Web Development

Websites Engineered to the Same Standard as Your Projects

Design gets attention. Development determines whether your site loads fast, stays secure, works with the systems your firm already runs, and can be updated without calling a developer for every change. We build websites for AEC firms that hold up for years, not months.

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Under the hood

The Build Decides How Long Your Site Lasts

Most AEC firm websites don't fail because of how they look. They fail because the build underneath is fragile: a page builder stacked with plugins, a theme nobody can update safely, project pages that take forever to load, and an admin panel the marketing team is afraid to touch.

We approach development the way your engineers approach a structure — understand the loads first, then choose the right materials. That means picking a platform for how your team will actually manage content, writing clean code instead of stacking plugins, and planning for the integrations, security, and maintenance the site will need over its life.

Development is the second half of our Web Design & Development service. If you're starting with the front end, see how we approach engineering web design.

What we build

Development Capabilities for AEC Firms

Custom WordPress Development

WordPress remains the most practical CMS for many firms because marketing teams already know it. We build custom themes with structured content types — projects, people, services, markets, news — without heavy page builders, so the site stays fast and editors can't accidentally break layouts.

What we do
Custom themes, custom post types and fields, editor-friendly block patterns, and a minimal, vetted plugin set.
Why it matters
A lean, structured WordPress build is easier to secure, faster to load, and far cheaper to maintain than a theme-and-plugin patchwork.

Headless and Static Builds

For firms that put speed and security first, we separate content management from the public site. Your team edits in a familiar CMS, while visitors are served pre-built pages from a global edge network — fewer moving parts exposed to attack and very fast page loads.

What we do
Headless WordPress and modern static-site frameworks such as Astro, deployed to edge hosting with automated builds.
Why it matters
When the CMS isn't publicly exposed, most common WordPress attack routes disappear, and performance stops depending on server load.

Project Databases and Portfolios

Large project portfolios need real data structure: markets, services, clients, locations, and dates. We build portfolios that filter and search properly and that feed relevant projects into service and market pages automatically.

Integrations

Your website should talk to the rest of your stack. We connect inquiry forms to your CRM, careers pages to your applicant tracking system, and analytics to the tools your team uses to report on business development.

Portals and Custom Functionality

Client portals, document libraries, gated resources, and employee-facing tools. When your site needs to do more than publish pages, we build the functionality and the access controls around it.

Migrations and Redirects

Moving off an aging platform without losing search visibility takes planning. We inventory existing content, map every URL to its new location, migrate projects and media, and verify redirects after launch.

After launch

Maintenance That Keeps Your Site Healthy

A website is infrastructure, and infrastructure needs upkeep. Our maintenance plans cover the work that keeps it secure and performing:

  1. Core and Plugin Updates

    CMS, theme, and plugin updates applied and tested on a regular schedule, not left to pile up.

  2. Security Monitoring

    Malware scanning, uptime monitoring, and fast response if something goes wrong.

  3. Backups and Recovery

    Routine off-site backups with a tested path to restore the site if it's ever needed.

  1. Performance Checks

    Periodic speed and Core Web Vitals reviews so the site stays fast as content grows.

  2. Small Changes

    A block of time each month for content updates, new pages, and minor feature requests.

Build standards

What Every Build Includes

  1. Performance Targets

    We set targets for page weight and load time during development and test against Core Web Vitals before launch. Image optimization, caching, and lean code are standard, not upsells.

  2. Security by Design

    Fewer plugins, managed updates, SSL everywhere, hardened hosting, and least-privilege user roles. Most website security problems trace back to neglected software, so we keep that surface as small as possible from day one.

  3. Accessibility

    Semantic markup, keyboard navigation, sufficient color contrast, and descriptive alt text are part of the build. Accessibility matters for public-sector clients, and it makes the site better for everyone.

  4. A Better Editor Experience

    We design the admin side as carefully as the public side. Structured fields, clear labels, and hands-on training mean your team can add projects, post jobs, and publish news without a developer.

Recent development projects

Recent Builds

Field crew in hard hats and high-visibility vests working at blue water-treatment tanks and piping on a remediation site — cover image for the Weston Solutions website project

Weston Solutions

DevelopmentSEO
Aerial view of a restored five-story brick mill with tall arched windows beside an older brick boiler house and smokestack — cover image for the McHugh Engineering website project

McHugh Engineering

Web Design
Six-story brick and glass campus building lit up at dusk, with a lawn and lamp-lined walkway in front — cover image for the ZFI Engineering website project

ZFI Engineering

DevelopmentWeb Design
Crew in high-visibility shirts planting native seedlings on a grassy site lined with erosion-control logs — cover image for the Gilmore & Associates website project

Gilmore & Associates

DevelopmentIntranet
Modern house with a sawtooth roofline, blue panels, and tall lit windows cantilevered over a wooded hillside at dusk — cover image for the e2 Engineers website project

e2 Engineers

DevelopmentWeb Design
Two surveyors in safety vests setting up a total station on a yellow tripod in a conifer forest — cover image for the LACO Associates website project

LACO Associates

Web DesignIntranet
Aerial view of a wastewater treatment plant with round clarifier tanks and settling basins set among green fields — cover image for the EnviroCert International website project

EnviroCert International

Web DesignLMS
Restored home hallway with a stone wall, wide-plank oak floors, and a white sliding barn door — cover image for the Bedwell Custom Builders website project

Bedwell Custom Builders

Web DesignDevelopment
Technicians in cleanroom suits working at microscopes and monitors inside a laboratory — cover image for the MicroCircuit Laboratories website project

MicroCircuit Laboratories

Web DesignDevelopment
Related services

Development Works Best with a Clear Plan

Every build starts with strategy and design. See our full Web Design & Development process, or how we approach engineering web design for firms that need to showcase complex project work.

If your needs go beyond a marketing website, we also build intranets and custom software for AEC firms.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should our firm use traditional WordPress or a headless setup?

It depends on who manages the site and what it needs to do. Traditional WordPress is a good fit when your team wants to edit pages visually and the site is mostly content. A headless or static build makes sense when speed, security, and scalability are top priorities. We recommend one based on your team and requirements, not on our preference.

What is headless WordPress?

Headless WordPress uses WordPress only to manage content, while a separate front end pulls that content through an API and serves the public website. Editors keep the familiar WordPress dashboard, and visitors get a faster, more secure site because the CMS isn't exposed to the public.

Can you take over a website another agency built?

Yes. We start with a technical audit of the code, plugins, hosting, and security posture, then recommend whether to stabilize and maintain what you have or plan a rebuild. The audit gives you a clear picture before you commit to anything.

Do you offer website maintenance after launch?

Yes. Maintenance plans cover software updates, security monitoring, backups, performance checks, and a block of time for small content or feature changes. Launch is the start of a site's life, and many problems on older AEC websites come from years without upkeep.

Can our website integrate with our CRM or applicant tracking system?

In most cases, yes. We connect website forms to CRMs and careers pages to applicant tracking systems so inquiries and applications land where your team already works. During discovery we confirm what your systems support and design the integration around it.

Get started

Build It Right the First Time

Tell us about your current site, your team, and the systems it needs to work with. We'll recommend the right platform and scope the build.

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Ironworkers in hard hats and hi-vis vests working across the steel frame of a building under construction
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