Frequently asked
Questions prospects ask us before they sign.
Honest answers to the questions you'd ask on a first call — about the team, how we work, what it costs, and how a project actually runs.
About Hopatoo
The team you'd be working with.
Who is Hopatoo?
Hopatoo is a Shopify Plus agency co-founded by Terry Arsenault, who has been building on Shopify since the Plus programme was small enough to know everyone in it. We're a small team of senior engineers and designers who go deep with a few clients rather than spread thin across many.
Where are you based?
We're based in Canada, working primarily in North American and European time zones. No offshore, no sun-chasing hand-offs.
How big is the team?
Deliberately small. Senior engineers only — we don't scale by hiring juniors. If you work with us, you work with the people writing the code, not a layer of account managers.
Are you a Shopify Plus Partner?
Yes. Vetted and reviewed annually by Shopify's enterprise team, with direct access to Shopify engineering when it matters.
Services & capabilities
What we're the first call for.
What services do you offer?
Shopify Plus theme design and build, replatforms from legacy platforms, B2B on Plus, checkout extensibility migrations, Hydrogen and Shopify Functions, custom apps and app extensions, performance work, accessibility remediation, and ongoing engineering retainers.
Do you work on platforms other than Shopify?
No. We're Shopify specialists. If you're committed to another platform, we're not the right fit — but we'll tell you honestly and recommend someone else.
Can you migrate us from Salesforce Commerce Cloud / Magento / BigCommerce?
Yes. We've moved brands onto Plus from Salesforce Commerce Cloud, BigCommerce, Magento, and custom stacks. We own the data migration, SEO redirects, theme build, apps replacement, QA and launch — cutovers in weeks, not quarters.
Do you do B2B on Shopify?
Yes. Company accounts with locations, roles and credit limits. Price lists per customer. Draft orders with net terms, PO numbers on checkout, approval workflows. Catalogs, companies, draft orders, and the full Plus B2B stack.
Can you build headless with Hydrogen?
Yes — when it's the right call. We'll also tell you honestly when it isn't. Most brands shouldn't go headless. For the ones that should (performance-critical storefronts, unusual UX, specific framework requirements), we build on Hydrogen + Oxygen.
Do you build custom apps and Shopify Functions?
Yes. Custom public and private apps, Shopify Functions for pricing/discounts/delivery/payment customisations, Theme App Extensions, web pixels, and checkout UI extensions.
Engagement models
Three ways to work with us.
What are the options for working with you?
Three models: project (fixed scope, fixed price, 6–16 weeks), retainer (reserved senior engineering time each month), and fractional engineering (embedded in your team for a specific initiative).
Can we start with a small project to see if it's a fit?
Yes. We often start with a scoped discovery or a small defined piece of work (a performance audit, a checkout extensibility migration plan, a single page build). It's a low-risk way to see how we work before committing to more.
Do you offer ongoing support after launch?
Yes. Our retainer tiers reserve senior engineering time each month for your roadmap, with response windows in writing. Unused hours roll over for 30 days. Tiers scale from 10 hours a month up to 60+.
Can we hire you to join our team temporarily?
Yes, through our fractional engineering model. We embed in your team's tools (GitHub, Linear, Jira, Slack), report to your engineering leadership, and leave a knowledge-transfer plan behind when the engagement ends.
Pricing & timing
What it costs and how long it takes.
How much does a project cost?
Project pricing is fixed after discovery, not estimated. A typical Plus theme build starts around $35,000 USD. A B2B build with ERP integration and PunchOut starts around $75,000 USD. Replatforms scale with catalog size and integration depth.
How long does a typical project take?
Most projects run 6–16 weeks from kickoff to launch. A straightforward theme build: 6–10 weeks. A B2B store with ERP integration: 10–16 weeks. A full replatform: 12–20 weeks. We agree the timeline up front and stick to it.
Do you offer fixed pricing or time-and-materials?
Fixed pricing after discovery, for every project. We won't send you an open-ended time-and-materials proposal — you deserve to know what it costs before you commit.
What do your retainer rates look like?
Retainer tiers start around CAD $391/month and scale up to CAD $2,652/month depending on hours and response windows. USD pricing is CAD × 0.65. See the full tier list on the <a href='/products/shopify-support-hours' class='text-accent underline'>Shopify Support Hours</a> page.
Process & communication
How a project actually runs.
How does a project start?
Discovery (1–2 weeks): we sit with your team, map the problem, and come back with a scoped, fixed-price proposal. If you accept, we kick off. If not, you keep the discovery output either way.
Who do we work with day-to-day?
A named senior engineer and a named project manager — the same two people from kickoff to launch. You know who's writing the code and who's running the schedule.
How often do we see progress?
Weekly stakeholder demos, every week, no exceptions. You see the real work-in-progress — not slides about the work-in-progress. If something's going sideways, you hear it from us before you have to ask.
What if we need to change scope mid-project?
That's normal. We write a short change-order noting the new work and any schedule or price impact, you approve it, and we proceed. No surprise invoices at the end.
What happens when the project ends?
You get a documented runbook for the build, training sessions for your team, and the code in your Shopify theme or your own repo. We offer a retainer if you want us to stay involved, but you're never locked in.
Security & handoff
How we handle your data and your code.
How do you handle our customer data during a project?
We're a vetted Shopify Partner, with controls aligned to Shopify's enterprise programme. We prefer to work with masked or synthetic data where possible, and only touch real customer data when a specific task requires it (e.g. a data migration). All access is time-bound and revoked at project end.
Will you sign our MSA, NDA, or DPA?
Yes. We'll sign your paperwork, and we have our own set ready if you'd rather start from there. We're GDPR and PIPEDA aware, and we maintain a SOC 2 vendor list for clients who need it.
What about the apps on our store — are they a security risk?
Often, yes. Shopify apps hold admin scopes that can read customer data and change store settings. We audit every installed app's scopes, flag overbroad access, and recommend replacements. We built the audit tool for exactly this.
Who owns the code when the project is done?
You do. Full ownership of everything we build for you — themes, apps, scripts, documentation. No licensing games, no "you can't take it elsewhere." It's your store and your code.
Still have questions? Let's talk.
Tell us what you're building. We'll come back with a scope, a price and a timeline — or point you to someone better suited if we're not the right fit.
Get a quote Call 1-877-516-6319