Before You Sign That Software Contract — Get a Second Opinion
You have a proposal in hand. The developer seems competent. The number is large. And you’re not quite sure what you’re actually signing.
Software development proposals in San Diego range from $5,000 to $250,000 for roughly equivalent work. That spread exists because scope is almost always ambiguous, pricing models vary wildly, and most buyers don’t know what questions to ask before signing. The result: overpayment, scope creep, and builds that don’t solve the original problem.
SideGuy is not a dev shop. We don’t build software and we don’t take referral fees from developers. What we do is read proposals with you, flag what’s missing or overpriced, and help you understand exactly what you’re committing to before you sign. Clarity before cost — that’s the only agenda here.
📄 Scope Breakdown
- What is actually being built vs. implied
- Missing deliverables and assumptions
- Out-of-scope ambiguities that cause change orders
- Acceptance criteria — does the proposal define “done”?
💰 Pricing Structure
- Hourly vs. fixed-bid — which protects you
- Payment schedule and milestone alignment
- Change order triggers and cost multipliers
- Is the rate fair for San Diego market conditions?
⚙ Technical Stack
- Is the tech stack over-engineered for the use case?
- Could no-code or low-code solve this at 10% of the cost?
- Vendor lock-in risk — proprietary platforms, frameworks
- Who owns the code and IP at project end?
📅 Timeline & Milestones
- Are the timelines realistic for the scope?
- Red flag deadlines — too fast or dangerously vague
- What happens if milestones slip?
- Buffer for feedback, revisions, and integration
🔄 Ongoing Costs After Launch
- Hosting and infrastructure — monthly burn after the build
- Third-party API costs hidden in the architecture
- License and subscription fees baked into the stack
- Maintenance retainer expectations — is it implied or explicit?
- Who do you call when something breaks six months after launch?
Send PJ the proposal (or describe it). No portal. No intake form. Just a direct conversation.
When to Call SideGuy
- You received a $30k–$200k proposal and want clarity before committing
- You don’t fully understand the scope or what you’re actually getting
- You’ve been burned by a software project before and won’t make the same mistake
- The developer is pressuring you for a quick signature or upfront payment
- You’re comparing multiple quotes with wildly different price points
- You’re not sure whether you actually need custom development at all
- You need someone to explain what the technical sections of the quote mean
Explore All Software Guidance
Part of the SideGuy Software & Tech cluster — 132 pages indexedGet Clarity Before You Commit
and whether the number makes sense before you sign anything.