Production Environment as Code: Rebuild Your Server From Scripts
I turn your production setup into files in your repo: server creation, configuration, Docker Compose and a runbook, so you can rebuild it from scratch by following timed, tested steps. Terraform or OpenTofu on request. From $910 ($700 founding) for a single server, 2–3 weeks. Email your current setup to start.
See a sample report, proposal and weekly update- Price
- from $910
- Founding
- from $700
- Timeline
- 2–3 weeks
- Format
- Fixed scope, fixed price
- Hours
- US Eastern Time, async
Who this is for.
A good fit if
- Apps running on a server that was set up by hand and never written down
- Founders who want to switch providers without starting over
- Small teams who want staging to match production
Common triggers
- A server died or nearly died and nobody could rebuild it
- A provider change or price rise
- An investor or customer asks for a disaster recovery plan
Not a fit if
- You need Kubernetes, multi-region or auto-scaling groups
- You want a large multi-account cloud setup
- Nobody on your side will keep the files up to date
What I do, and what you get.
What I do
- Write down what runs today: packages, configs, services, ports, cron, volumes
- Script server creation (Terraform or OpenTofu where the provider supports it, or cloud-init)
- Script configuration (hardening, proxy, TLS, app, workers)
- Keep app services in Docker Compose with pinned versions
- Keep secrets out of the repo, with a documented way to supply them
- Rebuild the whole thing on a fresh server as the acceptance test
What you get
- An infra/ folder: server definition, bootstrap scripts, Compose files
- A rebuild runbook with times from the real test rebuild
- A diagram of what runs where
- Handover notes
Your part
- Cloud account access and an API token with limited scope
- Budget for a temporary test server during the rebuild
- A person who will own the files afterward
Included
- Server definition, bootstrap, Compose, runbook
- One full test rebuild
- Single node or app/database split
- Secrets handling approach
Not included
- Kubernetes, auto-scaling, multi-region
- Migrating live traffic (Hosting Migration)
- Ongoing changes (Care Plan or Hours Block)
- Hosting and test-server costs
Fixed prices, agreed before work starts.
One server as code, one test rebuild
App + database servers, private network, test rebuild; two monthly milestones of $780 ($600 founding)
Build your scope
- Timeline
- 2–3 weeks
- Payment
- Paid in full before work starts
- Earliest start
- Oct 5
Founding price: 3 of 7 spots left, until Mar 31, 2027 — one-off work, in return for a testimonial. How it works
Prices are in USD, paid by bank transfer against an invoice. Work under $1,000 is paid upfront; larger work is 50% to start and 50% before handover, or monthly milestones. How working together works
Variations
- Script-only
- cloud-init, shell and Compose with no Terraform state to manage, which is simplest for one server.
- Terraform / OpenTofu
- For providers with good support (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Google Cloud), with state stored in your account.
- Split
- Two servers, with the private network and firewall rules in code.
How it runs.
- 01
Describe your server
Email your provider and a description of the server, and I reply within one US business day.
- 02
Inventory and plan
I inventory the current server read-only and send a written plan with a prepaid invoice (50/50 for $1,000+).
- 03
Write the code
I write the code and scripts in a branch.
- 04
Test rebuild
I rebuild on a fresh server and compare it with production.
- 05
Runbook handover
You get the runbook and the test server is deleted.
A new service, done openly.
I have not delivered this exact service for a client before, so there is no case study to point to yet. The approach above is built from parts I have shipped in production — see the case studies — and the fixed price and written scope protect you while it is new.
Questions buyers ask.
Have you done this as a client service before?
This is a new service, with no past case study yet. It’s built from parts I’ve shipped: Docker images and Compose stacks, and software that installs and configures servers on five clouds.
Do I need Terraform?
Not for one server. Scripts plus Compose are often simpler, and I’ll recommend one in the plan.
Can this move me to another provider?
It makes a move much easier; the move itself is a Hosting Migration.
Where are secrets kept?
Never in the repo. In your provider’s secret store, a password manager, or an .env file placed at deploy.
What if production differs from the code later?
The runbook includes a quick drift check, and a Care Plan can run it monthly.
Ask about Environment as Code.
Tell me what you have and where it hurts. I reply within one US business day with either a fixed quote or the entry step that makes a fixed quote possible.
Helpful to include
- Provider
- Number of servers
- Stack
- How it was set up
- Docker yes/no
- Who will own the files
More in Deployment & DevOps
Dockerize Your App
I package your app, database and workers into Docker images with a Compose file, so it runs the same on a laptop, in CI and on a server. From $390 ($300 founding), delivered in about a week. Built by the maintainer of five public Docker images. Email your stack and current hosting to start.
CI/CD Pipeline
I set up a pipeline that tests every push, builds a versioned Docker image only when tests pass, and deploys it with migrations and a one-command rollback. From $390 ($300 founding), delivered in 1–2 weeks. GitHub Actions and Google Cloud Build. Email your repo host and hosting to start.
Production Server Setup
I set up a secure production server for your app on the provider you choose: firewall, SSH keys, TLS, reverse proxy, database, workers, backups and basic monitoring, with a runbook. From $390 ($300 founding) for one server, about a week. Single server or app/database split. Email your app and provider to start.
Email Authentication Setup
A new service: I set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your domain and every tool that sends email as you, such as your website, CRM, invoicing and newsletter, and then test delivery to Gmail and Outlook. From $130 ($100 founding), within a week; moving DMARC to full enforcement takes about 4 weeks.