E-commerce · Hamburg
PHP 5.2 → 8.2
A production e-commerce platform with daily order volume was moved from PHP 5.2 to 8.2 over several stages. No downtime, no feature freeze. Result: a current platform you can hire for, Composer-based and tested.
PHP & Laravel upgrade
Onto a supported PHP version. Without production noticing.
I move your codebase version by version onto a current, supported release. Incrementally, backed by tests, while your team keeps shipping features. At a fixed price, set after the audit.
Fixed price · typically €18,000–€45,000 · quoted after the audit
Alecs Ghinea · You work with me directly. No juniors, no hand-offs.
No rewrite, no big bang. If an upgrade doesn't make sense for you, I'll tell you.
- no hourly meter
- Fixed price
- no hourly meter
- weeks of feature freeze
- 0
- weeks of feature freeze
- largest PHP jump so far
- 5.2 → 8.2
- largest PHP jump so far
upgrade-plan.md
Example upgrade path
- 1 Characterization tests for checkout & payment 2 wks
- 2 PHP 7.4 → 8.1, Composer packages updated 3 wks
- 3 Laravel 8 → 10, legacy parts replaced via strangler pattern 4 wks
- 4 PHP 8.3 / Laravel 12, CI pipeline with a version gate 2 wks
Live after every step
4 releases · 11 weeks · no rewrite
Where you are
The upgrade has been on the list for two years.
Everyone knows it's due. The host sends EOL warnings, packages are stuck, and new developers ask carefully about the stack. Still, the upgrade slips every quarter, because nobody can tell what will break.
And the longer it waits, the bigger the jump. Two versions become four, a project becomes a risk: at some point a security incident decides the timing for you.
An upgrade needs neither a rewrite nor a feature freeze. It needs a clear plan, a safety net of tests and someone who has done it many times before.
- PHP 8.2 gets no security updates after 31 Dec 2026
- Composer packages can no longer be updated
- Candidates ask why you are still on Laravel 8
- The last upgrade project was abandoned
What you have at the end.
A codebase on a current, supported PHP and Laravel version. Migrated safely in production, at the price agreed up front.
Fixed price means: the scope is clear after the audit, and the price doesn't change if it takes longer.
- A current, supported PHP and Laravel version in production
- No feature freeze: your team keeps shipping during the upgrade
- Characterization tests for the business-critical flows, which stay
- Updated dependencies without known vulnerabilities
- A CI pipeline that checks new versions early from now on
- Documentation and a hand-over to your team
How the upgrade works.
-
01
Prerequisite
Legacy Audit
The audit shows what will break during the upgrade and how much work it is. Only then can a reliable fixed-price quote exist.
-
02
Weeks 1–2
Safety net
Characterization tests for the flows that make money, and a CI pipeline that checks every change.
-
03
In stages
Version by version
Each stage goes live on its own. Outdated code is replaced via the strangler pattern, not rewritten in one go.
-
04
In parallel
Your team keeps shipping
I work in your repository and your releases. Features and the upgrade run side by side.
-
05
Finish
Hand-over
A current version in production, documentation, and a team that can handle the next updates itself.
Upgrades I have carried out.
14+ years of PHP. 12+ years of Laravel. Based in Hamburg. German, English, Romanian.
Automotive marketplace
leasingmarkt.de (Autoscout24 group)
Multi-version Laravel migration for one of Germany's largest leasing marketplaces. Incremental, using the strangler pattern, without disrupting live operations.
What it costs.
PHP & Laravel upgrade
€18,000–€45,000
net, fixed price, typical range
The exact price depends on the codebase, the version gap and the test coverage. That's why I quote it only after the audit, but then it's binding: a fixed price for a clearly described scope, no hourly billing and no change orders.
Paid in stages, each after a release in production.
Book an intro callIncluded
- An upgrade plan with fixed stages and acceptance criteria
- Characterization tests for the critical flows
- All code changes as pull requests in your repository
- A CI pipeline that checks against the target version
- Support for every release until it is in production
- Documentation and a hand-over session for your team
Frequently asked questions.
Why is the fixed price only available after the audit?
Without looking at the code, any fixed price would be a guess, and guessed prices either carry a large risk premium or lead to change orders. The audit makes the scope clear; after that the price is binding.
Do we have to stop feature development during the upgrade?
No. The upgrade runs in small stages that each go live on their own. Your team keeps working in the same repository.
What if our test coverage is very low?
That's the normal case. Before the first version jump I write characterization tests that pin down today's behaviour of the business-critical flows. They are the safety net for the upgrade.
Do you also work on Symfony or plain PHP codebases?
Yes, as long as it's PHP. Laravel is my focus, but many legacy systems are custom-built or mixed, and that's exactly where a step-by-step approach helps most.
What happens after the upgrade?
Your team takes over, with documentation and a CI pipeline that checks new versions early. If you want ongoing support afterwards, the fractional tech lead is the right format.
Next step.
Book a 30-minute intro call. We'll go through which version you're on, where you want to go and whether an audit is needed first. If an upgrade doesn't make sense right now, I'll tell you.
Book a 30-minute callFree and non-binding. Reply within one business day.