REBUILDS & CUSTOM ENGINEERING

Your site isn't broken. It's built on the wrong foundation.

We rebuild websites by hand: semantic HTML, custom CSS, Django and Python backends, and nothing else in the way. No page builders. No plugin stacks. No overlay bolted on top. The result loads in under a second, scores 100 across every Lighthouse category, and is built to WCAG 2.2 AA standards from the first line of code.

  • < 1smobile LCP on rebuilt sites
  • 100Lighthouse target — all four categories
  • W3Cvalid HTML on every template
Hand-written HTML and CSS being developed for a custom rebuilt website
WHY A REBUILD AND NOT A PATCH

The problem isn't your content. It's the platform underneath it.

You can keep patching a broken foundation. Most businesses do. Here is what that looks like compared to starting over with a clean build.

Patching what you have

  • Installing another plugin to fix what the last plugin broke
  • Adding an accessibility overlay that sits on top of the same broken markup
  • Paying a developer to work around a page builder's limitations
  • Watching load times climb with every new dependency
  • Waiting on a platform vendor to fix a bug you can't touch
  • Rebuilding the same site again in two years when the stack drifts further

Rebuilding it once, right

  • Hand-written HTML and CSS — you can read every line
  • Semantic markup that assistive technology understands natively
  • A Django backend built for your data, not for a marketplace of plugins
  • Sub-1-second mobile loads because there is nothing in the way
  • W3C-valid on every template, verifiable by anyone
  • You own the code. No vendor can hold your site hostage
WHAT A REBUILD ACTUALLY CHANGES

Every layer of the stack, rebuilt on purpose

This isn't a redesign. It's a replacement of the foundation — the frontend, the backend, the markup, and the way the site is maintained after launch.

Hand-Written HTML5

Semantic elements used for their intended purpose: <header>, <nav>, <main>, <section>, <article>, <footer>, <button>. Every page validated against the W3C HTML specification. If it doesn't validate, we don't ship it.

Custom CSS — No Frameworks

No Bootstrap defaults, no Tailwind utility soup, no page-builder generated classes. Hand-authored CSS with custom properties for the design system. Every rule is there because we wrote it, and every rule can be explained.

Django & Python Backend

Secure, fast, and built for your actual data model. No plugin marketplace, no third-party admin panels, no dependency on a platform vendor's roadmap. Django's ORM, forms, and security defaults are the reason it stays fast and stays safe.

Built to WCAG 2.2 AA Standards

Semantic markup, correct heading structure, real form labels, visible focus indicators, keyboard-operable everything, contrast verified at 4.5:1 minimum. Tested by hand with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver before we call a build finished.

Sub-1-Second Mobile Loads

The heavy parts of a modern site — the page builder's JavaScript, the plugin stack, the render-blocking third-party widgets — are gone. What's left is your content, styled, served fast, and cached aggressively. Real measured mobile LCP is [X.Xs] on the sites we've rebuilt.

100 Lighthouse Target

We don't consider a build complete until a clean Lighthouse run shows 100 in Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO. If any category drops below 100, we find out why and fix it before launch. This is a target we hold ourselves to, not a number we can guarantee — Lighthouse scores fluctuate with Chrome updates and server conditions.

THE REBUILD STANDARD

What every rebuild we ship includes

W3C-Valid HTML Every template validated. No exceptions. You can run the check yourself.
WCAG 2.2 AA Built In Not bolted on. Semantic HTML, keyboard access, and contrast are part of the build, not a plugin.
Real AT Testing Manual passes with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver before launch. Documented in writing.
Django + Python A backend built for your data, not for a marketplace of plugins.
No Page Builders, Ever No Wix, no Shopify, no Elementor, no Divi, no Beaver Builder. Hand-coded, front to back.
No Overlays, Ever The site works because the code is right, not because a widget covers the cracks.
Sub-1s Mobile LCP Measured on a throttled mobile connection, not on a fast office wifi.
You Own the Code Full source delivered on final payment. No vendor lock-in, no platform hostage-taking.
BEFORE AND AFTER

What actually changes for your visitors

Before — page-builder site
Lighthouse report showing failing performance and accessibility scores on a page-builder site
  • 14+ second LCP on mobile
  • Unlabeled form fields and broken focus order
  • 32 plugins and 1.8MB of JavaScript
  • Lighthouse Performance in the 20s and 30s
  • No documented audit trail
After — TOA11Y rebuild
Lighthouse report showing 100 scores across all categories on a rebuilt site
  • Sub-1-second LCP on the same mobile connection
  • Every form field labeled, every control keyboard-operable
  • Hand-written HTML, custom CSS, no third-party bloat
  • Lighthouse target of 100 across all four categories
  • Documented audit trail from day one

Screenshots are illustrative. Real Lighthouse reports are included in every audit report we deliver.

