App and software development · Delivered online · anywhere in Ireland
Bug fixing
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Bug fixing: what the job involves
Finding and fixing faults in an existing website, web application or mobile app: errors, broken features, crashes, slow pages or things that stopped working after an update, often in code someone else wrote. It is usually priced by the hour or per fix after a first look.
Also asked for as: fix my website · website not working · app developer for fixes · freelance developer · website error
How the job is usually done
- Collect a clear description of the fault, when it happens, and screenshots or error messages.
- Get access to the code, hosting and logs, and make a backup or copy before touching anything.
- Reproduce the fault, ideally on a staging copy, and find the cause.
- Agree the fix and its cost if it is bigger than expected, then make it.
- Test the fix and the features around it, then deploy.
- Explain what was wrong and record the change in the code history.
Bug fixing: what is included
Usually included
- Investigating the reported fault
- Fixing it and testing the fix
- Deploying the fix to the live system
- A short explanation of the cause and what changed
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Rewriting large parts of the system, quoted separately
- New features
- Fixing other faults found on the way, unless agreed
- Ongoing support, which is a maintenance arrangement
Materials and who supplies them
- Access to the code repository, hosting and logs, given by the business
- Test accounts and devices where the fault appears
How long it takes
Simple faults are often fixed within hours; faults that are hard to reproduce, undocumented code or missing access can stretch it to days.
Bug fixing: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
A developer or agency that hosts the system or can access its personal data on the business’s behalf is a processor, and must have a written contract with the business covering the matters in Article 28 GDPR, including security, sub-processors and deleting or returning data at the end.
Applies to: the business, as controller, and the developer, as processor
GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), Article 28; Data Protection Commission guide to controller-processor contracts · dataprotection.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
A personal data breach that poses a risk to people must be reported to the Data Protection Commission within 72 hours of the business becoming aware of it, and a processor must tell the business without undue delay.
Applies to: the business, helped by its developer or host
GDPR, Article 33; Data Protection Commission · dataprotection.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
Software is protected by copyright, and the developer who writes it is the first owner unless they are the business’s employee. An assignment of the copyright to the customer is effective only in writing, signed by or on behalf of the developer.
Applies to: the business commissioning the software and the developer
Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, sections 23 and 120 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
What bug fixing costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- How easy the fault is to reproduce
- Quality and documentation of the existing code
- Whether the developer has access to code, hosting and logs
- Urgency, such as a broken checkout
- Technology used and how common it is
What you should get at the end
- Description of the cause and the fix
- The change recorded in the business’s code repository
- Written assignment of copyright in the new code, or a licence
- Notes on any further risks found
What the provider should hand over
- Explain the cause and the fix in plain words
- Recommend any follow-up work in writing
Safety
- Back up the system before any change, and fix on a copy where possible.
- Give the developer access through their own account, and remove it when the job is done.
- If the fault exposed customer data, record what happened; a personal data breach may have to be reported within 72 hours.
Bug fixing: before you hire
Questions to ask before you hire
- How will you charge, by the hour or per fix?
- Will you tell me before spending more time than estimated?
- Will you test the rest of the feature after the fix?
- Will the fix be recorded in my code repository?
What you can do yourself
Clearing the browser cache, checking for an expired domain or payment card on a service, and undoing a recent update are worth trying before calling a developer.
What to put in your task
- What is going wrong?
- What kind of system is it?
- Can you give access to the code and hosting?
- How urgent is it?
Photos that help
- Screenshots or a screen recording of the fault happening
- The exact error message, if one is shown
- The page address or app screen, device and browser where it happens
App and software development
Need bug fixing? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals anywhere in Ireland reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about bug fixing
Does bug fixing need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.irishstatutebook.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
Can a new developer fix code someone else wrote?
Usually, if they get access to the code, hosting and logs. Poorly documented code takes longer to understand, which is why a first look is often charged before a fix is quoted.
What should I send to get a quick fix?
What you did, what you expected and what happened, with screenshots or a screen recording, the device and browser, and when it started. That saves the developer hours of guessing.
The original developer has my code. What can I do?
Ask for it in writing. Whether you own the code depends on your agreement, since under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 copyright stays with the developer unless it was assigned in writing.