What to Ask Before Hiring a Software Company in London, Ontario

Hiring a software company is a five- or six-figure decision that most business owners make once or twice in a career. The firms all sound similar in a sales meeting, which is why the questions you ask before signing matter more than the pitch you hear. This guide gives London, Ontario businesses the questions that separate serious software companies from risky ones, organised the way an experienced buyer would actually run the evaluation.

For context on the local market, see our overview of software development in London, Ontario. This article is your interview script.

Start with fit: have they solved problems like yours?

Ask: Can you show me work similar to my project, and can I talk to one of those clients? A portfolio of pretty websites means little if you need operational software. Ask what went wrong on a past project and how they handled it; every honest firm has a story, and the good ones learned something. Ask who will actually work on your project, not just who is in the sales meeting. And ask how many projects they run at once, because a team stretched across eight clients cannot give yours proper attention.

Process: how will the work actually get done?

Ask: Walk me through your process from kickoff to launch. You are listening for structure: discovery, design, development in reviewable chunks, testing, deployment. Ask how often you will see working software; weekly demos are the industry standard for a reason. Ask how they handle feedback and revisions, and how changes to scope are estimated and approved. Ask what happens if you disagree about whether something is in scope; the answer reveals how they handle conflict before money is involved. A firm with no clear process is selling you hope.

Team: who is on the other side of the table?

Ask: Will I have one point of contact? Ask how the team communicates day to day, and what happens when your contact is away. Ask about the experience level of the developers assigned to you; there is nothing wrong with junior developers, but you should know the mix and who reviews their work. If any work is subcontracted or offshored, ask directly. It is not a dealbreaker, but it should never be a surprise you discover mid-project.

Money: how pricing really works

Ask: Is this fixed price, hourly, or a hybrid, and why do you recommend that model for my project? Ask what exactly is included: design, testing, deployment, documentation, training, and how many revision rounds. Ask how change orders work and what a typical change costs to estimate. Ask about payment schedule; tie payments to delivered milestones, not calendar dates. Ask about ongoing costs after launch: hosting, maintenance, and support. If you want the full breakdown of pricing structures, our guide to fixed price vs hourly software development covers the trade-offs.

Ownership: who owns what when it is done?

This is the question buyers forget and regret. Ask: Do I own the source code and all intellectual property on final payment? The answer should be yes, in writing. Ask where the code is stored and whether you have access to the repository during the project. Ask what happens if you want to switch developers later; a firm confident in its work will not hold your code hostage. If they retain ownership and license it back to you, make sure you understand the long-term cost and lock-in before you agree.

Quality: how do they make sure it works?

Ask: How do you test before launch? Listen for more than we click through it: automated tests, testing on real devices and browsers, and a structured round of bug fixing. Ask how they handle security: data protection, access controls, and secure hosting practices. Ask what documentation you receive; without it, every future change depends on the original developers' memories. Ask about their warranty or bug-fix period after launch; most reputable firms include 30 to 90 days of fixes for issues in delivered work.

Support: what happens after go-live?

Software needs care after launch. Ask: What support options exist, and what do they cost? Ask about response times for urgent vs routine issues. Ask who maintains the system long term and what happens if the firm closes or pivots. The answers tell you whether you are buying a product or entering a relationship, and you should know which it is.

What is a reasonable timeline for my project?

A focused tool typically takes one to three months; a full business application three to eight months. Be cautious of any firm that promises a complex build in an implausibly short time without explaining how. Also ask what they need from you and when; slow client feedback is the most common cause of delay, and a good firm will say so.

How many quotes should I get?

Three is the practical number: enough to compare approaches and spot outliers, few enough to evaluate seriously. Give each firm the same brief so you are comparing like with like, and be wary of the quote that is dramatically cheaper than the others.

What is the biggest red flag?

A firm that quotes a firm price before understanding your requirements. It means they are guessing, planning change orders, or cutting corners on the parts you cannot see, like testing and documentation. Serious firms ask hard questions before giving numbers.

Ask these questions and the right firm will welcome them; the wrong one will rush you past them. If you want to see how a straightforward software company answers, our software development services start with an honest scoping conversation. Get a free quote and put our answers to the test.