Custom WordPress development, no page builder in the stack.
A theme hand-coded from your design, a content model built to fit the way your business actually works, and any bespoke features written as small, self-contained plugins. Nothing extra loads, so the site is fast before a caching plugin touches it and simple for a developer to pick up later.
What you get with a custom build
What is custom WordPress development?
It is building the theme, and any plugins the site needs, by hand in PHP, HTML, CSS and JavaScript rather than assembling pages in a visual builder. There is no Elementor, Bricks or Divi in the stack. The site runs on the code it needs and nothing else, which keeps it fast, easy to audit, and free of a third-party tool that could break on an update or change its licence.
What is included when I build your custom site?
You get a bespoke theme built from your design, or one I design with you first. Your content is modelled as custom post types, taxonomies and fields so the WordPress editor shows plain, labelled inputs instead of a wall of blocks. Templates are hand-written, only vetted plugins are installed, and a build pipeline compiles and versions the CSS and JavaScript. Forms are wired and tested, schema and meta are in place, and you get a Git repository, a README and a documented deploy process so any developer can take it forward.
Who it is best for
Sites with an unusual content model or business logic, high-traffic sites where every millisecond counts, teams with a developer in-house, and products that will keep growing. If you would rather have a visual editor for future edits, I also build in Bricks, Elementor and Divi.
Every custom project ships with this.
- Bespoke theme hand-coded from your design, or design handled together
- Custom post types, taxonomies and fields for your content model
- Bespoke features written as small, self-contained plugins
- Build pipeline: compiled, minified and versioned CSS and JS
- Core Web Vitals in the green at launch
- Semantic HTML and JSON-LD schema baked in
- Contact and lead forms wired and tested
- Git repository, README and a documented deploy process
Get the website for free.
Commit to keeping it maintained and the build itself is on me.
8 months of maintenance
$99 / month
Sign up for 8 months of maintenance and the build is free. Updates, backups, security patching and speed monitoring included.
See pricingHosting + maintenance, 6 months
$115 / month
Take managed hosting and maintenance together for 6 months and the build is free. Hosting, updates, backups, security and monitoring in one plan.
See pricingFast and findable, not bolted on after.
90+ PageSpeed, passing Core Web Vitals
With no builder overhead, a custom build starts from close to zero excess code. On top of that I handle image formats, lazy-loading, font loading, query efficiency and critical CSS, so the site is quick on real hardware and not just in a lab.
Straight talk: on custom builds both desktop and mobile usually come back green. Mobile largest-contentful-paint and speed index still depend on your hosting and how heavy the hero media is, so those two metrics are where a slow host shows up. The screenshots are a real example.
SEO and AEO from the first commit
- Clean semantic HTML and one clear H1 per page
- JSON-LD schema per template (Service, Article, FAQ, Breadcrumb)
- Per-page titles, meta and Open Graph
- XML sitemap, image alt text, sensible internal linking
- Answers written as real questions so AI engines can quote them
Custom WordPress, answered.
How long does a custom WordPress build take?
Most run five to ten weeks: a week or two for design and the content model, three to six weeks to build the theme and any custom plugins, then a review round. Integrations and data migration move that either way.
Why build without a page builder?
A builder adds wrappers, inline styles and its own JavaScript to every page. A hand-coded theme ships only what the site needs, so it is faster, easier to audit, and there is no third-party tool that can break on an update or change its licence.
Can my team still edit content without a developer?
Yes. I model your content as custom post types and fields, so the WordPress editor shows plain, labelled inputs. Content edits are point and type. Structural or design changes are where a developer comes back in.
Do you build custom plugins too?
Yes. When a feature does not belong in the theme, such as an integration, a calculator or a custom admin screen, I build it as a small self-contained plugin so it survives a theme change.
Can you take over a site another developer built?
Usually. I start with a read-only audit of the code, hosting and database, give you a written picture of its state and the risks, then work from there. Clean handovers are faster; messy ones I document as I go.
Do you provide support after launch?
Yes, either ad hoc or on a monthly retainer covering updates, backups, security and speed monitoring.
What it costs.
A custom theme build typically runs about $500–$1,800, more with custom plugin work or migrations. Fixed-price or hourly, both work through Upwork with escrow.
What moves the number
- The size of your content model: post types, fields, relationships
- Custom plugin work and third-party integrations
- Whether design is provided or created from scratch
- How much existing content has to be migrated
- Timeline: genuine rush work costs more
Let's build your custom site.
Send me your current site or a rough brief on Upwork, and I'll come back with a plan and a number. Usually within one business day.
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