Software project rescue · Fixed-price audit · Fix or rebuild
Software Project Rescue: get a stalled project back on track
Developer gone quiet? Budget blown, deadlines slipping, or a codebase nobody wants to touch? Our Brisbane engineers audit what you've got, tell you straight whether to fix it or rebuild it, and put together a plan to get it finished. It starts with a fixed-price audit, quoted up front.
Fixed-price audits, quoted up front
Fix-or-rebuild recommendation
Code someone else built
Findings prioritised by risk
Remediation scoped and costed
Mutual NDA from day one
Sound familiar?
Signs your software project needs rescuing
Projects rarely fail overnight. These are the warning signs we see most often when a business calls us in.
Missed deadlines
Every release date slips, and the reasons are getting vaguer.
Your developer has gone quiet
Your freelancer or agency has stopped responding, moved on, or gone out of business.
Bug whack-a-mole
Fixing one problem creates two more, and nobody can explain why.
No access to your own code
Source code, hosting or app-store accounts aren't in your name, or you're not sure where they are.
No documentation
Nobody can explain how it works, so every change is slow, risky and expensive.
It can't cope with growth
It worked for a handful of users, but slows down or falls over as more people use it.
The budget keeps growing
Costs keep climbing, with no clear finish line or plan.
An AI-built prototype
A vibe-coded app looks finished, but isn't ready for real users and real data.
How it works
How a software project rescue works
A fixed-price audit comes first, so you know exactly what you've got before you spend another dollar on development.
01
Secure the handover
We help you get access to the source code, hosting and accounts, so the project is in your hands, not someone else's.
02
Audit the codebase
Our engineers review the code, architecture and infrastructure against our 100+ point checklist: build quality, technical debt, security, scalability and what it will take to maintain.
03
Fix-or-rebuild report
A plain-English report of every issue, with evidence, an urgency rating and our honest recommendation: fix it, refactor it or rebuild it.
04
A plan to finish
Remediation is scoped and costed, then delivered in milestones you sign off. Our team can do the work, guide your developers through it, or both.
What we check
What the rescue audit covers
The same coverage as our application and code audits, with findings prioritised by what matters most to getting your project finished.
Code
Code quality and supportability
Consistency, standards and technical debt, and how hard the code will be to maintain or extend.
Security
Security and secure design
How data is handled and stored, exposed secrets, authentication and other common weaknesses.
Scale
Scalability and resilience
It works for one person, but what about 1,000? Plus how it copes when data and external systems misbehave.
Integrations
Integrations and infrastructure
Payment gateways, third-party systems, hosting and deployment, and who actually owns them.
Fix or rebuild?
Fix, refactor or rebuild: an honest recommendation
We don't default to a rewrite. The right answer depends on what the audit finds, and you'll see the reasoning behind it.
Fix
When the foundations are sound
The architecture holds up and the problems are specific. We fix the issues in priority order and get you shipping again.
Refactor
When it works but won't last
The software does its job but is hard to change. We improve the structure in stages, without stopping the business from using it.
Rebuild
When fixing costs more than starting again
If the foundations can't support where you're going, we'll say so, and design it properly so you only build it once.
FAQ
Software project rescue questions
Can you take over a project someone else built?
Yes. Most rescues start with code written by another developer or agency. We audit it first, so we both know what we're taking on before any development starts.
How much does a software project rescue cost?
It starts with a fixed-price audit, quoted up front for the size of the application. Any remediation or rebuild is then scoped and quoted from the audit, in milestones you sign off.
Will you just tell us to rebuild everything?
No. We only recommend a rebuild when fixing would cost more, or would leave you with something that can't support your business. Plenty of projects only need targeted fixes.
What if we don't have access to the source code?
Tell us what you do have and we'll help you work out how to recover the code, hosting and accounts. Everything we build sits in your name from day one.
Can our own developers do the fixes?
Yes. We can guide your team through the remediation, hand it to our developers, or split it between the two. It's entirely up to you.
Our app was built with AI tools. Can you help?
Yes. If a vibe-coded app isn't ready for real users, our AI App Launch Audit checks security, performance and data integrity, then we help you fix what we find.
Do we have to stay with you afterwards?
No. There are no long-term contracts and no lock-in. Work is month to month, and our clients stay because they want to.
Do you sign an NDA?
Yes. A mutual NDA is offered up front on every engagement, and you can e-sign it in about two minutes.
Got a project that needs rescuing?
Book a free 30-minute chat. You'll talk to an engineer, not a sales rep, and leave with a straight answer about where your project stands and what it will take to finish it.
