Custom Builds
Custom software, built by senior engineers
Platforms, web apps, APIs, and mobile builds — delivered as fixed-scope projects, retainers, or hourly engagements. Built on the FencePencil platform so you inherit hosting, compliance posture, and observability for free.
What we build
We're generalists who specialize in shipping production software fast — without cutting corners on the things you'll regret in 18 months.
Custom platforms
Multi-tenant SaaS, internal tooling, marketplace platforms. Auth, billing, RBAC, audit logs — wired up the right way from day one.
Web applications
Next.js, React, TypeScript. Marketing sites, customer portals, dashboards. Built to be fast, accessible, and easy to maintain.
APIs & backends
Hono, Express, FastAPI, Django. REST or GraphQL, with OpenAPI docs, type-safe clients, and observability baked in.
Mobile apps
React Native (Expo) and native iOS/Android when you need it. Shared business logic with your web stack to keep teams small.
Pick the engagement that fits
Not every project needs a retainer. Not every retainer needs a fixed scope. We offer four shapes — pick the one that matches the work.
Project
Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed timeline.
Best for greenfield builds with a clear definition of done. We scope it, price it, and ship it. You get working software at the end — usually 4–12 weeks depending on complexity.
Best for
- MVP build
- Marketing site rebuild
- API extraction
- Internal tool replacement
Retainer
A team, week after week.
Predictable monthly engagement with a dedicated engineer (or small team) reserved for your work. Best for ongoing product roadmaps where the scope evolves but the rate of work is steady.
Best for
- Continuous feature delivery
- Maintenance + new features
- Platform evolution
- Multi-quarter roadmaps
Hourly
Pay for exactly the work you need.
Best for short bursts of senior work — architecture review, security hardening, performance tuning, or unblocking a stuck migration. No retainer commitment.
Best for
- Architecture review
- Performance audit
- Migration unblock
- Code review
Enterprise
Multi-team, multi-quarter engagements.
Embedded teams, named SLAs, executive reporting, and on-call coverage. Best for public companies and well-funded growth-stage teams who need a partner, not a vendor.
Best for
- Embedded engineering pods
- Multi-cloud platform programs
- Compliance + delivery bundles
- Custom SLA agreements
How we work
No proposals you have to chase. No mystery design phases. Working software within weeks of the kickoff call.
Discovery call
A 30-minute conversation. We listen to what you want to build, ask hard questions, and tell you within 48 hours whether we are the right fit.
Scoping document
For project work: we write a 2-4 page scope with milestones, deliverables, assumptions, and a fixed price. You sign it or you do not - no pressure.
Kickoff & access
We set up a shared Slack channel, get access to your repos and cloud accounts, and confirm the first sprint deliverables. Usually start within 1–2 weeks of signing.
Weekly demos
Working software demoed every week, deployed to a staging environment you can poke at. No surprises at the end. Adjust scope as you learn.
Handoff or hosting
At end of project, you get full code ownership and runnable infra. Or roll into a managed hosting + retainer relationship and we keep running it.
Included with every build
You inherit the FencePencil platform foundations whether you want to or not — no upcharge, no surprise scope.
Tell us what you want to build
30 minutes on the phone. We'll tell you whether we're the right fit and roughly what it will cost.