A senior engineer, on call every month.
Appmerc retainers put a senior engineer on call every month: 20 hours for $3,600/mo (~$180/hr) or 40 hours for $6,800/mo (~$170/hr), with priority scheduling and no re-onboarding tax.
Two tiers, no surprises.
20 hours / month
For a system that mostly works and needs to stay that way: maintenance, patches, small features, and a senior engineer your team can ask before problems become projects.
40 hours / month
For a backlog that's actually moving: integrations, performance work, upgrades in flight, and steady feature delivery alongside keep-the-lights-on.
Front of the queue.
When something breaks at 4pm on a Friday, retainer clients are who we answer first — and the engineer answering already knows your system. Hours are use-or-lose within the month; that's what keeps the capacity genuinely reserved.
Asked before signing.
How do Appmerc retainers work?
You reserve a block of senior engineering hours every month — 20 hours for $3,600 (~$180/hr) or 40 hours for $6,800 (~$170/hr). Retainer clients get priority scheduling: when something breaks, you're at the front of the queue, and the engineer already knows your system.
Do unused hours roll over?
No — retainer hours are use-or-lose within the month. That's what keeps the price below the $200/hr standard rate and guarantees the capacity is actually reserved for you.
What kind of work fits a retainer?
Maintenance and upgrades, a backlog that never quite justifies a project, integrations, performance work, security patching, and being the senior engineer your team can ask. Larger builds are scoped separately so they don't consume your retainer.
Can I start with something smaller?
Yes — most retainer clients start with a fixed-price engagement: the $1,500 Magento 2 audit or the $950 rescue assessment. The findings become the retainer's first backlog.
Stop re-explaining your system to strangers.
Tell us the stack and what a typical month of work looks like. We'll recommend a tier honestly — including "you don't need one yet."