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Guide for buyers

10 Questions to Ask a Web Development Agency Before You Hire

By Obaid Tariq, Founder & Lead Engineer · Published · Updated

Disclosure: AI Dev Planner is a software development agency, so we are one of the companies you might ask these questions. Under each one we give our own answer, limited to what we already publish, so you can check it like anyone else’s. See our disclosure policy.

The short answer

Before you hire a web development agency, ask what it will cost and what the quote leaves out, who will do the work, who owns the code and accounts, how the process runs, what live evidence they have, why they recommend their tech stack, how they handle changes, how long it will take, and what happens after launch. Ask every agency the same questions in writing. Vague answers are an answer in themselves.

1. How much will my website or web project cost?

It is the first thing every buyer wants to know, and quotes for what sounds like the same job can be far apart. Clutch says web design agencies typically charge $2,000 to $100,000 and that most projects reviewed on its site cost under $10,000. Custom web applications cost far more than brochure sites, because they are software rather than pages.

What a good answer includes

  • A range early on, then a written estimate after a scoping conversation, broken down by phase or feature.
  • The assumptions behind the number and what would move it up or down: content, design, integrations, logins, payments.
  • A clear statement of what kind of project it is: a template site, a custom website or a web application.

Red flags

  • A firm fixed price from a one-paragraph brief, before anyone has asked about your content, integrations or users.
  • A single number with no breakdown and no list of what it excludes.
  • Refusing to give even a rough range until you have signed something.

How AI Dev Planner answers

We do not publish a fixed price for websites, because the scope varies too much; we quote in writing after a scoping conversation, with exclusions listed. For web applications our published UK planning ranges are roughly £25,000–£45,000 for a robust MVP, about £40,000 to over £80,000 for internal tools, and from around £60,000 (sometimes over £120,000) for customer portals. If a website builder or a freelancer would serve you better, we will say so.

Go deeper: How much does a website cost? · MVP cost calculator · How to estimate software cost before you sign

2. Who will actually work on my project?

Clients worry that they will meet a senior team in the sales process and then have the work handed to people they never speak to, or to a subcontractor they were not told about. They also want to know what happens if a key person leaves halfway through.

What a good answer includes

  • The names and roles of the people doing the work, and who your day-to-day contact is.
  • How much of each person's time your project gets, and whether any of it is subcontracted.
  • A continuity plan: code in your repository, written decisions and documentation, so a replacement can pick the work up.

Red flags

  • You only ever speak to sales or an account manager, never to anyone who writes code.
  • "Our team" with no names, or a refusal to say whether the work is outsourced.
  • Key people replaced without telling you, or knowledge that lives only in one person's head.

How AI Dev Planner answers

AI Dev Planner is led by founder and lead engineer Obaid Tariq, who works directly with every client from discovery to production. Our engineering team is based in Islamabad, Pakistan, and you talk to the engineers in a dedicated Slack channel rather than through a go-between. Ask us who else will be on your project and how much of their time it gets, and have the answer written into the statement of work. Because the repository lives in your own organisation, if anyone leaves, the code, its history and its settings stay with you.

Go deeper: About AI Dev Planner · How working with our Islamabad team works

3. Who owns the source code, design files, domain and accounts after launch?

Ownership is the hardest thing to fix after launch. Paying for code does not by itself make it yours: in the UK, GOV.UK guidance says the commissioner of a work is not its owner unless agreed otherwise in writing, and in the US, 17 U.S.C. § 204 says a transfer of copyright is not valid unless it is in writing and signed.

What a good answer includes

  • A signed, written assignment of the bespoke code, designs and documentation to your business, in the contract.
  • The repository, domain, hosting, analytics and third-party accounts registered to your business from day one.
  • A list of the open-source and third-party components used, and the licences they come under.

Red flags

  • The domain registered in the agency's name, or hosting on the agency's own reseller account.
  • A "licence to use" the code rather than ownership of it, or ownership "available on request".
  • A proprietary CMS or framework that only the agency can maintain.

How AI Dev Planner answers

You receive full IP in the source code, database design and documentation we write for you; the exact wording is in each project’s contract and our terms of service, so ask us for it before you sign. We recommend the repository lives in your own GitHub or GitLab organisation from day one, with hosting, domains and third-party services in accounts your company controls, so you can see every commit as it happens. Open-source components stay under their own licences, and we list them.

Go deeper: Contract clauses to check, by region · Recovering code and accounts from an agency

4. What is your process from discovery through launch?

"We're agile" tells you nothing. Clients want to know the steps, what they will see at each one, what they are expected to approve, and when.

What a good answer includes

  • Named phases, such as discovery, design, development, testing and launch, each with a written output.
  • Working software you can click through on a staging environment at regular intervals, not only near the end.
  • Clear sign-off points: who approves designs, features and the launch, and how.

Red flags

  • No discovery step: the build starts straight from a sales call.
  • The first time you see anything working is a few weeks before launch.
  • No staging environment, so changes are tested on the live site.

