BuddyPress.org

One thing I have found that works really well is to break the project up into many smaller pieces, so that the developer can give estimates on a granular basis. Then it’s just a matter of combining all the pieces together once they are finished.

I have also found a huge variance on what developers charge for their work. My practice has always been to search out coders with great reputations, and give them a small project to work on. I then look at the overall result of their work vs. the cost and timeframe it took to complete. This gives me a really good picture of how the individual coder works, and the cost – benefit to myself. If the coder does really well with the smaller project, then I usually propose more work in the future for the more difficult projects.

when you consider that a theme is nothing more than a set of functions, and a layout, the granular approach becomes easy to understand.

You may start out by saying I want a slider that does ‘x’ and I want to be able to control it via a theme admin panel. Have that project coded up, and then you can add that to any theme you choose.

The same concept can be expanded to all areas of the theme you are trying to ultimately achieve. The more functions you purchase, the more your theme can do.

What it also achieves by doing a theme in a granular mode, is that you can then hire out specialists in different areas at the same time. Meaning, you may need a js expert for some functions, and a css expert to put it together.

The hardest part of doing it this way, is finding the ‘master’ admin that is going to be in charge of combining all the code together, and keeping you updated in the future.

hope this concept helps you out.