HOW A REBUILD RUNS

From audit to launch in five phases

Audit

Before we rebuild anything, we audit what you have. The audit tells us what's broken, why it's broken, and what the rebuild needs to fix.

Scope and plan

We agree on what's being rebuilt, what's being carried over, and what's being left behind. Fixed-scope proposal, fixed price.

Build

Hand-written HTML, custom CSS, Django backend. Weekly progress updates. Staging environment you can use from day one.

Test and document

Manual AT passes, W3C validation, Lighthouse runs, keyboard testing. Everything documented in a written handover.

Launch and re-audit

We deploy, then re-audit the live site to prove the fixes held. You get the same documented report a new client would get.

WHO WE REBUILD FOR

Sites where a slow, broken page costs real money

E-commerce & Retail

Every second of load time is measurable revenue. Every trapped keyboard user is an abandoned cart. Rebuilds here pay for themselves in months.

Rebuilds for e-commerce →

Healthcare & Patient Portals

Patients who can't book or read their records go elsewhere. Accessibility here is patient care — and a rebuild is how you deliver it.

Rebuilds for healthcare →

State & Local Government

The DOJ Title II deadline is 2026–2027. A rebuild is often faster than retrofitting a legacy CMS to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.

Title II rebuilds →
THE GECKO BULLETIN

Weekly teardown: a real website, everything broken in it, and exactly how we'd fix it

COMMON QUESTIONS

Questions about the rebuild process

Do I need an audit first, or can I just ask for a rebuild?

You can ask for a rebuild directly, but we will still run a short audit as the first phase. It's how we know what your current site is doing wrong and what the rebuild needs to fix. The audit fee is credited toward the rebuild if you hire us.

What happens to my existing content?

It comes with you. We migrate your pages, your posts, your product catalog, your images — whatever your site actually contains. Content isn't thrown away in a rebuild; the platform underneath it is replaced.

Will my site look completely different?

Not necessarily. A rebuild replaces the code and the foundation, not the visual identity. If you like how your site looks, we rebuild it to look the same — but faster, cleaner, and accessible. If you want a redesign, that's a separate conversation we can have.

Can you work with my existing designers and copywriters?

Yes. We build what they design. What we won't do is hand-write markup to mimic a broken design — if a design has contrast failures or motion that can't respect reduced-motion preferences, we'll flag it early so it can be adjusted.

What does a rebuild cost?

Rebuilds are quoted per project after the audit. The scope depends on how many templates, how many user journeys, and how much content needs to be migrated. You get a fixed-price proposal before any work begins — no hourly billing, no change-order surprises.

What if I already have a developer?

Then we'll hand off to them. We'll audit the current site, produce a remediation plan your developer can execute, and re-audit after the work is done. If they'd rather we handle specific pieces, that's fine too.

Do you guarantee 100 on Lighthouse after a rebuild?

We hold ourselves to a target of 100 across Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO — and we don't consider a build complete until a clean run shows those numbers. But Lighthouse scores fluctuate with Chrome updates, server conditions, and third-party services. The number is a target we hit consistently, not a guarantee we can make in perpetuity.

Does a rebuild mean my site is legally compliant?

No. A rebuild built to WCAG 2.2 AA standards is a strong good-faith effort and a defensible position. It is not a legal determination. Compliance with the ADA, Section 508, or any other law is made by a court or a regulator, not by a developer. What you get from us is documentation you can hand to your attorney if the question ever comes up.

READY TO REBUILD IT RIGHT?

Stop guessing.
Get your website audited.

Every rebuild starts with an audit. Get a written report showing exactly what's broken on your current site — and a plan to replace the foundation it's built on.

Start with an audit
The audit fee is credited toward the rebuild.
Written accessibility audit report listing every barrier found on a website