How AI Dev Planner answers

A discovery phase comes first: we map your workflows, data model and integrations and turn them into a written scope with an estimate. Then we build in fixed two-week sprints, deploying to a staging environment you can use and sending a video walkthrough of the working software every two weeks. Launch is followed by a warranty period (see question 10).

Go deeper: Web development services and delivery process · Requirements document template

5. Can you show live, relevant case studies with measurable results?

A portfolio of screenshots no longer convinces anyone. Buyers want live products they can use, numbers with a before and after, and past clients they can call.

What a good answer includes

  • Live URLs for projects close to yours, and a clear account of what the agency built versus the client's own team.
  • Results with a baseline, a time period and how they were measured, such as page speed, conversions or time saved.
  • Two references you contact yourself, ideally one whose project finished a year or more ago.

Red flags

  • Screenshots or mock-ups only, with no live product or architecture detail.
  • Big percentages with no baseline, date or method behind them.
  • No references, or references you can only reach through the agency.

How AI Dev Planner answers

Most of our case studies are anonymised because of client confidentiality, so we cannot give you live URLs for them. Instead, ask us for an architecture walk-through on a call, where the engineers who did the work explain the decisions they made. The AI Dev Planner platform is our own product, and you can use it yourself.

Go deeper: Our case studies · How to check case studies and references

6. What tech stack do you recommend for this project, and why?

Clients want a recommendation justified by their needs, not the agency's default. The stack decides who can maintain the site later, what hosting costs, and how hard it is to change suppliers.

What a good answer includes

  • Reasons tied to your requirements: who edits content, which systems it connects to, expected traffic, hosting region.
  • Trade-offs stated plainly, including running costs and how easy it is to hire developers for that stack.
  • Willingness to recommend something simpler, such as a website builder or WordPress, when it fits better.

Red flags

  • The same stack for every project, with no reasons given.
  • A proprietary or obscure platform that only this agency can work on.
  • A trendy tool chosen with no mention of what it costs to run or maintain.

How AI Dev Planner answers

For web applications and SaaS, our default stack is Next.js with TypeScript, PostgreSQL through Supabase for data and authentication, and Stripe for payments. A consistent stack shortens delivery and makes handover easier, but we adapt it if your team already runs on other tools or your customers require a specific hosting region. For a content-led marketing site, a builder or WordPress may be the better choice, and we will tell you if it is.

Go deeper: WordPress vs Next.js · Choosing a SaaS tech stack

7. How do you handle scope changes and scope creep?

Because most buyers have been burned before. Overruns usually come from scope that was never written down, or from changes that were agreed in a call and discovered on the invoice.

What a good answer includes

  • A written scope with explicit exclusions, so both sides know what a change is.
  • A change-request process: each change is estimated for cost, time and risk and approved in writing before work starts.
  • The option to swap a lower-priority feature out instead of adding budget, and a running log of decisions.

Red flags

  • "We're flexible" with nothing written down.
  • Changes that appear on the invoice without a prior estimate.
  • No list of what is out of scope.

How AI Dev Planner answers

When requirements change, we make the impact on scope, timeline, effort and risk visible before the work is added, and we document every scope deviation and decision. The discovery phase produces the written scope that changes are measured against.

Go deeper: Why projects go over budget, and how to prevent it · How we run delivery

8. What is included in the quote, and what costs extra?

Pricing transparency, and no surprise invoices. Quotes differ most in what they leave out, and the pricing model (fixed price or hourly) changes who carries the risk.

What a good answer includes

  • Line items for discovery, design, development, testing, deployment, project management, documentation and warranty.
  • A written list of exclusions: copywriting, stock images, paid plugins or licences, hosting, third-party fees, support after the warranty.
  • The pricing model and payment schedule, with payments tied to delivered milestones rather than mostly upfront.

Red flags

  • One lump sum with no breakdown and no exclusions.
  • Most of the money due before you have seen any working software.
  • Hourly billing with no estimate, cap or regular reporting of hours used.

How AI Dev Planner answers

A fixed price follows a scoping conversation, with fixed two-week sprint costs against the agreed scope and the exclusions listed in writing. Milestones, deliverables and the payment schedule are set out in the statement of work. Hosting, domains and third-party services sit in accounts your company controls, so you see those bills directly.

Go deeper: Fixed price vs time and materials, and comparing quotes · Hidden and running website costs

9. How long will it take, and what can delay the timeline?

Buyers want a realistic date, and an honest list of what could push it back. The most common delay is on the client's side: content, feedback and approvals.

What a good answer includes

  • A schedule with dates for each phase and for each round of your feedback.
  • The dependencies on you listed up front: content, images, approvals, access to existing systems, third-party accounts.
  • Known risks named early, such as an integration with a slow-moving supplier or a legal sign-off.

Red flags

  • A launch date with no plan behind it.
  • No mention of what the agency needs from you, or when.
  • Silence until the deadline, then a single new date with no explanation.

