Fixed-scope advisory
Legacy Health Check
A structured look at an ageing system's production reliability, supportability, and key-person risk, with a clear picture of what needs attention first.
Legacy systems rarely fail all at once — risk accumulates quietly through undocumented behaviour, ageing dependencies, and knowledge that lives in one person's head. This check turns that accumulated risk into a clear, prioritised picture, scoped as a fixed piece of work with a defined deliverable.
What gets reviewed
- Production reliability — how the system actually behaves in the real world, not just how it was designed to
- Supportability — documentation, test coverage, and how safely the system can be deployed and changed. See also Maintainability
- Key-person risk — how much of the system's knowledge lives outside any written record. See also Knowledge Transfer
- Anything specific you flag up front — a part of the system nobody fully understands any more, or one that keeps causing out-of-hours calls
What you get
A written findings report giving a clear picture of what needs attention first — not an exhaustive rewrite plan, but a prioritised view of risk you can act on. A short walkthrough call to talk through the findings is included; addressing any of the findings is a separate, further-scoped piece of work.
Where I draw the line
This is a health check, not a migration or rewrite programme. Where a finding points to deeper modernisation work, I'll say so plainly rather than stretch a fixed-scope check to cover it — that becomes its own scoped engagement if you want to pursue it.
Explore related areas
Explore Backend/API Audit · Explore Integration Review · Explore Maintainability · Explore Knowledge Transfer
Get a quote
Rates for the check are provided after a short discovery call, once I understand roughly what's in scope. Delivery is 100% remote.
Get a quoteFrequently asked questions
What does a legacy health check review?
Three things: production reliability (how the system actually behaves in the real world rather than how it was designed to), supportability (documentation, test coverage and how safely it can be deployed and changed) and key-person risk (how much of the system's knowledge lives outside any written record). You can also flag specific concerns up front, such as a component nobody understands or one that keeps causing out-of-hours calls.
What do I receive from a legacy health check?
A written findings report giving a clear, prioritised picture of what needs attention first. It is not an exhaustive rewrite plan but a view of risk you can act on. A short walkthrough call to talk through the findings is included. Addressing any of the findings is a separate, further-scoped piece of work that you can choose to pursue afterwards.
How much does a legacy health check cost?
The check is scoped as a fixed piece of work with a defined deliverable, so it is quoted as a fixed price agreed in writing after a short discovery call to understand roughly what is in scope. A free 20-minute consultation is the usual starting point. Follow-on remediation, if you want it, is quoted separately or charged at £400 to £500 per day ex VAT.
Is a legacy health check the same as a migration or modernisation project?
No. It is a health check, not a migration or rewrite programme. Where a finding points to deeper modernisation work, Jamie will say so plainly rather than stretch a fixed-scope check to cover it, and that becomes its own scoped engagement if you choose to pursue it. The check is delivered 100% remotely by Jamie Page, a C#/.NET and Azure specialist.