HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a software developer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies to software developers. Here is how to own the code, protect any personal data and agree the hours.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a software developer in five steps

  1. Describe what the software must doInputs, outputs, users and the systems it connects to, in writing.
  2. Get an estimate in hoursPer task or milestone, with a check-in before exceeding it.
  3. Keep the repository in your nameCode, documentation and deployment access owned by your business.
  4. Assign the copyrightCustom code assigned to you on payment, third-party libraries listed.
  5. Plan security and dataHow personal data is protected, who can access it and how it is tested.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No law licenses software developers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and no qualification is required. Similar systems they have built, a reference and written terms are the checks.

Ask for examples of similar work and a client you can contact.

Copyright in the code

Software is a literary work under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and gov.uk lists software among the works copyright protects automatically. The freelance author owns it until they sign a written assignment (section 90).

Include an assignment of custom code in the contract and a list of open-source components with their licences. legislation.gov.uk →

Personal data security

Data protection rules require personal information to be kept secure, accurate and up to date. Software that stores customer or staff data has to be built with that in mind, and most businesses must pay the ICO data protection fee.

Agree how the software developer will access live data, and test with dummy data where possible. gov.uk →

Off-payroll working (IR35)

Contractors who work through their own limited company may come under HMRC's off-payroll rules. The client usually makes the status decision, unless it is a small client outside the public sector.

Ask how the software developer is engaged and who makes the decision. gov.uk →

VAT

Software development is standard-rated, so a registered software developer adds 20% to the hours or day rate and to support after release. Registration becomes compulsory once a software developer has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the software developer for the VAT number before the first task and for VAT on each invoice as its own figure. gov.uk →

“Have you built software like this before?”

A good answer: Examples with the software developer's own contribution explained.

“How many hours will each part of the software take?”

A good answer: An estimate per task and a promise to check before going over.

“Where will the code live, and who owns it?”

A good answer: In your business's repository, assigned to you on payment.

“How will the software protect personal data?”

A good answer: Access controls, encryption where needed, and testing with dummy data.

“How do you test before release?”

A good answer: Automated tests, manual checks and a staging environment.

“What documentation will I get?”

A good answer: Enough for another software developer to pick up the work.

“Are you a sole trader or working through a company?”

A good answer: A clear answer, so the off-payroll rules can be checked.

Getting the quote right

  • Hourly or day rate and the estimated hours per task
  • Who actually attends to the code: the software developer named, an employed developer, or a subcontractor
  • Testing, documentation and deployment included
  • Hosting, licences and third-party services listed separately
  • Code assigned to you; repository in your name
  • Support after release: rate or plan
  • Engagement basis
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the hours and the support plan

Walk away if

  • Code kept in their private account
  • No estimate before the hours start
  • No tests or documentation
  • Real customer data copied to their laptop
  • Refuses to assign the code
  • Avoids explaining how they are engaged
LOW
£43
TYPICAL
£53
HIGH
£71

What a software developer costs: £43–£71 per hour

Software developers usually charge by the hour or day against estimates; fixed prices are used for well-defined projects. Software Developer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Software developers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. RequirementsWhat the software must do, agreed and estimated.
  2. DesignHow it will be built, and how data is protected.
  3. DevelopmentCode written and reviewed in milestones.
  4. TestingAutomated and manual tests on a staging copy.
  5. DeploymentReleased, with handover notes and documentation.

Repository
Where code and its history are stored.
Staging
A copy of the live system used for testing.
API
A way for two systems to exchange data.
Open-source licence
The terms under which free code may be reused.
Deployment
Putting new code into live use.
Technical debt
Shortcuts that will cost time to fix later.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check the repository and accessAll code, documentation and deployment credentials held by the business.
Run the software yourselfGo through the main tasks with real users before signing off.
Remove unneeded accessTake away production access the software developer no longer needs.
Review the jobSay what the software developer did well and what could be better, once the work is finished. A problem goes through the make-it-right step first, so they can put it right.

STEP 1Set it out for the software developerA short, dated message works best: the problem, the proof and the remedy you want from the software developer. Your rights come from the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires a trader to use reasonable care and skill and gives you repeat performance or a price cut where they did not.
STEP 2Locufy's make-it-right stepGive the software developer fewer than four stars and Locufy offers to pass the complaint on first. The make-it-right step is followed through before you publish.
STEP 3Trading StandardsNobody licenses software developers, so the route is consumer advice: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland. They can refer the software developer to Trading Standards.
STEP 4A small claim for the moneyFor money the software developer owes you, the small claims courts handle claims up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 through simple procedure in Scotland and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a software developer: questions people ask

No. No licence or registration is needed in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and no qualification is set by law.

The developer until they assign the copyright to you in a signed document; open-source parts stay under their licences.

They can, if the developer works through their own company. HMRC explains who decides status depending on the client.

£43–£71 per hour, with a typical figure of £53. Seniority, the language and stack, and regulated sectors move the hourly rate. Read the software developer price guide for the factors, or search your town above for software developers nearby.

Personal data must be kept secure, accurate and up to date, and people told how it is used.

Small jobs take hours or days; new systems usually take weeks to months.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Web DeveloperHow to hire: App DeveloperHow to hire: Cloud ConsultantHow to hire: Data AnalystHow to hire: AI / Machine Learning ConsultantHow to hire: Project ManagerHow to hire: Cybersecurity ConsultantHow to hire: Game DeveloperAll 701 hiring guides →

Software developers near you

Software developers in LondonSoftware developers in ManchesterSoftware developers in BirminghamSoftware developers in GlasgowSoftware developers in BelfastAll software developers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, section 90 — assignment in writing
  2. gov.uk — how copyright protects your work
  3. gov.uk — data protection and your business
  4. gov.uk — understanding off-payroll working (IR35)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register