What If Code Doesn’t Match Client Coding Standards?

A blog reader asks a very relevant question that may be in the mind of every new freelance developer. The question is what happens when the code doesn’t match the client coding standards.

The reader asks:

As a freelancer working for a client, if my code doesn’t match their coding standard. Do I still get paid, or do they charge some money from me?

Freelancing doesn’t work like a traditional job where you have a technical person as your team leader or project manager who monitors your quality of code.

Still, there can be two scenarios

Case 1: Client isn’t Technical

The clients are often nontechnical. So they don’t even see the underlying code. However, they are more interested in the final outcome of the project and the functional aspect as per their need.

So if the workflow is as expected, and if you managed to deliver the work well within the stipulated time, you should be fine getting paid. This is one of the reason for college students to be a freelance programmer as clients are interested in the functionality and not the backend of the code.

Clients don’t have the technical expertise to understand the difference between the use of PHP frameworks over plain PHP. As a freelancer, it is you who have to lift the quality of your code. Even if you were paid for a code that you thought isn’t good enough and doesn’t match your or client’s coding standard, it is never too late to let the client have an update. This can help build an everlasting business relationship with your existing clients.

Case 2: Client is Technical

Every client isn’t the same. There can be an exception where you aren’t directly working for a client. However, you are working for a client’s client and the person who is responsible for your payment is technical.

In such a scenario, the quality of your code comes into the picture. So you may need to match the client’s coding standards.

Again it is rare scenario at least in India because technical people don’t prefer outsourcing model and are more interested in hiring over outsourcing.