The verdict in three sentences
A custom CRM abandoned by its vendor is almost never a write-off: in most cases, a code audit at 3,000 to 8,000 EUR excl. VAT is enough to know whether it can be taken over. Takeover and stabilization costs 15,000 to 40,000 EUR excl. VAT, while a full rewrite runs 50,000 to 120,000 EUR excl. VAT. The first priority is to recover access and the source code, even before choosing a new partner.
The first days: recover what belongs to you
When the developer has been gone for 8 months, every passing week raises the risk: an expiring certificate, an unrenewed domain, hosting suspended for non-payment, an unpatched Laravel vulnerability. Before any audit, list every access and check who holds it.
| Item to recover | Where to find it | Risk if missing | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source code repository (Git) | Vendor's GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | No fix possible without rewriting | Critical |
| Hosting and server access | AWS, Azure, OVHcloud | App blocked at the first incident | Critical |
| Database and backups | Server or managed service | Loss of quotes and customer records | Critical |
| Domain name and DNS | Registrar | Service and email outage | High |
| Third-party API keys (payment, email, SMS) | .env file, provider consoles | Business features down | High |
| Documentation and contract | Email, service agreement | Dispute over code ownership | Medium |
Reread your contract: the intellectual property assignment clause decides whether the code is yours. If the vendor refuses to hand over the repository, a formal letter from a lawyer often suffices, and the code deployed on your server can serve as a base as a last resort.
Code audit: what it must contain
A useful audit is more than a score out of 20. It measures the Laravel and PHP versions, test coverage, technical debt, security flaws, data model quality and the ability to run the app locally. It ends with a costed recommendation.
| Option | Cost EUR excl. VAT (order of magnitude 2026) | Timeline | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code and infrastructure audit | 3,000 to 8,000 | 2 to 3 weeks | Always, before any decision |
| Takeover and stabilization | 15,000 to 40,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Readable code, Laravel 9 or newer, sound data model |
| Laravel and PHP upgrade | 6,000 to 18,000 | 3 to 6 weeks | Laravel 6 to 8, unsupported PHP 7.x |
| Progressive rewrite by module | 35,000 to 80,000 | 4 to 8 months | Fragile code but well-understood business logic |
| Full rewrite | 50,000 to 120,000 | 6 to 12 months | Unsuitable architecture, no documentation |
| Application maintenance after takeover | 600 to 2,500 a month | Ongoing | Regular fixes and enhancements |
The rule of thumb we apply: if the audit estimates that more than 60% of the code must change to fix major defects, a progressive rewrite becomes more cost-effective than a takeover.
Takeover or rewrite: the deciding criteria
Three questions decide. Does the data model reflect your business well? If so, it can be kept even if the interface is rewritten. Does the app start locally in under a day with the recovered documentation? If not, add 20 to 30% to the takeover budget. Do users still rely on it every day? An app used daily by 30 sales reps justifies quick stabilization before any redesign, so business is not blocked.
Mini case study
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Ciaran, operations director of a services company in Dublin, runs a Laravel 8 quoting and CRM app used by 25 sales reps, with no developer for 8 months. The audit, billed 5,500 EUR excl. VAT over 3 weeks, finds a sound data model but an unsupported Laravel version. He chooses a 12,000 EUR upgrade and an 18,000 EUR stabilization, 35,500 EUR excl. VAT in total, versus 90,000 EUR estimated for a rewrite. His reps were losing about 2 hours a week each on bugs, or 2,600 hours a year: at 40 EUR per loaded hour, that is 104,000 EUR of lost time. The takeover pays for itself in just over 4 months.
FAQ
The vendor refuses to deliver the code, what now?
Check the rights assignment clause in the contract, then send a formal notice. In more than half of cases the repository arrives within 15 days, and the code on your server remains a usable base.
How long does a code audit take?
Between 2 and 3 weeks for a mid-sized app, or 5 to 12 expert days. It takes longer if access must be recovered first.
Is a Laravel 8 app still safe?
Not in the long run: Laravel 8 no longer receives security fixes. An upgrade to a maintained version usually costs 6,000 to 18,000 EUR excl. VAT depending on dependencies.
Can we keep using the app during the takeover?
Yes, that is the norm. Stabilization happens on a staging environment, and production releases go out off-peak with a full backup before each delivery.
How do we avoid this happening again?
Require the code in a repository you own, deployment documentation and a maintenance contract with response-time commitments. These three measures cost little next to a 50,000 EUR rewrite.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your app's language, version and access status: we frame the audit, then price takeover or rewrite with an indicative budget and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
