EST. 2022 · PHP since 2011 · Laravel since v5
Build, modernize, and support business-critical software.
Snow Penguin Studios helps businesses plan, build, modernize, and support custom web applications, SaaS platforms, internal tools, customer portals, and business-critical Laravel/PHP systems. You'll have a senior developer leading your project from day one and through every retainer month after, not an account manager funneling messages to a team you've never met.
Based in North Carolina · Serving clients across the United States
- Laravel
- PHP 8.3
- Vue.js
- Inertia
- Tailwind CSS
- MySQL
- Redis
- Docker
- Pest
- Playwright
- GitHub Actions
- Laravel Forge
- Stripe
- AWS
What we do
Custom software across the full application lifecycle.
From brand-new builds to legacy modernization and long-term support, we help businesses create, improve, and maintain software that runs real operations.
Build
New systems, from the ground upCustom Software Development
Plan and develop new Laravel, Vue.js, and PHP applications from the ground up: SaaS platforms, internal tools, customer portals, admin dashboards, workflow systems, and custom business software built around the way your team actually operates.
Full Application Rebuilds
Some codebases aren't worth saving. The architecture is wrong, the technical debt has compounded past the point of no return, and every new feature takes three times longer than it should. We rebuild those applications from the ground up: latest Laravel, Vue 3, Inertia, clean data models, a real test suite. A ground-up rebuild, scoped and delivered in phases so the transition doesn't break your business.
Custom Internal Tools & Customer Portals
Admin dashboards, dealer and vendor portals, job and order management systems, internal platforms that replace the spreadsheets your team has been emailing back and forth for years. Built on Laravel, Inertia, and Vue so they're fast for users and maintainable for whoever owns them next.
Modernize
Improve and connect what you already runLegacy Laravel & PHP Modernization
Old codebases on outdated versions of Laravel. Applications stuck on outdated PHP versions. Inherited systems nobody on the current team wants to touch. We handle framework upgrades, refactors, test coverage, and bringing aging applications back to a state where shipping new features stops being a risk.
System Integrations & Workflow Automation
Stripe, QuickBooks, HubSpot, Salesforce, shipping providers, marketing platforms. Most companies have critical data sitting in five tools that don't talk to each other. We build the APIs, webhooks, and middleware that turn disconnected systems into one coherent operation.
Support
Keep business-critical platforms moving forwardOngoing Development & Support Retainers
Most of our client relationships start with a project and continue as a monthly retainer. New features, bug fixes, performance work, infrastructure issues, and senior technical input, handled by the same studio that built your application, without re-onboarding every time something comes up.
Technical Audits & Advisory Engagements
Sometimes you don't need someone to build something. You need a senior set of eyes on what already exists. Codebase audits, architecture reviews, performance assessments, "should we rewrite or refactor" decisions, technical due diligence for investors, and second opinions on vendor proposals.
Inherited a project?
Taking over an existing Laravel or PHP application.
When you inherit a codebase, or the people who built it are gone, the first job is understanding what you actually have. We start with a technical audit before touching anything, so the work that follows is informed, not guesswork.
What we review first
- → Source control and branching
- → Hosting and server access
- → Deploy process
- → Laravel and PHP versions
- → Composer dependencies
- → Front-end build setup
- → Database structure and backups
- → Queues and scheduled tasks
- → Error tracking and logging
- → Third-party integrations and credentials
- → Security and access controls
- → Environment variables and secrets
- → Gaps in documentation
- → Current risks and their business impact
What you receive
- ✓ A written summary of how the application is built and where it stands
- ✓ A prioritized list of risks, each tied to its business impact
- ✓ Clear recommendations and next steps
- ✓ A practical plan for stabilizing and maintaining the system going forward
This is the Technical Audit door, a fixed-fee engagement that ends in a written report you keep whether or not we do the work that follows.
How we work
What working together actually looks like.
A small studio built around one accountable lead per project, so the person you talk to is the person doing the work.
Every project is led directly by Peter R Stanley, our founder, with 14+ years of professional PHP experience and Laravel experience going back to v5. When a project needs additional capacity, Snow Penguin Studios brings in trusted collaborators, but one accountable technical lead stays on your work from start to finish.
That structure is also why we take on a limited number of clients at a time. It keeps each engagement well-attended and means whoever needs to understand your codebase six months from now already does.
When you have a technical question, you're talking to the person writing the code. When something breaks, you're not waiting in a queue behind ten other accounts.
You work with the person writing your code, not an account manager passing messages along.
The same lead stays on your project, so nobody has to relearn your codebase later.
We keep our client count low, so each project gets real attention.
Who's behind the work
Peter R Stanley
Founder & Lead Developer
14+ years building and modernizing Laravel and PHP applications. Peter leads each Snow Penguin Studios engagement directly, bringing in trusted collaborators when a project needs extra capacity.
PHP since 2011 · Laravel since v5 · 14+ years of professional web application development
BS in Computer Engineering Technology with a minor in Telecommunications, Rochester Institute of Technology.
Who we work with
You have software that matters to your operations.
We work with established businesses: SaaS companies past the MVP stage, internal platforms used daily by operations teams, customer portals, and custom applications that someone built years ago and nobody has properly maintained since.
- ✓ SaaS products past their MVP
- ✓ Internal platforms run by operations teams
- ✓ Customer, dealer, or vendor portals
- ✓ Inherited Laravel/PHP applications
You need a brochure site or a fixed bid on a vague idea.
Those projects exist and there are good shops that handle them. It's just not what we do. If you're after a WordPress theme installed or a fixed-bid quote on something that hasn't been scoped, we'll point you to someone who specializes there.
