# How to hire a developer safely > Hire safely by paying in small steps, funding each step before work starts, approving the result before money is released, and keeping all payments and messages in one place. These habits protect both sides and keep the project clear. Canonical: https://erdibuilds.app/guides/how-to-hire-a-developer-safely Last updated: 2026-11-06 (November 6, 2026) ## Five habits that make a project safe 1. Write down what you want in a short [project brief](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/how-to-write-a-project-brief). 2. Split the work into small steps, each with a clear result. 3. Fund each step before work starts, and release the money after you approve the result. 4. Keep payments and messages on one platform, so there is a record. 5. Get access to the code and accounts as the project moves, not only at the end. ## Pay per milestone, not all at once A milestone is a small piece of the project with its own result and payment. Paying in pieces means your exposure stays small at every point, and the developer knows the money is there. It also gives you natural moments to review and steer. On ErdiBuilds, Each milestone is funded before work starts and runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks. Milestones are from 50 to 2,000 each in your project currency. When the developer delivers, you review the result. You can approve it or request changes. Funds are released after approval and a short holding period. If you do not respond, the milestone is approved automatically after 14 days. **How a milestone moves** - 1. Funded: You fund the milestone before work starts. - 2. Delivered: The developer delivers and you review it. - 3. Approved: You approve, or request changes first. - 4. Released: Funds are released after approval and a short holding period. ## Why payments belong on the platform When payment runs through the platform, both sides get the same benefits: a funded milestone, a written scope, a record of what was delivered and a clear way to handle a disagreement. ErdiBuilds supports mutual cancellation, and an admin can make a decision in a dispute. Paying outside the platform, for example by direct bank transfer, removes these benefits. There is no funded milestone to point to, no shared record and no dispute process. Keeping everything in one place is the simplest way to stay protected, and it costs you nothing as a client. Free for clients. ## Check the person, then check the work Verified means an ErdiBuilds admin has reviewed the developer and approved the profile by hand. Developers are independent professionals, not our employees. That is a useful starting point. You still decide who fits your project, so look at their work and talk with them first. - Open the live app or repository they point to, and ask what they built themselves. - Compare proposals. Each one shows a match score from 0 to 100 with plain reasons, and proposals are sorted by score. - Use the [questions to ask before hiring a developer](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-developer) in a first chat. ## Keep control of what you own Ask for the code to live in an account you control, and for hosting and app store accounts in your name. Unless both sides agree otherwise in writing on the platform, the rights to the result of a milestone pass to the client once that milestone is paid in full. More detail is in [who owns the code](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/who-owns-the-code). > A simple test: could another developer pick up the project tomorrow? If the code, accounts and notes are in your hands, the answer is yes. ## A short checklist - Brief written and shared. - Plan in small milestones with done-lists. - Work and payments on the platform. - A test link or demo after every milestone. - Access to code and accounts shared along the way. ## Staying safe during the project Safety is not only about the first payment. During the project, ask for a test link or demo after each milestone and try it yourself. Keep important decisions in writing on the platform, so both sides can look back at what was agreed. If something changes, such as scope or timing, agree on it in writing and adjust the next milestone. Small, calm corrections keep the project friendly and on track. ## Frequently asked questions ### When do I pay? Before each milestone starts, by funding it. Funds are released only after you approve the delivery and a short holding period. ### What if I am not happy with a delivery? Request changes and explain what is missing. If you cannot agree, both sides can cancel the milestone together, or an admin can decide the dispute. ### Why keep payments on the platform? Because milestone funding, the written scope and the dispute process only work for payments made there. It is the simplest way to keep both sides protected. ### What if I forget to review a delivery? The milestone is approved automatically after 14 days, so check your notifications and review in time. ### What does verified mean? Verified means an ErdiBuilds admin has reviewed the developer and approved the profile by hand. It describes the profile review, so still look at the work and talk to the developer before you decide. ## Related - [How it works](https://erdibuilds.app/how-it-works): From idea to finished project, step by step. - [Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Developer](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/questions-to-ask-before-hiring-a-developer): Twenty plain questions for a first call with a developer, grouped by experience, process, handover and money, and what good answers sound like. - [Who Owns the Code When You Hire a Developer?](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/who-owns-the-code): Learn who owns the code, design and data when a freelancer builds your software, what usually stays with the developer, and how to agree on it in writing. - [How to Hire an App Developer, Step by Step](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/how-to-hire-an-app-developer): A clear process for hiring an app developer: define the job, choose where to look, compare proposals, check fit and start with a small milestone. - [Fixed Price vs Hourly for Software Projects](https://erdibuilds.app/guides/fixed-price-vs-hourly): Fixed price suits clear scopes, hourly suits open ones. See how each model handles risk, change and control, and when milestones give you the best of both.