Updates, backups, security monitoring, and a person who picks up when something breaks. For clients who'd rather get on with running their business than worry about whether the site's still working.
A maintenance retainer covers the ongoing work needed to keep your WordPress site running, secure, and updated. Most retainers include:
Anything beyond the retainer hours, or larger pieces of work, gets billed at the standard hourly rate. You'll never get a surprise invoice; I'll always tell you up front when something is going to go beyond the retainer.
Being clear about what's outside the retainer is part of giving you a fair scope. The maintenance retainer doesn't include:
Maintenance is the simplest engagement to set up, and the easiest to leave if it stops being useful. The shape:
A short conversation to understand your site, who built it, where it's hosted, what's already in place (backup plugins, security plugins, monitoring tools). I'll usually do a quick audit of the current state so we both know the starting point.
Access credentials transferred securely, monitoring tools configured, backup verified, and a documented restore process in place. The first full maintenance cycle (updates, security check, backup verification) happens in week one.
Updates, monitoring, and backups happen on a schedule. Ad-hoc requests come in by email or message and get handled within working hours. Monthly health check is summarised in a short email so you know what's been done.
You'll hear from me when there's something to mention (a critical update applied, a security issue caught, a recommendation worth making). You won't hear from me just to fill space. Most months are quiet, which is the goal.
If maintenance isn't useful any more, give me 30 days notice and we'll wind it down cleanly. No lock-ins, no exit fees. I'll hand over everything you need to either continue maintaining the site yourself or pass it to someone else.
Most maintenance retainers run 2–8 hours per month depending on the size and complexity of the site. The actual hours depend on:
I bill the retainer monthly in advance, at a monthly rate based on the hours we've agreed. Anything beyond gets billed at the standard hourly rate of $55 / hour (GBP / USD / ZAR via the currency switcher), with a time log you can audit at any point. If your hours are consistently lower or higher than agreed, we adjust.
Maintenance work uses a specific set of tools focused on monitoring, backup, and security:
UpdraftPlus · BlogVault · Solid Backups · ManageWP backup · VaultPress · WP Time Capsule · plus host-level snapshots where available
Wordfence · Sucuri · Patchstack · Solid Security · MalCare · Cloudflare WAF · uptime monitoring via UptimeRobot or similar
ManageWP · MainWP · InfiniteWP for clients with multiple sites under maintenance
Query Monitor · Debug Bar · Lighthouse · Health Check & Troubleshooting · WP-CLI for database optimisation
familiar with most managed WordPress hosts (Kinsta, WP Engine, SiteGround, Cloudways) · self-managed setups via RunCloud, ServerPilot, SpinupWP, or GridPane
The full directory of tools I work with sits on the Tools page, where each has its own breakdown.
Four questions that come up specifically about maintenance work. General FAQs on cost, timeline, and pricing sit on the Services page.
Some of my maintenance clients have been on retainer for over a decade. A write-up of what those engagements actually look like is in progress.
Notify me when it's ready →If your site needs ongoing care, a short note about what you've got (host, builder, current pain points) is enough for me to give you a first response. New builds usually transition into maintenance after launch; existing sites are equally welcome.
Custom WordPress builds in Elementor, designed around how your business actually works. I handle the full path from design translation to launch, including the customisation, the ACF fields, and the bits no one tells you about until you're three weeks in.
WooCommerce builds for B2C and B2B clients across the UK, US and Europe. Product catalogues, payment gateways, tax configuration, shipping logic. All set up properly so you're not fighting the platform six months in.
The work that doesn't fit neatly into a template. CRM hookups, payment platforms, booking systems, headless setups, custom plugins, and bespoke functionality. Usually the kind of work that's been sitting in your backlog because no one wanted to touch it.
Slow sites hurt rankings and conversions. I diagnose what's actually causing it (render-blocking scripts, unoptimised assets, plugin bloat, server config) and fix the things that move the needle. Real measurements before and after.