Services / Custom Store Build
From $7,500 AUD · 6–8 week delivery · You own the theme outright

No templates.
No constraints.
No compromises.

Themes are built to work for everyone, which means they're optimised for no one. If your brand, product, or purchase path has requirements that themes can't meet — or you simply want a store that looks and works unlike anything else — a custom build is the answer. Designed and coded from scratch. You own it outright. Built to convert from day one.

Is this right for you?

When a custom build makes sense

A custom build isn't always the right answer — and I'll tell you if it isn't. But if any of these sound familiar, it probably is.

🏗️

You need features themes can't do

Custom product configurators, complex bundles, multi-step funnels, unique checkout flows, or anything else that doesn't exist out of the box.

🎯

Your brand can't live inside a template

You have a strong, specific brand identity and every theme you look at feels like a compromise. You want a store that looks unmistakably yours.

Performance is critical

Theme files carry weight they don't need. A custom build is lean by design — faster load times, cleaner code, nothing you're not using.

📈

You're scaling and need to own your stack

At a certain volume, depending on a theme you don't own becomes a liability. A custom theme means full control, no dependency on third-party updates.

What's included

Everything. From first pixel to launch week.

✏️

Custom design

I design your store from scratch — not a theme with colours changed, but a ground-up design built around your brand, your products, and your customer's purchase path. Desktop and mobile.

💻

Custom Shopify theme development

Clean, well-structured Liquid, JavaScript, and CSS. A theme that only you own — no licensing fees, no restrictions, no one else running the same store. Yours to modify forever.

🛒

Conversion-first build process

I design the purchase path before I write a line of code. Every layout decision is made with conversion in mind — not just aesthetics. CRO baked in from the start, not bolted on later.

📱

Mobile-first development

Built mobile-first, not desktop-first with mobile as an afterthought. Tested on real devices across iOS and Android before anything goes live.

🔌

App selection & integration

I'll recommend only the apps you actually need, integrate them cleanly into the custom design, and make sure they don't slow your store down or break things when they update.

🚀

Launch week support

I stay available through launch week for any issues, edge cases, or last-minute changes. You're not handed a deliverable and left to figure it out. I see it through to live.

Process

From brief to live in 6–8 weeks

1

Discovery & brief

We spend time understanding your brand, your customers, your competitors, and your goals. I'll ask questions that a developer usually doesn't ask — about what your customers are worried about when they buy, what makes you different, and what a successful store looks like for your business. 50% deposit to begin.

2

Design

I design every page — desktop and mobile — before writing code. You review designs, give feedback, and we iterate until you're happy. This is where we nail the look and the purchase path together. No surprises in development.

3

Development

I build the approved designs into a fully functional Shopify theme. You'll get a staging URL to follow progress and review as pages are completed. Milestone payment at this stage.

4

Review & QA

Full cross-device testing — desktop, tablet, mobile, multiple browsers. You do a final review pass. Any revision requests are handled before we confirm a launch date. Nothing goes live with known issues.

5

Launch & handover

We go live on a date you've chosen. I walk you through managing your new store, hand over all credentials and code, and stay available through launch week. Final payment on launch. The theme is yours.

Pricing

Starting from $7,500 AUD

Every custom build is scoped individually — the final price depends on the number of pages, features, and complexity involved. I'll give you a fixed quote after our initial conversation. No hourly billing, no scope creep surprises.

Most custom builds for small-to-medium Shopify stores come in between $7,500 and $15,000 AUD. I'll tell you upfront if your requirements push beyond that.

Fixed quote — agreed before work begins, not an estimate that grows
Milestone payments — 50% deposit, milestone mid-project, final on launch
You own the theme outright — no licensing, no dependency, no ongoing fees to me
Revisions included — design and development revisions are part of the project, not extras
Starting from
$7,500 AUD
Fixed quote · 6–8 week delivery · You own the theme
Custom design (desktop + mobile)
Custom Shopify theme development
All pages built to spec
Conversion-first build process
App selection & integration
Revisions included
Launch week support
Full code & credentials handover
Start a project →

Fixed quote after initial conversation · Milestone payments · No lock-in

Questions

Frequently asked

How is this different from a theme setup?

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Think of it like renting vs. building a house. A theme setup is moving into someone else's design and painting the walls. A custom build is designing and building from the ground up — every room, every wall, every detail is yours. It costs more and takes longer, but there are no constraints and no one else running the same store.

Do you offer ongoing support after launch?

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Yes. After launch week, ongoing changes are billed at $130/hr. Many clients also move onto a monthly retainer for regular updates. I also offer CRO audits 3–6 months post-launch — by that point you have real data, and that's when the optimisation work really pays off.

Do I need to have my content ready before we start?

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Ideally yes — product catalogue, brand assets, key copy. We can design with placeholder content and populate as you go, but the closer your content is to final, the more accurately I can design around it. If your copy isn't ready, I can recommend a copywriter.

What if I'm not sure whether I need a custom build or a theme setup?

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Get in touch and tell me what you're trying to build. I'll give you an honest read on whether a theme can do it — and recommend the cheaper option if it can. I'd rather build you a $2,400 theme setup that works than upsell you a custom build you don't need.

What happens if the scope changes mid-project?

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Scope changes happen — but they get discussed and agreed on before I do the extra work, not invoiced as a surprise at the end. If something outside the original brief comes up, I'll tell you what it means for the timeline and quote, and we decide together whether to proceed.
J
Justin
Shopify Specialist · Melbourne

Get in touch about a Custom Store Build

Tell me what you're trying to build — what it needs to do, what it needs to look like, and when you need it live. I'll come back with an honest assessment and a fixed quote.

Start a project → Not sure? Compare with Theme Setup

Reply within 1 business day · Fixed quote · No obligation