Drupal maintenance involves more than installing updates. It also requires a clear approach to testing changes, protecting website data and following up on technical issues.
I offer maintenance scoped after an initial assessment of your website. Covered tasks, responsibilities and response arrangements are agreed before work starts, distinguishing routine maintenance from work that requires a separate scope.
What a Drupal maintenance agreement can cover
Updates to core, modules and dependencies
The scope can include updates to Drupal core, contributed modules and themes, and project dependencies. Each intervention takes account of website constraints, the changes introduced and the checks needed before deployment.
Monitoring security advisories
Monitoring covers advisories relevant to the agreed components. An alert needs to be assessed against the installed version, configuration and website exposure. Monitoring, responding to an alert and resolving an incident are different activities.
Bug fixes and feature development
A bug fix can be included in an agreed allocation of work or estimated separately. New features, redesigns and integrations are not automatically part of routine maintenance.
Backups and recovery readiness
When backups are included, we agree on the data covered, frequency, retention and storage location. The database, required website files, code and configuration need to be considered in the context of the project architecture.
The recovery procedure and how it is checked are defined separately from simply creating a backup. Version control for code does not replace content backups or recovery planning.
How are updates delivered?
Preparing the work
Before a change, the work is scoped: affected components, dependencies, prerequisites and checks. Required backups and rollback options are considered in relation to the risks of the operation.
Checking changes in a suitable environment
Updates are prepared and checked in a suitable environment where one is available. We agree which journeys to test, such as browsing, content editing, forms, search or business features, depending on the website.
If the project has no environment suitable for these checks, that limitation is made explicit. Setting one up may be necessary before recurring maintenance can be organised on an appropriate basis.
Deploying, checking and documenting
Deployment is scheduled using the agreed arrangements. Post-deployment checks and a work summary provide a record of delivered versions, checks performed and any outstanding actions.
Taking over a website built by another team
An initial assessment identifies the Drupal version, dependencies, custom development, access and deployment arrangements. It separates recurring maintenance tasks from preparatory work needed to make the website maintainable.
Depending on the project’s condition, onboarding may involve preparatory updates, recovering access, documenting a procedure or creating a validation environment. These initial tasks are identified and estimated separately when they fall outside recurring maintenance.
Assess the website with a Drupal audit
Support, availability and responsibilities
Contact channels, working hours and request-handling arrangements are agreed before the engagement starts. As I freelance alongside my main professional role, continuous availability or on-call coverage is not implied.
The time to acknowledge or start handling a request is not the same as the time to resolve it. Resolution may depend on the issue’s complexity, a third-party service or information needed from your team.
Responsibilities for hosting, operating systems, external services and Drupal code are kept distinct. Out-of-scope work requires a specific agreement; a maintenance contract does not, by itself, guarantee the absence of outages or vulnerabilities.
Maintenance and Drupal versions
A maintenance plan needs to account for the support status of the installed version. As of 15 September 2026, Drupal 10 is scheduled to reach end of life on 9 December 2026. Affected sites therefore need to plan a transition rather than focus only on routine updates.
Drupal 7, 8 and 9 sites are legacy systems without community support. Taking them over requires an appropriate assessment. A maintenance service does not restore official support for an end-of-life branch.
Check the official Drupal release schedule
Platform maintenance experience
My portfolio includes maintenance work on La Mutuelle Générale’s Drupal multisite platform, covering configuration, search and front-end components. It illustrates work on a shared platform and the constraints involved in evolving it.
Read the La Mutuelle Générale case study
Frequently asked questions
Are major version upgrades included?
Not automatically. A major upgrade may require code changes, dependency review and additional testing. It must be explicitly covered in scope or addressed through a separate proposal.
Are hosting and server incidents included?
Only when stated in the agreement. Drupal maintenance, hosting operations and third-party support are separate responsibilities. Each party’s role needs to be clear before the first request is raised.
How is the cost of maintenance determined?
The quotation considers the website’s initial condition, number of sites, custom code, environments and expected checks. Onboarding costs, recurring maintenance and additional work are separated so that the scope is clear.
Let’s plan your website’s maintenance
Share the website address, its Drupal version if known, the current maintenance arrangements and any difficulties you are facing. This information helps define the initial checks and takeover scope.