A PHP retainer
with someone who sticks around
A fixed monthly arrangement with me — 25+ years of PHP experience — building, supporting and improving your Laravel application. No new-developer-every-quarter, no agency margin, no scope-creep arguments.
A senior developer
on tap, every month
The simplest way to have me on your team without hiring full-time. A guaranteed block of my time — to build, fix, advise, or have on standby.
What's included
A guaranteed block of my capacity, reserved for you each month — typically one to two days a week.
Usually same-day during UK hours. When something breaks at 9pm before a launch, you have someone to call who already knows the code.
No ticketing queues, no account managers. You talk to the person writing your code.
New features one month, refactoring the next, code review the month after. We adjust as your priorities shift.
Take a retainer slot
- Dedicated monthly development hours
- Priority response and support
- Regular progress updates and calls
- Code reviews and technical guidance
- Direct communication — no ticketing queues
- Flexible scope each month
I'll be in touch within 2 working days
Simple to set up,
predictable to run
A retainer should reduce friction, not add to it. Here's the rhythm.
We agree the shape
Monthly hours, communication preferences, who else is involved on your side, what an emergency looks like — all sorted on the first call.
Simple monthly invoice
Same day each month, fixed amount, no surprises. Unused hours don't bank, but I'm always flexible within reason — that's how real work goes.
We build a rhythm
Weekly call, Slack pings as needed, async tickets — whatever fits how you work. The point is continuity, not ceremony.
An honest take on when retainers work
Retainers aren't for everyone. I'd rather you knew up front than discovered it three months in.
Good fit if…
- · You have a live PHP/Laravel app generating revenue
- · You need ongoing improvements, not just a one-time build
- · You value continuity and trust over the cheapest hourly rate
- · You want a technical partner who pushes back when needed
- · You'd rather not hire a full-time developer right now
Probably not if…
- · You only need a single, well-defined one-off feature
- · You're shopping purely on hourly rate
- · You need a multi-person team rather than a senior solo dev
- · Your stack isn't PHP/Laravel based
Kind words from people I've worked with
Jamie has been instrumental in building My Trust List from the ground up. As our senior full-stack developer, he combines genuine technical depth across Laravel and modern web architecture with the kind of pragmatic problem-solving you only get from someone who truly owns what they build. He communicates clearly, ships reliably, and consistently makes the right call on the trade-offs that matter. I'd recommend him without hesitation to any team serious about quality.
CEO & co-founder
We have worked with Jamie since 2024 after approaching him to support and maintain our vehicle recycling platform built by a previous developer. Since then we have fixed numerous bugs, upgraded to the latest library releases and built new functionality including a brand new mobile phone app for our drivers. Knowing we pay the same amount each month and can bank any unused time helps with our cash-flow and we know he'll be on-hand whenever we need support.
Operations Manager
Jamie is a safe pair of hands when you need someone. I have worked on a number of projects with Jamie. (Custom APIs mainly, but server and security related items as well). He responds quickly, follows up without needing to chase and completes tasks in a methodical way. He finds the last bugs with thorough testing; so we are confident at launch that everyone will be pleased.
Owner
The things people usually ask
Ready to take a retainer slot?
A few lines about your app, your team, and what you'd want from a retainer is plenty to start.
No hard sell. No obligation. Just a friendly conversation about what you need.
