Rescue a stuck project

Rescuing a stuck project starts with securing access and getting an honest review. Then a developer decides with you whether to repair the existing code or rebuild parts of it, and plans the way forward in milestones.

Last updated: November 6, 2026

What a stuck project looks like

Projects get stuck for many reasons, and it is rarely anyone's fault alone. A budget ran out, a developer went quiet, the scope kept growing, or each change broke something else. The result is the same: you cannot move forward.

Your developer stopped responding and the project is half finished.
The app works, but nobody can change it anymore without new problems.
Deadlines moved many times and you no longer trust the estimates.
The code was generated quickly and now no one understands it. See also finish your AI built app.
An agency handed over a product with no documentation.

First steps for you

Before you hire anyone, protect what exists. These steps cost nothing and are often quick to do.

Find out where the code lives. Ask for a copy of the repository and check that it is under your own account.
List every account the product depends on: hosting, domain, database, payments, email, app stores.
Make sure you are an owner or admin on each account, not only a guest.
Write down what works today, what is broken and what you wanted next.
Keep copies of designs, contracts and messages.

How it runs in milestones

Do not agree to a full rebuild before anyone has read the code. 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. A rescue works best with an early review milestone, so each later decision rests on facts.

Example rescue plan

Example rescue plan
Topic	What you get	Example timing
Phase 1: Secure and assess	Access and backups in place, plus a plain language report with options: repair, partly rebuild or rebuild	One milestone, for example 1 to 2 weeks
Phase 2: Stabilise	The product runs again from a clean setup, with the most harmful problems fixed	One to two milestones, for example 2 to 4 weeks
Phase 3: Clean up the foundation	Risky areas improved, tests added, and notes written for the next developer	One to two milestones, for example 2 to 4 weeks
Phase 4: Move forward again	New features planned and built on a stable base	Planned after the assessment

Phase 1: Secure and assess
What you get
Access and backups in place, plus a plain language report with options: repair, partly rebuild or rebuild
Example timing
One milestone, for example 1 to 2 weeks
Phase 2: Stabilise
What you get
The product runs again from a clean setup, with the most harmful problems fixed
Example timing
One to two milestones, for example 2 to 4 weeks
Phase 3: Clean up the foundation
What you get
Risky areas improved, tests added, and notes written for the next developer
Example timing
One to two milestones, for example 2 to 4 weeks
Phase 4: Move forward again
What you get
New features planned and built on a stable base
Example timing
Planned after the assessment

Example only: the weeks are for illustration. Developers set the length of each milestone in their proposal, and each real milestone runs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 weeks.

Repair or rebuild

This is the hardest question, and an honest developer will not decide it in the first call. Repairing keeps what works and costs less risk in the short term. A rebuild can be right when the foundation is wrong, for example when the data is structured in a way that blocks every new feature. Ask for both options in writing, with what each one keeps and what each one gives up.

Questions to ask developers

Have you rescued a project like this before? What did you do first?
Will you tell me if you think a rebuild is needed, even if it means less work for you?
How will you keep the product running for current users while you repair it?
What will you document so the next developer is not stuck in the same way?
What do you need from me in the first week?

If you only need someone to look and give an opinion first, an advice and code review is a smaller step. For a handover from another agency, see taking over an existing codebase.

Frequently asked questions

My developer vanished. Can I still get the code?

It depends on where the code lives. If it is in an account you own, yes. If not, contact the hosting provider or the code platform with proof that you own the project. Check your contract and read who owns the code. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

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