How Frequently Do You Refactor Client Code After Project Handoffs?

Refactoring isn't something I’ll do unless we have a retainer for ongoing maintenance and updates. If everything’s functioning smoothly, I won’t touch it again. Unless, of course, there’s a legacy issue that we decided to tackle in future projects.

I only refactor if it improves performance or addresses a specific bug. For example, I recently optimized some older projects to conditionally load libraries instead of loading them everywhere. If it makes the site better, then I’ll make that change.

Honestly, I never refactor code unless there's an urgent need. If the client’s not asking for it, I don’t see the point. Perfection isn’t necessary if the code works as intended.

It really depends. If a client wants features and some necessary refactoring comes up, I’ll work that in. But generally, I won’t touch anything after project delivery unless there's an agreed-upon retainer for updates.

In my experience, I usually only consider refactoring when it directly benefits the client or if I'm already working on adding new features. If the existing code isn’t broken, I leave it be. I’m not doing work for free.