from my Portuguese limited company, VAT-registered. If your process needs something else, ask. It's usually possible.
One person
You work with me. Here's what that means.
You get the same person from the first call to the last fix. No account managers, no juniors. I do the technical work myself. When a project needs another specialist, I bring in people I've worked with before, and you'll know who they are.
The trade-off is capacity. I take on a small number of projects at a time and I'll tell you honestly if I can't start when you need me to.
And because it's a small practice, I work as if someone else will have to take over one day: everything handed over to your client, documented, built with mainstream tools. That's how it should be done anyway.
Choosing the stack
How I choose the platform.
I don't start from a tool. I start from the content, the team that will edit it, the languages, the integrations and the budget. Then I recommend something and explain why.
| Platform | I recommend it when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Craft CMS | Lots of structured content, several languages or sites, custom workflows | Overkill for a small marketing site |
| Webflow | The marketing team wants visual control and the content model is simple | Complex localization, deep custom workflows, costs at scale |
| Webflow Cloud | A Webflow site needs a data-driven or app-like section | Adding complexity where a simple page would do |
| Astro or custom | Performance-critical sites, unusual interfaces or product-adjacent sections | Needs a clear owner for maintenance |
Craft CMS
- I recommend it when
- Lots of structured content, several languages or sites, custom workflows
- Watch out for
- Overkill for a small marketing site
Webflow
- I recommend it when
- The marketing team wants visual control and the content model is simple
- Watch out for
- Complex localization, deep custom workflows, costs at scale
Webflow Cloud
- I recommend it when
- A Webflow site needs a data-driven or app-like section
- Watch out for
- Adding complexity where a simple page would do
Astro or custom
- I recommend it when
- Performance-critical sites, unusual interfaces or product-adjacent sections
- Watch out for
- Needs a clear owner for maintenance
Several languages? Craft CMS is the first choice, with a proper translation workflow. Webflow works, but the cost grows with each language. Astro is fine, with Craft CMS behind it.
FAQ
Answers before you get in touch.
Do you need final designs to give me a price?
No. Approved designs make the quote more precise, but a sitemap and a few key templates are enough for a range.
Is a review required before every project?
No. If the brief, designs and technical requirements are clear enough, I can quote directly. A review is useful when investigation is needed before we can make a decision or define the work.
Do you charge by the hour?
Projects have a fixed quote for an agreed scope. Smaller one-off fixes are €100 per hour, with an estimate or spending limit agreed first. Retainers reserve a defined amount of time each month.
What if my budget is lower?
Tell me the budget and what matters most. I can suggest a smaller intervention or a useful first release. If I can't deliver the required work within it, I'll say so.
Can we pay in phases?
Yes. Usually a deposit to start and the rest in milestones. The details go in the proposal.
What is the difference between maintenance and a retainer?
Maintenance covers agreed technical tasks and checks. A retainer reserves capacity for fixes, changes and new features, with priority in my schedule. Maintenance can be included in that capacity if we agree it in the proposal.
How much time does a retainer include?
The starting level is €1000 for 10 hours each month. Other levels are €2000 for 20 hours and €3500 for 35 hours. Analysis, working meetings, development, QA and publication count towards that capacity. We agree the right level before starting.
What happens to unused retainer time?
You reserve capacity for that month, so unused time doesn't normally roll over. We plan the priorities together. If I cannot deliver work that we agreed and scheduled, I arrange replacement time or a credit.
What if we need more work in a month?
I tell you before exceeding the agreed capacity. We can quote the additional work, agree extra hours or change the monthly level. Extra capacity is subject to availability.
Do you work on existing sites you didn't build?
Yes, if they're on a platform I know well and I can assess the work required. Sometimes I can quote a defined change directly. If the code or dependencies need investigation first, I propose a review before committing to the work.
Who owns the code?
Your client, or you, as we agree. I keep the repository while I work, and at handover I transfer it or add you to it. Everything is documented, so the site never depends on me.
Do you sign NDAs?
Not by default, but if you or your client need one, I'll sign it.
Is the first call free?
Yes. Thirty minutes to understand the context and see whether it makes sense to go further. If the work needs investigating before I can quote, I propose a review.
Do you work with in-house marketing teams?
Yes. Marketing teams work with me directly, with no agency in between. It works the same way: I answer for the technical side, the code is yours at handover, and I'm still around after launch.
Next step
Tell me what you're working on.
I'll reply, usually within one working day, with a few questions and a sense of what it would take.
Schedule a free 30-minute call