Smiling couple receiving keys, celebrating new home purchase indoors. — Drupal Agenturwechsel

Drupal Agency Switch — Safe and Structured to Your New Agency

Name: arocom GmbH
Address: Heumadener Straße 4, Ostfildern-Kemnat, 73760, DE
Telephone: +49 711 633 77 960

Last updated: March 2026 · Reading time: 14 minutes

The collaboration with your Drupal agency is no longer working. Response times are getting longer, updates are left waiting, communication is sluggish. You know a switch is due — but the thought of handing over a mature Drupal project makes you nervous.

Understandable. An agency switch for a running Drupal installation is technically demanding. Custom modules, configurations, server setups, implicit knowledge — all of this must be handed over cleanly. Without structure, something gets lost.

This page shows you when a switch makes sense, how the technical handover works, and why an independent Platform Check (Audit) makes the difference between risk and clarity.

Warning signs

When an agency switch is due

Not every dissatisfaction justifies a switch. But there are clear warning signs that show your Drupal platform is in the wrong hands.

Technical red flags

Security updates waiting for weeks or months
No version control (no Git, no deployment process)
Changes are made directly on the live server
Custom modules without documentation and without tests
PHP or Drupal version is outdated and nobody responds
No staging system for quality assurance
+ 3 more

Organizational red flags

Response times keep getting longer
Contact persons change constantly, knowledge is lost
No clear project plan, no roadmap
Costs rise without results improving
No proactive communication about problems
The agency shows no interest in your further development
+ 3 more

Important: If two or more of these points apply to you, it is time to assess the situation. That does not automatically mean you need to switch immediately — but you need an independent assessment. That is what the Platform Check is for.

Handover

How a Drupal handover works technically

Taking over a Drupal project is more than an FTP login and a database. It is about code, configuration, infrastructure, and knowledge.

Code & Repository

Handover of the Git repository with complete history. Review of Composer configuration, custom modules, patches, and dependencies. Documentation of all custom developments.

Database & Configuration

Database export, review of configuration management (config/sync), content types, taxonomies, Views definitions. Ensuring configuration is versioned in code.

Infrastructure & Hosting

Documentation of server configuration, SSL certificates, cron jobs, caching setup, CDN settings. Transfer of domain management and DNS settings.

Access & Accounts

Transfer of all relevant access: server, admin panel, third-party APIs (payment, newsletter, analytics), licenses. Documentation in a secure password manager.

Documentation

Handover of existing documentation: architecture decisions, deployment processes, known issues, workarounds. Often documentation is missing — then this is captured in the Platform Check.

Knowledge Transfer

Handover meeting with the previous agency (if possible): implicit knowledge, business logic, historical decisions. What is not documented must be discussed.

Reality in most takeovers: Documentation is incomplete, access is unclearly distributed, custom modules are not documented. That is normal. That is exactly what the Platform Check is for — it creates the knowledge base missing from the handover.

Platform Check

The Platform Check as the foundation for the switch

Before you commission a new agency, you need clarity: what is the actual state of your Drupal installation? The Platform Check provides this answer — independently and structured.

What the Platform Check delivers during an agency switch

Independent assessment of code quality
Identification of technical debt and risks
Effort estimates for necessary remediation
Prioritized roadmap for the new agency
Decision basis: evolve or rebuild?
Executive summary for your decision-makers
+ 3 more

Why the Platform Check before the switch makes sense

Without an independent assessment, you do not know what you are taking over. The new agency cannot provide a reliable effort estimate if the code quality is unknown. The Platform Check creates a shared knowledge base — for you and the new agency. The invested amount (from 2,500 EUR plus VAT) is fully credited toward a follow-up project with arocom.

Platform Check in detail

Process

The takeover process at arocom

arocom has managed over 160 Drupal projects since 2012. Many of them were takeovers from other agencies. From this, a structured process has emerged.

You reach out, our team responds within 4 hours on business days. In the video call, we clarify the situation: why the switch, what is the technical status, what are the expectations.

