# Legacy PHP Modernization | CakePHP, Laravel, Joomla, Custom PHP Upgrades & Rescue

> Modernize legacy PHP applications from Michigan: PHP 5/7 to 8.x upgrades, CakePHP and old Laravel migrations, Joomla and custom CMS rescues, security hardening, test coverage, containerization, and incremental rewrites — without a risky big-bang replacement.

**Keywords:** legacy PHP modernization, PHP 8 upgrade services, CakePHP upgrade, Laravel upgrade, Joomla migration, legacy application modernization, PHP application rescue, custom PHP maintenance, PHP developer Michigan

**Source:** https://reeddynamic.com/services/legacy-php-modernization/

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PHP 8 upgrades · CakePHP · Laravel · Joomla · Custom PHP · Strangler rewrites

# Legacy PHP modernization without the big-bang rewrite.

That custom PHP app on 5.6 or 7.2 that runs the business — the one nobody wants to touch. Reed Dynamic has written PHP since 2010 (CakePHP, Laravel, Magento, WordPress, and plenty of framework-free code). We audit it, stabilize it, upgrade it, and replace it piece by piece while it keeps running.

[Request a codebase audit](https://reeddynamic.com/contact/) · [See pricing](https://reeddynamic.com/pricing/)

![Legacy PHP application being modernized]

**Reed Dynamic provides legacy PHP modernization services** — PHP 5/7 to 8.x upgrades, CakePHP and Laravel version migrations, Joomla and custom CMS rescues, security hardening, test coverage and CI/CD, containerization, and incremental strangler-pattern rewrites — from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Audits from $2,500; upgrades and migrations $10,000–$120,000.

## Modernization services

### Codebase audit

Dependencies, PHP compatibility, security exposure, test coverage, hosting, and the "only Bob knew" list. A written risk map and a phased plan.

- Risk map
- Phased plan
- Fixed price

### PHP 8.x upgrades

Static analysis (Rector, PHPStan), compatibility fixes, dependency updates, and a test harness around critical paths before cutover.

- Rector
- PHPStan
- PHP 8.3

### Framework migrations

CakePHP 2/3 → CakePHP 5 or Laravel; old Laravel → current; Joomla → WordPress or custom. Business logic preserved, URLs redirected.

- CakePHP
- Laravel
- Joomla

### Security hardening

SQL injection and XSS sweeps, auth and session fixes, secrets out of code, WAF, and dependency pinning.

- OWASP
- Auth
- Secrets

### Tests & CI/CD

Characterization tests that lock in current behavior, then a pipeline so every change is verified and deployable.

- PHPUnit
- CI/CD
- Staging

### Containers & cloud

Docker, reproducible environments, and a move off the aging server to AWS or a managed host. See [cloud migration strategies](https://reeddynamic.com/blog/cloud-migration-strategies-complete-guide/).

- Docker
- AWS
- Managed hosting

## Legacy PHP FAQs

**

### Our custom PHP app still runs. Why modernize?

**

Because PHP 7.4 and earlier receive no security patches, hosts are dropping old versions, dependencies are unmaintained, and the developer who wrote it is gone. The risk isn't that it stops working today — it's that it stops working the day a host forces an upgrade or a vulnerability is exploited, with nobody who can fix it. Modernization is cheaper than an emergency.

**

### How much does PHP modernization cost?

**

A codebase audit is $2,500–$7,500. A PHP 8 upgrade of a mid-sized app runs $10,000–$40,000. Framework migrations (CakePHP → Laravel, Joomla → WordPress) run $25,000–$120,000 depending on size and how much business logic must be preserved. See [pricing](https://reeddynamic.com/pricing/).

**

### Do we have to rewrite everything at once?

**

No — and we'd advise against it. We use a strangler pattern: get the existing app on a supported PHP with tests around critical paths, then replace modules incrementally behind the same URLs. The business keeps running throughout.

**

### Which frameworks and CMSs do you know?

**

CakePHP (long history, per our Clutch profile), Laravel, Symfony, Magento, WordPress, Joomla, and plenty of no-framework custom PHP. Also the MySQL/PostgreSQL schemas and cron jobs that usually come with them.

**

### Can you take over maintenance without modernizing first?

**

Yes — audit first so we both know the risks, then a support retainer with a modernization roadmap you can fund over time. See [maintenance and repair](https://reeddynamic.com/services/website-maintenance/).

## Got a PHP app nobody wants to touch?

Give us read access. We'll come back with a risk map and a phased plan you can fund over time.

            [Start a project](https://reeddynamic.com/contact/) · [Website maintenance →](https://reeddynamic.com/services/website-maintenance/)

Or call [(734) 535-8954](tel:+17345358954) · Mon–Fri 9–5 ET