TLDR
- A good handoff includes working CI/CD, environment documentation, and a README that actually explains how to set up the project locally.
- You should be able to deploy a change within your first week. If you can't, the handoff isn't done.
- Architecture decision records (ADRs) are worth more than API docs. They explain WHY things were built a certain way.
- A good agency pairs with your team during handoff, not just dumps a zip file and disappears.
- Ask for a "known issues" list. Every project has them. The ones who admit it are the ones you can trust.
You hired an agency. They built the thing. It works. Now it's time for your internal team to take over. This is where a lot of projects quietly fail. Not with a bang, but with a slow decline as institutional knowledge walks out the door.
What You Should Get
At minimum, a proper handoff includes: a README that walks a new developer through local setup in under 30 minutes, working CI/CD pipelines they can trigger themselves, documented environment variables with explanations of what each one does, and architecture decision records explaining why key technical choices were made.
The Pairing Period
The best handoffs include 2-4 weeks of overlap where the agency team pairs with your internal team. Not just answering questions, but actually working together on real tasks. Your developer makes a change, deploys it, and has the original authors there to catch anything they missed.
The "Known Issues" Conversation
Every project ships with trade-offs and known limitations. An honest agency will give you a list: "Here's what we'd improve if we had more time." This isn't a sign of failure; it's a sign of professionalism. The agencies that claim everything is perfect are the ones you should worry about.
At Stunzer Digital, handoff planning starts at the beginning of the project, not the end. We build with the assumption that someone else will maintain this code, and we make sure they can.
Tags
Related service
Want this built? See how we work on Web Development.
