If we made a mistake in your code, we fix it free. For as long as your site's live.
You own the code. You pay no retainer. And we stand behind our own work — properly.
The question we ask
"Would this have failed on the day we launched it?"
Yes — our mistake. We fix it free, no matter when you find it.
No — the world changed. That's paid, on-demand work.
Think of it like a custom car
If a custom car builder sells you a car outright and three years later finds a faulty weld in the chassis, they weld it properly for free. That's pride in ownership.
But if the government changes the fuel standard and the engine needs retuning to run on the new fuel, that isn't a faulty weld — that's the world changing. You pay for a tune-up when you need it.
What's free, and what you pay for
In plain English, no jargon.
We can offer this guarantee because we write clean, bespoke code — not templates or fragile plugin stacks.
See why we build from scratch →Free, forever — our mistake
- Something we built doesn't do what we agreed it would
- A maths or logic error in our code
- Something we said we'd build and missed
- A page that breaks on a screen we should have tested
Paid, on-demand — the world moved on
- Your hosting company upgraded their software and broke something
- A payment provider (like Stripe) changed how their system works
- A new phone or browser update changed how the site displays
- You or another developer edited the code
- You want new features
- You want to upgrade to newer technology
- Your business outgrew the data or traffic volume the site was originally built for
Why the web moves on
The internet doesn't stand still. Here's what changes around your site — and why it isn't a bug.
Software stops getting security fixes
PHP and Laravel each have a published support window. While it's open, the software gets security patches. When it closes, it stops — and a site running a version past its window is a security risk. For example, Laravel 11's security support ended in March 2026. PHP works the same way, on a fixed schedule. Moving onto a supported version is modernisation, not a bug fix.
Hosts upgrade the ground beneath you
Hosting companies retire old PHP versions and upgrade the server automatically. If the version your site was built on is retired overnight, code that worked yesterday can break today. The environment changed — we didn't.
Host with us and we'll watch the support windows and flag an upgrade before it's forced — you move on a schedule, not overnight.
More about our hosting →Third parties change their APIs
Stripe, Xero, Mailchimp and the rest retire old endpoints and SDKs. When they do, integrations stop working no matter how well they were built. Adapting to a third party's change is new work.
Browsers and phones update
A new Safari or iOS release can change how a CSS property or JavaScript API behaves. What rendered perfectly two years ago can break on a phone released last month. That's not a fault in the original build.
The honest small print
"Free" doesn't have a deadline ▾
A bug found two years in is still our bug. If it was our mistake, it's free — no matter when you spot it.
What if it's not clear whose fault it is? ▾
We investigate. The first 30 minutes are on us, no questions asked. If it turns out to be our mistake, the fix is free too. If it turns out the world changed, we'll quote you before doing anything more.
What if another developer changes the code? ▾
We can't guarantee someone else's work. If another developer edits a part of the site, that part is no longer covered — but the rest of the site stays covered by us.
What does "lifetime" mean? ▾
While the site is in active use by you. If you retire the site or sell it on, the guarantee ends with it. No hidden clock — but no open-ended liability either.
How do we track what was agreed on launch day? ▾
Every handover includes a Baseline Certificate logging the exact PHP, Laravel, and browser versions your site was built and tested on. That's the reference point for the guarantee.
Ready to own your website?
Build once. Own it for life. And we stand behind our work.
Get in touchAlready a client and spotted a bug? Email robert@bluepenguin.digital with a screenshot and we'll jump on it.