How long does software development take?

What does the timeline include?

The range of 8–16 weeks covers a custom software engagement from kickoff through production deployment. It includes understanding the workflow, agreeing on scope, building and testing the software, and preparing the team to use it. It is a planning range for this type of engagement, not a deadline for every software project.

How are those weeks spent?

Our delivery process describes the work rather than assigning every project the same calendar:

• Discovery & Scoping. Understand the workflow, agree on the deliverables, and set the scope, price, and delivery milestones before the build.
• Design & Build. Design, develop, and test the agreed scope. Review working software and give feedback at the milestones in the delivery plan.
• Launch & Handoff. Deploy the software, prepare the team handoff, and provide the agreed post-launch support. Source code and IP transfer on final payment.
• Ongoing Partnership. Most large builds are fixed-price, with a monthly retainer after launch. Ongoing development, maintenance, and support are scoped separately.

Prototype, staging, and deployment milestones are agreed in the written scope. This build range ends at production deployment; separately scoped ongoing work follows launch.

What affects the schedule?

A focused internal tool and a system connecting several existing platforms require different amounts of work. Integration count and scope are the main factors in the range. Access to the systems being connected, the condition of existing data, and timely feedback also affect how work progresses. A change in scope needs a corresponding review of the plan.

Workflow automation, AI implementation and legacy modernization have their own ranges. The services FAQ distinguishes those engagements from a custom software build, so a duration quoted for one should not be treated as the schedule for another.

When can you review progress?

The delivery plan should identify what you will review and what needs your sign-off at each phase. Agree on those milestones for the actual scope rather than assuming a particular prototype week from a general timeline. That keeps the schedule tied to the software being built.

For a timeline based on your workflow and integrations, talk with Code and Trust.