Alongside its ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS work, Expression 37 handles custom PHP and Laravel development for businesses that need bespoke functionality beyond what a standard CMS provides. That might mean a custom portal built alongside a CMS, a Laravel application that integrates with existing systems, a legacy PHP codebase that needs extending, or a custom module or plugin that requires a developer who understands both the platform and the PHP beneath it.
The focus is on businesses where the website or application is central to how they operate. Custom development work at Expression 37 is not about building for its own sake. It is about solving specific business problems with code that is maintainable, secure, and designed to last.
What This Work Covers
- Custom PHP development for bespoke functionality that falls outside standard CMS capabilities
- Laravel application development and maintenance
- Custom ExpressionEngine add-on and plugin development
- Custom Craft CMS plugin development
- Integration of bespoke PHP applications with ExpressionEngine or Craft CMS sites
- Legacy PHP codebase maintenance, refactoring, and extension
- Third-party API integrations requiring custom PHP implementation
- Database-driven application development where a standard CMS does not meet the requirement
Common questions:
We need functionality that our CMS cannot provide out of the box. Can you build it?
Yes. ExpressionEngine and Craft CMS are both extensible platforms, and much of the custom functionality businesses need can be built as add-ons or plugins within the platform rather than as separate applications. Where the requirement genuinely sits outside what the CMS can support, a standalone PHP component or application alongside the CMS is often the right approach.
We have a Laravel application alongside our CMS. Can you maintain both?
Yes. This is a common setup. The CMS handles content and the public-facing site, while a separate Laravel application handles more complex business logic or internal tools. We can maintain both, which means a single point of contact for the technical side of the business and no gaps between what the CMS developer handles and what the application developer handles.
We need a bespoke ExpressionEngine or Craft CMS add-on built from scratch. Is that something you do?
Yes. Custom add-on and plugin development for both platforms is part of what Expression 37 covers. This might be a new add-on that provides functionality no existing add-on can supply, or a modification and extension of an existing commercial add-on where the vendor cannot accommodate a specific business requirement.
We have old procedural PHP code that needs modernising. Can you help?
Yes. Legacy PHP codebases are familiar territory. The approach depends on what the business needs: sometimes a targeted modernisation of specific areas is more practical than a full rewrite, and sometimes a phased approach makes more sense. A code review at the outset produces a realistic picture of what is involved and what the options are.
Do you work on projects from start to finish, or only on existing codebases?
Both. New development projects and taking over existing codebases are both part of what we do. For new projects, the starting point is a clear conversation about requirements before any code is written. For existing codebases, the starting point is always a review of what exists. Either way, a clear scope and cost are agreed before work begins.
