How we decide, and when we say don't
We do both, and we would rather tell you the truth than sell you the bigger one.
Which one you are in
A repair is right when the thing that broke is identifiable, the rest is sound, and nobody is afraid of the site. One failed form. One expired setting. One plugin fighting another. These are fixed where they stand, and that is the end of it.
A rebuild is right when the problems keep arriving from different directions. That is the tell. One fault is an incident; a steady stream of faults is a foundation telling you something.
The questions we actually ask ourselves
- Can we see how this was built, or is it guesswork every time?
- Would the next change be quick, or an expedition?
- Is anyone's information at risk in there?
- Does the owner dread touching it?
- Will fixing this third thing cost more than replacing the machinery under it?
A rebuild here means we replicate what you have, build it again on proper foundations, and then add the pieces that were never there: a real back end, the automation, the connections to your other systems. It is not a redesign unless you want one. Plenty of rescues end up looking almost the same and behaving completely differently.
When we say don't: if your site works, your customers can buy, and nothing is at risk, we will tell you so on the call, even though that is us talking ourselves out of a job. A free 15-minute call that ends with leave it alone for now is a good outcome.