We conduct a Platform Check — depending on complexity as Focus Check (from 2,500 EUR), Standard Check (from 5,000 EUR), or Deep Dive (from 10,000 EUR plus VAT). Result: an honest report with recommendations.

Based on the Platform Check, we create a takeover plan: what gets done immediately (security, updates), what gets addressed in the first 3 months, what is long-term roadmap.

We coordinate the access handover with your previous agency. NDA is signed before access is granted. If needed, we handle communication with the predecessor agency.

In the first weeks, we secure the platform: security updates, set up monitoring, verify backups, establish deployment process. No feature work before the foundation is solid.

Only when the platform is stable do we start with further development — following your roadmap, with clear sprints and transparent communication. Partnership, not delivery.

Why arocom

What arocom does differently in project takeovers

Since 2012, arocom has been taking over Drupal projects from other agencies. We have seen a lot: solid installations that only needed a new contact person, and projects with massive technical debt that nobody had documented. From this experience, we have learned what goes wrong in takeovers — and what it takes to make them work.

Documentation as standard

Every project at arocom is documented: architecture decisions, deployment processes, custom modules, known issues. If you leave us, you take the documentation with you. No vendor lock-in through knowledge withholding.

Standards-compliant development

Drupal coding standards, Composer-based package management, configuration management in code, automated tests, code reviews on every merge. Your code is maintainable — even for another agency.

Partnership, not delivery

No black-box development. You have access to the repository, the project board, the deployments. You know at all times what we are doing and why. Regular sprints with transparent communication.

Honest assessments

If your installation is solid, we say so. If a switch is not necessary, we advise against it. And if a rebuild is more economical than a takeover, we communicate that clearly — even if it means less revenue for us.

160+ Drupal projects since 2012 arocom internal

5/5★ on Agenturtipp.de Agenturtipp.de

<4h Response time (business days) arocom internal

What does a Drupal agency switch cost?

The Platform Check as a basis costs from 2,500 EUR plus VAT and is credited toward a follow-up project. The takeover itself depends on the state of the installation — a clean project is taken over in a few days, a project with technical debt needs a stabilization phase. We provide specific effort estimates after the Platform Check.

How long does an agency switch take?

The Platform Check takes 1-4 weeks depending on the tier. The access handover is completed in a few days. The stabilization phase is 2-6 weeks. In total, expect 4-10 weeks from first call to running operations under new management.

Do we need the cooperation of the old agency?

Ideally yes — for knowledge transfer and access handover. But we have experience with situations where the old agency does not cooperate. The Platform Check works without their involvement, as long as you have access to the code and database.

What happens with our data and content during the switch?

Your data belongs to you. All content stored in the Drupal database is fully transferred. Files (images, PDFs, media) are also migrated. No content is lost.

Can we just do the Platform Check and then stay with our agency?

Yes. The Platform Check is a standalone service. The report belongs to you and is written so that any qualified Drupal agency can implement the recommendations. Sometimes the check reveals that your current agency is doing good work — then we say that.

What if our old agency refuses to hand over access?

Your access and your code belong to you. If your previous agency refuses to hand them over, you have legal recourse. We support you with technical documentation of what needs to be handed over.

Do you also take over Drupal 7 projects?

Yes. Drupal 7 reached end of life in January 2025. For Drupal 7 takeovers, we recommend the Deep Dive Platform Check (from 10,000 EUR plus VAT), which includes a complete migration assessment to the current Drupal version.

Do you work with fixed budgets or time and materials?

Both. The Platform Check has fixed prices. For takeover and further development, we work with sprint-based effort estimates — transparent hours, traceable results. No surprises on the invoice.

How do you ensure the switch does not affect our website?

No switch happens on the live system. We set up a parallel environment, take over code and database, test everything, and only switch over when the new infrastructure runs stably. DNS migration is coordinated and planned.

What sets arocom apart from other Drupal agencies?

arocom has worked exclusively with Drupal since 2012. Over 160 Drupal projects, own contrib modules, active in the Drupal community, sponsor of international Drupal events. Partnership, not delivery: you have access to repository and project board, full transparency on all decisions.

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