Where to actually look
Three realistic sources: Umbraco's own certified-developer and partner listings, a referral from another team already running Umbraco, or direct outreach to a specialist. Generic freelance marketplaces work too, but they make it harder to verify anything below, so budget more time for vetting if that's the route.
What certifications actually tell you, and don't
Umbraco's certification programme runs three tiers: Certified Professional, Certified Expert, and Certified Master. Each is exam-based, built on official training courses, and expires every two years, so an active certification reflects current knowledge, not something earned once and never revisited. The detail worth knowing: certification tests platform depth, not whether someone communicates well, scopes projects realistically, or is pleasant to work with on a bad week. Treat it as one input, not the whole decision. The full breakdown is in What Is an Umbraco Certified Master?
Questions worth asking
- How many live Umbraco projects have you actually shipped, and can I see one?
- What versions have you worked in recently, current LTS releases or mostly legacy Umbraco 7/8?
- How do you handle documentation and handover, so I'm not dependent on you specifically forever?
- What's your patch and security-update cadence for a live site?
- Can I see real code, commit history, not just a portfolio screenshot?
Freelancer, agency, or in-house
Each shape fits a different job. An agency suits parallel workstreams and tight deadlines needing multiple developers at once. An independent developer suits a single senior specialist doing a build, migration, or ongoing support, without paying for capacity you're not using. In-house makes sense once the ongoing workload justifies a full-time hire. For the fuller, more honest version of this trade-off, including what "Umbraco Partner" actually means and why it's a company credential, not a personal one, see looking for an Umbraco development company.
Red flags
- No specifics on which Umbraco versions they've actually worked in.
- Reluctance to give a scoped, day-based estimate for defined work.
- Won't show real code or a real commit history, only screenshots.
- Certification claims that can't be checked against Umbraco's public directory.
Where I fit into this
I'm an Umbraco Certified Master with fourteen years focused specifically on this platform, working with US agencies and in-house teams remotely from the UK. See about for how I actually work, or pricing for how engagements are billed.