Business owners get burned by developers in predictable ways: paying upfront for work that never arrives, discovering the developer owns the code, or losing control of the domain and hosting because everything was registered in someone else’s name. All three are prevented by decisions made before any work starts.
The protections cost nothing and they are non-negotiable.
Own everything in the company’s name
Register the domain, hosting, app store accounts, analytics and any third-party services to the business, with your own login details. Never let a developer hold them on your behalf.
Businesses regularly lose control of their own website because it sits in a developer’s account and that person is no longer contactable. Recovering it ranges from difficult to impossible, and it is entirely avoidable.
Agree who owns the code, in writing
Work created by an independent contractor is not automatically yours. Without a written assignment of intellectual property, the developer may own what you paid for, which becomes a serious problem when you want to change supplier or sell the business.
Require a written assignment, and require the code in a repository you control from the first day rather than at handover. A repository you cannot access is not a deliverable.
Pay in stages against working deliverables
Break the work into milestones with something demonstrable at each. Pay on delivery of each rather than upfront, which limits exposure and gives both sides a natural review point.
Beware fixed-price quotes for vaguely defined scope. Most disputes are scope disputes, so define what is included, what is not, and what a change costs before starting.
Warning signs worth acting on
Reluctance to use a repository you control, no interim demonstrations, pressure for large upfront payment, and an inability to explain decisions in plain language.
Also insist on documentation and handover notes as a deliverable, so another developer can take over. Then contract as your registered company rather than personally, with details matching your registration at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, and remember that any personal data the system holds carries obligations under the Information Regulator.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns code a developer writes for me?
Not you automatically. Without a written assignment of intellectual property, the contractor may own what you paid for.
Whose name should the domain be in?
The company’s, with your own login details. Domains held in a developer’s account are regularly lost.
How should I structure payment?
In stages against demonstrable milestones, rather than upfront, which limits exposure and creates review points.
What causes most disputes?
Undefined scope. Agree what is included, what is not, and what a change costs before work begins.
What are the clearest warning signs?
Refusing a repository you control, no interim demonstrations, large upfront payment demands, and vague explanations.
Originally published in July 2018. Updated September 2026 into practical guidance on hiring developers safely.
