Doing the work the assessment found
A Takeover Assessment or Health Review ends with a priced list. Fixes and upgrades are how that list gets done. You choose which items to take on and in what order, and each one has a price before we start.
This is also where we handle runtime upgrades: moving an application from a version of PHP, Python, .NET or Django that is no longer supported to one that is.
Fix projects
Fixes are priced per finding, using severity that reflects the impact on keeping the software running, not anything about attackers.
| Severity | Meaning | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Likely to cause an outage or loss of the system | $2,500 each |
| High | Significant risk to continuity or a near end-of-life dependency | $1,200 each |
| Medium | Worth doing soon, not urgent | $500 each |
| Low | Housekeeping, done as a batch | $2,000 flat |
The minimum engagement is $7,500. Smaller items can be quoted on their own, with quoted small items starting at $750. Prices are in USD with a fixed scope, and the scope is written down before work begins.
If you are on a retainer, fix work gets priority scheduling, and small items inside your monthly ticket allowance are not billed separately.
Runtime upgrade packs
A runtime upgrade pack moves one application from an old runtime to a supported one. Typical moves include PHP 5 or 7 to a current PHP, an end-of-life Python or Django release to a supported one, and older .NET Framework applications to a current .NET.
Packs are priced between $8,000 and $30,000. The price is set after a short look at your code, using a simple formula: twice our estimated hours at our fixed rate. The doubling covers testing and the surprises that always turn up in old applications. You see the estimate and the formula before you agree to anything.
What an upgrade includes
- A written plan: what changes, in what order, and what we will test.
- Dependency updates and the code changes they require.
- A test environment that mirrors production, so the upgrade is rehearsed before it touches anything live.
- A staged rollout with a rollback plan.
- Updated documentation, including how the application is now built and deployed.
How changes reach your system
Every change comes as a pull request or a documented step that a person reviews. Nothing goes to production without your written approval, and the access we use sits in a credential vault you own. If we find something unexpected, we stop, tell you and quote the extra work rather than quietly expanding the scope.
AI tools help us read old code and draft changes quickly. People review and test everything. We say this at the start of every engagement, because you should know how your software is being changed.
When not to upgrade
Sometimes the honest advice is not to upgrade. If an application is a few months from being replaced, or the cost of upgrading approaches the cost of rebuilding, we say so. Larger rebuilds and replacements are quoted on request, and we will tell you if you are better served by one. We would rather give you the cheaper accurate answer than sell you a pack you do not need.
Retest
Once fixes are done, a retest confirms they worked. A retest costs $1,500, and it is free within 60 days if we did the fix ourselves.
Starting points
If you already have an assessment, tell us which items to take on. If you do not, the usual path is an assessment first, because it tells us what the upgrade will really involve and it is credited toward your first three months of a retainer if you sign within 90 days.
If your host has given you a deadline to move off an old version, tell us the date. We can often work back from it. Tell us about your software, or compare the options on the pricing page. You can also read why old runtimes matter in our post on end-of-life PHP.
