Themes and builders

WordPress themes and builders: I pick the tool for the project, not out of habit.

Bricks, Elementor, Gutenberg or a hand-written theme: the choice drives maintenance cost for years, so I start from the project constraints rather than from what I know best.

Last updated: 2026-08-29

Outcomes

The tool chosen for a reason that stays written down, still checkable in two years.
Readable builds the agency team can pick up without reverse engineering.
Less technical debt carried into the builds that follow.

Themes and builders

Where this service fits best

WordPress theme development and builds in Bricks, Elementor or Gutenberg. I pick the tool for the project, not out of habit. Existing themes included.

I structure the work for agencies that need dependable white-label execution and handoff the team can pick up without hidden assumptions.

Tool by tool

Bricks Builder

I reach for it when a project needs clean markup and solid templates without dragging along code nobody uses. Of the builders, it leaves the most control.

Builds from approved designs on custom themes, landing pages and corporate sites.
Dynamic templates, query loops and reusable components.
Refactoring of builds already underway: markup, responsive, dynamic parts.

Elementor

Still the right call when the agency team needs to make changes on its own after handover, and the widget library already covers most of the scope.

Landing pages and marketing sites in Elementor Pro from approved designs.
Templates, global styles and reusable sections.
Widgets and custom code where the stock builder falls short.

Gutenberg and Full Site Editing

The route to prefer when the client needs real editorial autonomy and the project has no need for a third-party builder.

Custom blocks and variations built around how editors actually work.
Patterns and compositions reusable across recurring content.
FSE themes and site templates built on the block editor.

Custom themes

When no builder makes sense: the project has performance, structure or integration constraints that are easier to handle by writing the theme.

Bespoke theme from Figma, Adobe XD or PSD.
Component structure designed for whoever maintains it next.
ACF and dynamic data integrated without add-on plugins.

Customising existing themes

The most common case on live projects: when a rebuild is not justified, I adapt what is already there.

Changes to commercial themes or themes inherited from other suppliers.
Brand, layout and compatibility gaps closed without starting over.
Work on someone else's build, documented for whoever picks it up.

Related WordPress resources

Practical guides for evaluating this part of a WordPress project before delivery starts.

Technical comparison

Bricks vs Elementor: why more performance-sensitive builds are moving to Bricks Builder.

Bricks vs Elementor for WordPress agencies: comparison table, practical verdict and analysis of performance, editing, lock-in, templates, WooCommerce and maintenance.

Read: Technical comparison

WordPress architecture

Custom theme or page builder: how to make the call in a WordPress project.

When a custom WordPress theme makes sense and when a builder like Bricks or Elementor is the right call: practical criteria based on project requirements.

Read: WordPress architecture

Performance

Core Web Vitals in WordPress development: what actually matters for agencies.

How I treat Core Web Vitals in WordPress agency projects: cleaner delivery, better technical priorities and less cosmetic optimization.

Read: Performance