Custom CRM
development
Custom CRM development makes sense when off-the-shelf tools force your team into workarounds: spreadsheets on the side, paid add-ons for basic features, licences for people who only check one screen. I build a CRM around how your business actually sells and serves, for a fixed $7,100.
Free: a 30-minute call, an action plan and a price range in writing.
Things a custom CRM
does that rentals struggle with
Not every business needs these. When you do, a ready-made CRM usually needs paid add-ons or manual work to get there.
Your own stages and fields
Measurements, room counts, vehicle details, treatment plans: whatever your quotes depend on, in the right order.
Quotes and documents
Estimates, work orders or contracts generated from the deal card with your branding.
Booking and scheduling
Crews, rooms or staff calendars in the same system as the leads.
Simple screens for field staff
A phone view with only what the installer or cleaner needs, nothing else.
Integrations without plugins
Website forms, Google and Meta lead forms, messengers and email wired in directly.
Reports you actually read
Leads, quotes and revenue by source and by person, on one page.
The enquiry handles
itself, you just call
The form, the message to the client and the CRM task connect into one flow, with no retyping by hand.
- Automatic reply
- Task with a deadline
- Stage visible in the CRM
How a custom CRM
gets built
Custom CRM
pricing
Final prices in Canadian dollars. Payment in three stages (30/40/30), tied to milestones written into the agreement.
Built for your process, owned by you.
- Pipeline, fields and roles
- Data import
- Website and ad lead integrations
- Training and support at launch
- Hosting agreed individually
If HubSpot, Pipedrive or Zoho fits well enough.
- Faster to start
- Licence paid to the vendor
Projects where the CRM
follows the business
Large website, booking system, CRM and ads for a clinic. The project has just launched; I'll share results once there are hard numbers.
See the case study →Website with online ordering, CRM and ads. Over PLN 15,000 a month in delivery orders through the site.
See the case study →When custom CRM development is the right call
Custom CRM development isn't for everyone, and I'll tell you so if it isn't for you. If your sales process is a standard pipeline (enquiry, call, quote, won or lost) and a few people use it, a well-configured ready-made CRM is usually cheaper and faster. The custom route earns its price in specific situations:
- Your quotes depend on details a standard CRM doesn't know. A cabinetry company needs room dimensions and finishes; a cleaning company needs square footage and visit frequency; a clinic needs treatment plans.
- You'd pay for many users who barely use it. Installers, cleaners or front-desk staff who only need one screen still count as paid seats on most platforms.
- You're stitching tools together. A CRM, a booking app, a quoting spreadsheet and a calendar, linked by Zapier and good intentions.
- You want the system to be yours. Not a subscription that can change price or features next year.
If none of these apply, read about CRM setup on HubSpot, Pipedrive or Zoho first. The comparison in my article on a custom CRM versus HubSpot walks through the maths in more detail.
What I build and how
I build custom CRMs on the same engine I use for websites on a custom CMS. That means I'm not starting from zero: logins, roles, permissions, data import, forms and integrations already exist and are proven. What I build for you is the part that matters, the pipeline, fields, screens and documents that match your business.
A typical custom CRM includes a pipeline board, a contact and company list, deal cards with your fields, tasks and reminders, a simple phone view for staff in the field, and reports by source and person. On top of that come the extras your brief calls for: quote documents, crew scheduling, a client portal, order tracking.
Integrations without plugins
Because I write the code, integrations are direct. A form on your website creates a deal with the page it came from and the ad campaign that brought the visitor. Leads from Google and Meta lead forms arrive within moments. Messenger and WhatsApp conversations can be pushed in by a chatbot connected to the CRM. Email platforms can receive contacts and stage changes to trigger the right automated messages.
That chain is what makes end-to-end analytics possible: you see not only which ad got a form fill, but which one led to paid work.
Price, timeline and ownership
The price is fixed at $7,100 in Canadian dollars for the scope agreed in the brief, paid in three stages. Hosting is agreed separately because it depends on where you want the data and how much of it there is. The deadline is set in the written agreement once the brief is clear; late-delivery penalties can be added if that gives you peace of mind. Three rounds of revisions, training and launch support are included.
The code, database and domain are registered to you. Nothing is locked to me: another developer could take over the system if you ever wanted that.
Privacy by design
A custom CRM lets you collect exactly what you need and nothing more, which is the heart of PIPEDA and Quebec's Law 25. I set up roles so staff only see what their job requires, log who changed what, and make it easy to export or delete a person's data when they ask. If you serve customers in Quebec, we'll also talk about where the data is hosted and what your privacy policy needs to say.
Next step
Send the CRM brief or book a free 30-minute call. Bring an example of a real lead and what happened to it. That one story tells me more about the system you need than any feature list.
Read before
you decide
Custom CRM
questions
Why is a custom CRM $7,100 when HubSpot has a free plan?
Because you're paying once for something built to your process, instead of renting a general tool. Free plans cover the basics, but features like custom objects, automation and more users usually sit in paid tiers billed per user every month. Over a few years with several users, a custom CRM can cost less in total. Sometimes it doesn't, and then I'll recommend the ready-made route.
Who owns the code and the data?
You do. The CRM's code, database and domain are registered in your name, like the websites I build. If we stop working together, you keep everything and can hand it to another developer. Data can be exported at any time in standard formats.
Where is the custom CRM hosted?
Hosting is agreed individually, depending on where you want the data stored and how many people use the system. Some clients prefer servers in Canada for peace of mind; others are fine with a reputable provider elsewhere. The choice affects what you write in your privacy policy, so we decide it together.
What if my process changes later?
It will, and that's normal. Small changes are handled as hourly work at the consultation rate of $70 an hour, and bigger additions are quoted in writing before I start. Because the CRM runs on my own engine, changes don't depend on a vendor's roadmap or a plugin's update schedule.
How long does it take?
A ready-made CRM setup usually takes about 15 days. A custom CRM depends on the scope from the brief: a straightforward pipeline with forms and reports is close to that, while quoting tools or crew scheduling add time. The exact deadline goes into the written agreement, with penalties for delay if you want them.
Describe your process,
I'll tell you honestly
Tell me how a typical lead moves from first contact to payment. If a ready-made CRM fits, I'll say so; if not, you'll get a written proposal for a custom build.
- 9 short steps
- No obligation
- I reply personally
- I reply within 1 business dayPersonally, by email or on WhatsApp, whichever you prefer.
- A 30-minute call, freeI ask about your business, customers and budget. Beforehand I review your website and ads.
- A proposal with a price, in writingWhat I’ll do, by when and for how much. You decide with no pressure.
Where do your enquiries go today?