Development Retainer
Reserved application engineering capacity — features, bug fixes, refactoring, and technical improvements on a monthly basis.
What This Service Is
A monthly retainer that reserves application engineering capacity. This is where actual software development lives — feature development, bug fixes, refactoring, code changes, framework upgrades, testing, debugging, and technical debt reduction.
The retainer purchases engineering capacity. It does not purchase unlimited development outcomes. If you have 10 hours per month, you receive up to 10 hours of engineering work. Anything beyond that is billed separately.
Who It's For
Teams that need ongoing application development but not enough to justify a full-time hire. Projects with a feature backlog that needs consistent progress. Clients who want predictable engineering costs with reserved monthly capacity.
What You Get
- Application bug fixes
- Feature development
- Refactoring and code improvements
- Framework/library upgrades requiring development
- Testing and debugging
- Application architecture work
- Technical debt reduction
What's Not Included
- Infrastructure or DevOps management
- CI/CD pipeline maintenance
- Server hosting or monitoring
- Routine support tasks (use Support Retainer)
For infrastructure and DevOps work, see the DevOps Retainer. For routine support tasks, see the Support Retainer.
Pricing
Hourly
- No commitment required
- Billed per task or per hour
- Ideal for specific development tasks
Monthly Retainer
- Reserved engineering hours each month
- Features, fixes, and improvements
- Unused hours do not roll over
- Additional hours billed at hourly rate
The exact number of included hours is determined during scoping based on your development requirements and expected volume.
How It Works
Scoping Call
We assess your development backlog, priorities, and expected monthly engineering needs.
Monthly Capacity
You receive reserved engineering hours each month, allocated to your priorities.
Develop & Deliver
Engineering work is completed within your allowance — features, fixes, refactoring, improvements.
Overage & Review
If work exceeds the included hours, you are notified before additional billing. Monthly summary provided.