[ HIRING GUIDE ]

How to hire a Framer expert without getting a template flip.

This query is dominated by marketplaces that profit when you hire through them. Here’s the version from someone on the other side of the brief.

TL;DR

Check the Framer Experts directory first. Ask to see a migration with numbers. Insist the redirect map is a deliverable you own. Be suspicious of anyone who won’t name a price before a call.

[ WHERE TO LOOK ]

Four places, ranked by signal

01

Framer Experts directory

Vetted by Framer itself, free to browse, highest signal. Every listing shipped real reviewed work.

02

Direct studios

Published case studies and pricing. Slower to find, usually the best work.

03

Contra / Upwork

Large pool, variable quality, platform fees on top. Read delivered projects, not profile copy.

04

Agencies

More capacity and process, higher cost, more layers between you and whoever actually builds.

[ THE FILTER ]

Five questions that separate the real ones

01

“Show me a migration with the numbers.”

Pages moved, redirects mapped, what traffic did. If every case study is adjectives, they’ve never carried the risk.

02

“Is the redirect map a deliverable I own?”

Correct answer: yes, as a file, before design starts.

03

“What’s your Core Web Vitals standard?”

Correct answer: named thresholds — LCP 2.5s, INP 200ms, CLS 0.1 — tested on mobile, before launch.

04

“Who owns the project afterwards?”

Correct answer: you do, in your workspace, billed in your name.

05

“What’s the price?”

If they can’t give a range before a call, the range is whatever they think you’ll pay.

[ RED FLAGS ]

Walk away when you see these

A portfolio of template remixes with the colors changed

Case studies without a single number

“SEO-safe” with no explanation of the mechanism

No mention of redirects anywhere on the site

Pricing only after a discovery call

Anonymous testimonials carrying performance claims

A rush to design before anyone has crawled your current site

[ GREEN FLAGS ]

Good signs, verifiable in five minutes

A named credential you can check — like the Framer Experts directory

Case studies with page and redirect counts

Published pricing

Willingness to say when Framer is the wrong tool

A written plan before an invoice

[ WHICH SHAPE ]

Freelancer, studio or agency?

[ BEST FOR ]

[ WATCH OUT FOR ]

Freelancer

Most marketing sites — best value, lowest overhead

Capacity risk: one person, one queue

Small studio

A little more resilience and range

A little more cost, same key-person risk

Agency

Large multi-stakeholder builds

You’ll rarely speak to whoever builds it

[ QUESTIONS ]

Hiring questions, answered

What does a Framer expert cost?

$50–200 an hour, or $1,800–$4,500 fixed for a small site at market rates. My own rate card is a $1,200 base plus per-page, published on the pricing page — and a $50/hour trial if you’d rather test the fit first.

Is “Official Framer Expert” a real credential?

Yes. Framer reviews submitted client work and lists approved people in its directory. It’s free to check before you hire — and worth the two minutes.

Should I hire someone who only builds in Framer?

For a Framer site, usually yes. Specialists hit fewer edge cases and know which limitations are real versus rumored.

[ NEXT STEP ]

Or skip the vetting and test me directly.

Five hours at $50/hour, credited against the project if you continue. The audit is free either way.