What does a Shopify developer actually do day to day?

On a typical month: building new sections and templates, implementing features your team has specced, fixing what broke after an app update, wiring up integrations, and reviewing performance. If your roadmap is thin in a given month, we will tell you and suggest a part-time retainer instead of billing you for idle capacity.

Can they work in our existing repository and theme?

Yes. We work in your repository, your branching model and your review process. If you have no version control on the theme yet, setting that up is usually the first thing we do, because editing a live theme through the Shopify admin is how stores break during peak season.

What if we only need ten hours of work?

Then do not hire a dedicated developer. Take the part-time retainer, or let us quote the job as a fixed-scope project. We would rather place you correctly and keep you for three years than oversell a monthly seat you do not need.

Do you handle Shopify Plus and Checkout Extensibility?

Yes. Checkout UI Extensions, Shopify Functions, Markets, B2B catalogues and Plus-only features are all in scope. If your store still relies on checkout.liquid, migrating off it before Shopify disables access is work worth starting now rather than later.

How do you stop the theme breaking after you hand over?

Three things. We build with native Shopify components rather than hacks that depend on markup Shopify can change. We keep everything in version control with a documented branching model. And we leave written documentation of every customisation, so the next developer does not have to reverse-engineer your store.

Who owns the code we pay for?

You do, outright, from the moment it is written. You get repository access, documentation and all credentials. Nothing is held back as leverage to keep the contract going.

Hire Shopify Talent

Hire a Shopify Developer

Get a Shopify specialist who writes upgrade-safe Liquid, ships on schedule, and does not need three weeks to understand your theme. Scoped this week, working the next.

Book a Discovery Call See Engagement Models

200+ Shopify stores built and maintained
Shopify Partner agency
4 to 6 hours of daily overlap with US time zones
No recruitment fees, no notice periods

What You Get

What a KolachiTech Shopify Developer Handles

Theme and Liquid Development

Custom sections, dynamic blocks and template work built properly on Online Store 2.0, so your theme survives the next Shopify update instead of breaking on it.

Custom Store Features

Product bundles, configurators, subscription logic, wholesale pricing and the functionality your current apps almost deliver but not quite. Built native where an app would cost you more in monthly fees than the build.

API and System Integrations

Admin and Storefront API work, reliable webhook handling, and connections into your ERP, CRM, 3PL or accounting system that fail loudly rather than dropping orders in silence.

Performance Engineering

Liquid refactoring, third-party app audits, and image and script optimisation measured against Core Web Vitals rather than a vanity score from a speed test tool.

Checkout and Plus Features

Checkout UI Extensions, Shopify Functions, Markets configuration and B2B setup for stores on Shopify Plus, replacing the checkout.liquid customisations Shopify has deprecated.

Maintenance and Bug Clearing

The backlog of small breakages nobody has had time for. We clear it in the first few weeks, then keep it clear, which is usually where clients see the fastest return.

Engagement Models

Three Ways to Work With Us

Dedicated Monthly

Your specialist, full-time, on your tools and in your standups. Best for continuous roadmaps and brands shipping every week.

From $2,400 / month

160 hours per month
Direct Slack access and daily standups
Mid-level, senior and lead tiers available
Monthly rolling, 30 days notice

Part-Time Retainer

A fixed block of hours each month for maintenance, improvements and the small jobs that pile up. Best for stores that are stable but not static.

From $800 / month

40 or 80 hours per month
Prioritised task queue
Unused hours roll over one month
Upgrade to dedicated at any time

Project-Based

Fixed scope, fixed price, fixed deadline. Best for migrations, rebuilds and anything with a clear finish line.

From $3,500

Written scope agreed before work starts
Milestone billing, not full payment upfront
30 days post-launch support included
Blended rate $25 to $45 per hour

A dedicated seat costs roughly a fifth of the loaded cost of a comparable US hire, with no recruitment fee, no benefits and no notice period. Most brands start on a part-time retainer and move to dedicated once the roadmap outgrows the hours. We will tell you honestly if a project quote serves you better than a monthly commitment.

Why KolachiTech

In-House, Freelancer, or Us

In-House HireFreelancerKolachiTech
Time to start3 to 5 months1 to 2 weeksUnder 1 week
Monthly costSalary + benefits + payroll taxVariable, often hourlyFrom $800
Upfront costRecruitment fee, equipmentNoneNone
VettingYou do itYou do itDone, with work samples
Cover for illness or leaveNoneNoneAgency bench
Code reviewOnly if you have a second devNoneIncluded
Scaling downRedundancy processEasy30 days notice
Specialist depthOne person's skill setOne person's skill setFull team behind each seat
DocumentationDepends on the personRareStandard on every handover

	In-House Hire	Freelancer	KolachiTech
Time to start	3 to 5 months	1 to 2 weeks	Under 1 week
Monthly cost	Salary + benefits + payroll tax	Variable, often hourly	From $800
Upfront cost	Recruitment fee, equipment	None	None
Vetting	You do it	You do it	Done, with work samples
Cover for illness or leave	None	None	Agency bench
Code review	Only if you have a second dev	None	Included
Scaling down	Redundancy process	Easy	30 days notice
Specialist depth	One person's skill set	One person's skill set	Full team behind each seat
Documentation	Depends on the person	Rare	Standard on every handover

How It Works

From First Call to First Commit

Scope

A 30-minute call to understand your stack, your roadmap and the gap you are filling. We will tell you which role actually solves it, even when it is a smaller engagement than you asked about.

Match

We put forward specialists from our team with the relevant experience, including work samples from comparable builds. You interview them yourself.

Trial Week

Your chosen specialist works a real ticket from your backlog. If the fit is wrong, you owe nothing and we match again.

Scale

Once embedded, adjust up or down each month as your roadmap changes. No renegotiation, no penalty.

Skills & Stack

Skills and Stack

LiquidOnline Store 2.0Shopify CLIMetafields & MetaobjectsGraphQL Admin APIStorefront APIShopify FunctionsCheckout UI ExtensionsShopify FlowWebhooksHydrogenReactNode.jsTypeScriptGit & Version ControlTailwind CSSKlaviyoCore Web Vitals

When you hire a Shopify developer from KolachiTech, you get a specialist who lives in the Shopify ecosystem every day. Our developers are vetted for Liquid proficiency, Online Store 2.0 architecture, GraphQL API fluency, and a track record of shipping features that survive Shopify updates without breaking. Whether you need a custom section built, a theme refactored for Core Web Vitals, or an integration into your ERP that handles errors instead of dropping orders, our developers ship work you can rely on.

Every dedicated Shopify developer we place works in your repository, attends your standups, and follows your branching model. You get direct Slack access, daily progress updates, and a one-week trial to confirm the fit before you commit. If your roadmap changes, you scale up or down with 30 days notice — no annual lock-ins, no recruitment fees, no benefits to carry.

Case Studies