How AI Dev Planner answers

Our published timelines are 8–12 weeks for a SaaS MVP and 12–16 weeks for a web application MVP. Content-led websites depend mostly on how ready your content is, so we agree the dates for your feedback rounds at the start. Risks and dependencies are surfaced early, and the two-weekly walkthroughs show you progress against the plan.

Go deeper: How long does it take to build an MVP? · SaaS MVP planning checklist

10. What post-launch support, maintenance, hosting and training do you offer?

Clients want to know the ongoing costs, and whether they can run the site themselves or move to another supplier without being stuck.

What a good answer includes

  • A warranty period with a clear definition of what counts as a defect.
  • Optional maintenance with stated scope and response times: updates, security patches, backups, monitoring, small changes.
  • Documentation and a walkthrough, so your own team or another supplier can take over.

Red flags

  • No warranty, so fixing the agency's own bugs is billed as new work.
  • Maintenance that is mandatory to keep the site online.
  • No documentation, or hosting you cannot move away from.

How AI Dev Planner answers

Before handover you receive setup and deployment documentation, environment configuration and a walkthrough, so your own developers or another team can take over. A 60–90 day warranty after launch covers defects in what we delivered. After that, ongoing support is optional: a maintenance retainer is scoped separately, and you can equally support the product in-house.

Go deeper: Website maintenance cost and what a package should include · Switching development agencies

A checklist to send every agency

Copy these into one email and send the same list to each agency on your shortlist. Comparing written answers side by side is far easier than comparing sales calls.

  1. What will this cost, broken down by phase, and what does the estimate assume?
  2. Who will work on the project, how much of their time does it get, and is any of it subcontracted?
  3. Will the code, designs, domain, hosting and accounts be in our name, with a written IP assignment?
  4. What are the steps from discovery to launch, and what do we see and approve at each one?
  5. Which live projects are closest to ours, what did you build on them, and can we speak to those clients?
  6. Which tech stack do you recommend for us, and why that one rather than the alternatives?
  7. How are changes estimated and approved before work on them starts?
  8. What exactly is excluded from the quote, and how are payments tied to delivered work?
  9. What is the schedule, what do you need from us and when, and what could delay it?
  10. What warranty, maintenance, documentation and handover do we get after launch?

To score the answers, use the weighted scorecard in our guide on how to choose a software development company. If you are still deciding whether you need an agency at all, see agency vs freelancer vs in-house.

FAQs about hiring a web development agency

What questions should I ask a web development agency before hiring?

Ask about cost and what the quote includes, who will actually work on the project, who owns the code, designs, domain and accounts, the process from discovery to launch, live case studies and references, the recommended tech stack and why, how scope changes are handled, the timeline and what could delay it, and what support, maintenance and handover you get after launch. Send every agency the same questions in writing so you can compare the answers side by side.

What are the biggest red flags when hiring a web development agency?

A fixed price from a one-paragraph brief, a domain or hosting registered in the agency's name, no written IP assignment, no named people doing the work, no staging environment, a quote with no exclusions, most of the money due before you see working software, and no warranty. Any one is worth a direct question; two or more usually means walking away.

Should I hire an agency that will not give a price before a discovery phase?

For a custom website or web application, a firm price before discovery is usually a guess, so it is reasonable for an agency to give a range first and a written estimate after scoping. What is not reasonable is refusing to give any range at all. A good discovery phase ends with written outputs you could hand to another team: workflows, a data model, integrations, a prioritised feature list and an estimate with its assumptions.

How should payments be structured for a web development project?

Tie payments to delivered work. Split the project into milestones with clear deliverables, pay as each one is delivered and accepted, and link the final payment to launch and handover. Avoid arrangements where most of the money is due before you have seen any working software, and make sure the contract says what happens to the code and accounts if the project ends early.

Do I need a written contract for a small website project?

Yes. Even a small project needs a written scope with exclusions, the price and payment schedule, a signed assignment of the code and designs to you, confirmation that the domain and hosting are in your name, and what support you get after launch. In the UK and the US, ownership of commissioned work does not transfer to you without a written agreement, so a proposal or an email thread is not enough.

Sources

Legal points are general information, not legal advice; take advice under the law that governs your contract.

  1. GOV.UK: Ownership of copyright works (UK) — The creator of a work is usually the first owner of the copyright; for commissioned work the commissioner is not the owner unless agreed otherwise in writing. Accessed 16 October 2026.
  2. 17 U.S.C. § 204, Cornell Legal Information Institute (US) — A transfer of copyright ownership is not valid unless it is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed. Accessed 17 October 2026.
  3. Clutch: web design pricing guide (updated 21 September 2026, USD) — Agencies typically charge $2,000 to $100,000; most projects reviewed on Clutch cost under $10,000. Accessed 18 October 2026.

Ask us all ten

Send us the checklist above with a short description of your project. We will answer every question in writing, and tell you if a builder, a freelancer or another agency would suit you better.

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