Quick answer
Custom mobile app development in Melbourne starts from around $12,000 for a focused first release and is quoted per project after discovery. A first release typically takes twelve to twenty weeks including App Store and Google Play submission. Anyone quoting an app without a discovery phase is guessing.
A lot of agencies can show you an app design. Far fewer have actually pushed one through App Store review and kept it running in production. We've done both — three times over, across construction, service booking and automotive.
Australia · iOS
Build2Trade
Construction networking and project management for builders, tradies and suppliers.
New Zealand · iOS
FamaServ
Service booking marketplace connecting skilled professionals with customers.
UAE · Android
BlueTeam Car Maintenance
Car care booking and service management for Abu Dhabi's first integrated centre.
Anyone can design an app screen. The real work is everything that happens after: passing App Store review, staying inside Google Play's policy rules, handling the hundreds of device and OS combinations Android runs on, getting push notifications working reliably, designing sensible offline behaviour, and building an update pipeline that doesn't break existing users. None of it shows up in a mockup, and it's where most app projects that never launch actually stall.
- Native iOS apps (Swift) where performance and platform features matter most
- Native Android apps (Kotlin) built and tested across real device fragmentation
- React Native cross-platform apps — one codebase for both iOS and Android
- Backends and APIs that power the app and connect to your existing systems
- Admin panels so your team can manage content, users and orders without touching code
React Native suits most business apps — booking systems, service platforms, internal tools — because building once for both platforms is faster and cheaper to maintain. Native development earns its extra cost when an app leans heavily on camera, AR, background location, or platform-specific performance that cross-platform frameworks handle less well. We recommend based on what the app actually needs to do, not a default answer we give everyone.
- Discovery — scoping features, platforms, integrations and what "done" actually looks like
- Design — screens and flows reviewed with you before a line of code is written
- Build in sprints — working software you can see and test as it's built, not a single reveal at the end
- Device testing — across real iOS and Android devices, not just a simulator
- Store submission — App Store and Google Play listings, screenshots, and handling review feedback
- Compliance — privacy policy, data handling and store policy requirements met before submission
- Launch — and a handover of every account and credential in your name
Apps need more upkeep than websites, not less. Apple and Google both push operating system updates that can break existing functionality, store policies change, and signing certificates expire and need renewing. Skipping maintenance is how apps quietly stop working, get flagged by a store, or fall out of date without anyone noticing until a customer complains.
Field service and construction businesses have real use cases for a dedicated app — job scheduling, on-site photo capture, offline access at sites with no signal, and push notifications for urgent updates. Build2Trade, our construction networking and project management app, is live proof of exactly this kind of build. See our broader work with builders and tradies.
With us, a focused first release starts from around $12,000 and is quoted per project after discovery. Cost depends on platforms, features, backend complexity and integrations. Anyone giving you a fixed number before scoping the app is guessing.
A first release typically takes twelve to twenty weeks, including build, device testing, and App Store and Google Play submission. More complex apps with heavy backend logic or multiple integrations take longer.
Native (separate iOS and Android codebases) gives the best performance and access to platform features, but costs more to build and maintain. Cross-platform (React Native) builds once for both, which suits most business apps. We recommend based on your actual requirements, not a default answer.
Yes. We manage the App Store and Google Play submission process, including the app store listing, screenshots, and responding to review feedback if either store requests changes.
You do. The app is built under your business's Apple Developer and Google Play Console accounts, in your name. We don't hold your app hostage in accounts we control.
Apple and Google both charge their own developer account fees. Beyond that, expect an ongoing maintenance arrangement to handle OS updates, store policy changes and bug fixes — apps need more regular upkeep than a website.
Yes, we regularly audit and take over existing apps — reviewing the codebase, cleaning up technical debt, and continuing development from there rather than starting again.
Honestly, many businesses asking for an app would be better served by a fast, well-built mobile website first. An app makes sense when you need offline access, push notifications, device features like camera or GPS, or a login-based experience customers return to often. If that's not your situation, we'll tell you.
Apps need ongoing maintenance that websites don't — operating system updates, store policy changes, and certificate renewals all require attention or the app can stop working or get pulled from the store.
Yes. We build backends and APIs that connect to CRMs, payment providers, and other business systems you already run.
Yes — backend, APIs and admin panels are part of what we build, not an afterthought bolted on later.
That's fine — we scope for the platforms your customers actually use rather than defaulting to both if there's no need.
Ready to start?
Book a free thirty-minute call. We'll look at your current site and top competitors, tell you which package actually fits, and send a fixed-price quote within two business days.