- ✗ Brochure or marketing-only websites
- ✗ Fixed bids on un-scoped requirements
- ✗ Full-time contract roles
What we help with
The work we're brought in to do.
Snow Penguin Studios works with businesses that rely on custom software to run daily operations, serve customers, manage data, and keep teams moving. Engagements range from new builds and internal tools to inherited systems that need a reliable technical owner.
- → Laravel and PHP application upgrades
- → Vue interface improvements and workflow redesigns
- → Legacy application takeover and stabilization
- → Custom internal tools and operations platforms
- → Customer portals and self-service systems
- → Third-party API integrations
- → Stripe, QuickBooks, HubSpot, and other business software integrations
- → Database and performance improvements
- → Deployment, hosting, monitoring, backups, and infrastructure cleanup
- → Ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, and feature development
Retainers
Most agency relationships end the day the project ships. We run things differently.
After your initial project goes live, you have the option to move onto a monthly retainer. A defined block of hours, priority response, and a team that already knows your codebase. Month-to-month, no long-term contract.
Maintenance & Advisory
~ 8 hrs / mo
For stable applications that need a steady hand. Bug fixes, dependency updates, security patches, minor adjustments, and a senior point of contact when something goes wrong.
- - Bug fixes & minor updates
- - Dependency & security patches
- - Senior advisory access
- - Monthly summary report
Development Support
~ 15–25 hrs / mo
For applications that continue to evolve. Everything in maintenance, plus ongoing feature development, integrations, and technical input on what to build next.
- - Everything in Tier 01
- - Ongoing feature development
- - System integrations
- - Roadmap & technical input
- - Priority response
Platform Partner
Scales to scope
For SaaS products and internal platforms where we operate as your technical partner. Continuous development, architecture decisions, and close collaboration with your internal team.
- - Everything in Tier 02
- - Architecture & performance work
- - Internal team collaboration
- - De-facto technical lead role
How this works day to day
- → You reach Peter directly by email, and by phone when something needs it.
- → A client portal for submitting and tracking requests is in progress.
- → Work is prioritized by business impact and urgency, not ticket order.
- → Critical production issues are triaged the same business day.
Infrastructure we handle
We keep the systems your application runs on healthy as part of the work. This is infrastructure support, not managed hosting.
- - Forge and server management
- - VPS and cloud hosting setup
- - Deploys and CI/CD
- - SSL certificates
- - Database backups
- - Queues and scheduled tasks
- - Error tracking
- - Uptime monitoring
- - Transactional email
- - Performance and caching
- - Environment and access management
Three doors in
Most clients come in through one of three doors. Pick whichever fits.
30-minute consult
FREE
For straightforward development work where you already know what you need built, modernized, or maintained. We talk through your situation, you tell us what you're trying to accomplish, and we tell you honestly whether we can help.
Best for
- - Defined scope
- - "Can you build this for us?"
- - Existing project handoffs
No cost · No pitch deck · 30 min
Technical audit or advisory engagement
From $2,500
For situations where the path forward isn't obvious: inherited codebases, performance problems, architecture decisions, "should we rewrite" questions, or due diligence on a system you're considering buying or building on.
Best for
- - Inherited or legacy systems
- - Architecture decisions
- - Investor / acquisition due diligence
- - Second opinions on vendor proposals
Fixed fee · 1–2 weeks · Written report
Paid discovery sprint
From $3,500
For larger projects where the scope isn't yet defined. We spend 1–2 weeks digging into requirements, technical constraints, and integrations, then deliver a fixed-scope proposal with options.
Best for
- - Larger build projects
- - Undefined scope
- - Multiple integration paths to weigh
What you walk away with
- → Workflow review
- → Requirements summary
- → Roles and permissions outline
- → Recommended architecture
- → Integration assessment
- → Technical risks and dependencies
- → Recommended phases
- → Prioritized roadmap
- → Budget range and phased estimate
- → Written recommendations and next steps
1–2 weeks · Rolls into project
Most retainer relationships start with one of the paid engagements above and move into ongoing work once we both know we're a fit. Not sure which door is yours? Get in touch. We'll point you at the right one.
Common questions
Things prospects usually ask.
Who will I actually be working with?
You'll work directly with a senior developer who leads your engagement from start to finish. Currently that's our founder on every project; as we grow, we add senior developers and carefully vetted specialists to support specific work, but the senior lead on your engagement remains your primary point of contact and technical decision-maker.
Can you take over a codebase another team built?
Yes. A significant portion of our work begins this way. We're comfortable walking into messy, undocumented, or half-finished applications and getting them under control.
Do you work alongside existing development teams?
Often. Sometimes we're the senior support a junior team needs. Sometimes we cover a gap while you hire. Both arrangements work well.
Do you take fixed-bid projects?
Yes, after a paid discovery sprint that properly scopes the work. Fixed bids on vague requirements are how everyone ends up unhappy. The discovery cost rolls into the project if we move forward.
What if our code is in rough shape?
That's genuinely fine. Modernizing inherited Laravel and PHP codebases is one of our specialties.
Are you available for full-time contract work?
No. We work with multiple clients on a retainer model. It's deliberate. It's how clients access senior development capacity without the cost of a full-time hire.
Where are you based?
We're based in Wilmington, NC and work 8:00am – 4:00pm ET. We're responsive during business hours and don't disappear for stretches at a time.
Let's talk
Ready to talk through your project?
Initial calls are 30 minutes, free, and there's no pitch deck. Tell us what's going on and we'll point you at the right starting point: a free consult for straightforward work, or a paid audit or discovery sprint when the path forward needs scoping. If we can't help, we'll usually point you to someone who can.
Response within 1 business day.
We read every message personally.