A QA engineer, Laravel developer or tech lead for your team.
A person works within your processes and tracker, part-time or full-time. No hiring, payroll taxes or searching. Start within a week, replacement at our expense.
Staff augmentation of a PHP developer, QA engineer or tech lead means the specialist works inside your team, tracker and processes, while Tochno handles the contract, replacement and quality control. It suits you when you need to strengthen a team quickly without hiring. Pricing starts at $1,800 a month, the start takes roughly 5 days, and the minimum term is 1 month.
When it beats hiring
What you get
The specialist works as part of your team, and we are responsible for quality and replacement.
Part-time or full-time
- Release testing
- Test cases and reports
- Work in your tracker
- Full integration into your team
- Tech lead code review
- Replacement at no extra cost
- Friday report
What the specialist's weekly report looks like
You see where the hours went and where your help is needed, without micromanagement.
From request to the first day
- day 1RequestRole, stack, scope, tasks.
- days 2–3MatchingWe propose 1–2 candidates.
- day 4InterviewYou talk to them and choose.
- day 5StartAccess, onboarding, first tasks.
Which roles you can add to your team
The specialist works as part of your team: your tracker, chats, standups and hours in your time zone. The roles are:
- QA engineer (manual or automation): release testing, test cases, reports. From $1,800 a month part-time.
- Middle or Senior Laravel developer: full integration into the team, with code review by our tech lead. From $3,800 a month full-time.
- Part-time tech lead: code review, planning and architecture, interviews. From $1,200 a month.
For most teams it is best to start with one role and add others as needed, because it makes the results easier to assess. For advice on which role to take first, read when you need a tech lead and when a developer is enough.
How much a dedicated developer costs and what affects the price
Prices on the page are given as "from". The final rate depends on your specific task. General benchmarks for all services are on the pricing page.
| Factor | How it affects the price |
|---|---|
| Role | QA, developer and tech lead have different rates |
| Engagement | Part-time is cheaper than full-time because fewer hours are billed |
| Level | Middle and Senior differ in cost and in independence |
| Stack | Laravel with Vue or Nuxt needs a broader profile than pure backend |
| Term | The contract starts at 1 month, and a longer planning horizon gives a more stable team |
We invoice monthly, and you see the hours in a weekly report by task.
How selection works and what to pay attention to
From request to the first working day takes about five days:
- Day 1. You describe the role, stack, scope and tasks.
- Days 2–3. We propose one or two candidates.
- Day 4. An interview with you, and you choose yourself.
- Day 5. Access, onboarding, first tasks.
After that we work month to month, with 2 weeks' notice before ending. Every month you give us feedback and we act on it.
For outsourced QA and a PHP developer for your project, selection starts with a clear description. If you are looking for outsourced QA, specify what exactly you need: manual release testing or automated scenarios. These are different skills. There is an article on choosing the approach, manual vs automated testing. For a PHP developer, clearly describe the stack, the release process and who sets the tasks. The more detailed the brief, the faster we find the right person.
Every week you receive a report: what is done, what is in progress, what the blockers are and how many hours went into each task. This lets you manage the specialist without micromanagement and see in time where your help is needed, for example access to staging or a decision from the product owner.
Before the start, it helps to define what you will count as success after a month: a cleared task queue, stable releases or fewer bugs in production. It is easier when the criterion is written down on day one, and then your monthly feedback becomes specific rather than general. If something isn't working, tell us right away and we will adjust the approach or propose a replacement.
When staff augmentation is not the right fit
A dedicated specialist is not the best choice in these cases:
- You need a ready turnkey product without your involvement in management. In that case, website or store development as a project is better.
- The task is one-off and small. A tech lead consultation or a separate audit is enough.
- Nobody on the team sets tasks and accepts results. A specialist needs someone who defines priorities.
How this differs from a freelancer
It matters to us that you don't depend on a single person. We are responsible for quality and replacement. If the person gets sick or isn't a fit, a new one arrives within 5 working days at no extra cost. The specialist's code is reviewed by our tech lead, and the contract includes an NDA and transfer of rights. After 6 months of working together you can hire the specialist directly with no compensation.
Knowledge about your project stays in the documentation and tracker, not only in one person's head, so changing the person doesn't stop the work. Want to find someone for your task? Fill in the brief and we will propose candidates.
How is this different from a freelancer?
We are responsible for quality and replacement. If a person gets sick or isn't a fit, a new one starts within 5 days, at no extra cost.
Can I hire the specialist directly later?
Yes, after 6 months of working together, with no compensation.
What is the minimum term?
1 month. After that it is month to month, with 2 weeks' notice.
Does the specialist work only for us?
Full-time, yes. Part-time, they may have another project, and we discuss that openly.
How much does PHP developer staff augmentation cost?
A full-time developer costs from $3,800 a month, a part-time QA from $1,800, and a part-time tech lead from $1,200. The final amount depends on level, stack and workload. We invoice monthly, and the hours are visible in the report.
How long before the specialist starts working?
The start takes roughly 5 working days. In the first two or three days we propose one or two candidates, on day four you interview them, and on day five the specialist gets access and the first tasks. After that we work month to month, with a minimum term of one month.
How is staff augmentation different from outsourcing?
With staff augmentation, the specialist works in your team, your tracker and by your priorities, and you manage the tasks. With outsourcing, we take the whole project and are responsible for the result. The first fits when processes already exist, the second when there is no team.
What do you need from me to find outsourced QA?
Describe the role, stack, approximate scope and tasks, and give access to the tracker and the testing environment. It helps to say whether you need manual or automated testing. We take care of the rest, including proposing candidates and arranging the interview.
Who are you looking for.
We reply within 2 business hours. An estimate with a price and timeline range follows within 1 day.