Should I tell my client I'm using a partner?

You don't have to, but never hide it if they ask. Most clients care who's accountable, not who writes the code. Telling them can build trust and clear procurement; keeping it under your brand keeps your agency up front. Either way, keep the contract, the accounts and the relationship with you, and get an NDA and non-solicit from your partner.

Send us your NDABack to the agencies guide

The pros and cons, side by side

Tell your clientKeep it under your brand
TrustNothing for them to discover laterIf it comes out another way, it can read as hiding something
How you lookA well-run agency with a specialist benchA full-service agency with its own engineers
Procurement and complianceClears subcontractor and data-access reviewsCan breach contracts that require naming subcontractors
Client meetingsPartner engineers can join under their own namePartner joins as part of your team, or not at all
PricingSome clients question the markupOne number, no breakdown to defend
Relationship riskClient meets the partner and may try to go directClient never meets the partner

Telling your client

Pros

  • You never have to manage a secret. A client who finds out on their own wonders what else they don't know.
  • It passes procurement. Enterprise and regulated clients often have to approve everyone who touches their code or data.
  • It shows depth. "We bring in specialist engineers for builds like this" sounds like a well-run agency, not a thin one.
  • The partner can work in the open. Engineers can answer technical questions on calls without a cover story.

Cons

  • Some clients will ask why they aren't paying the partner directly.
  • Your markup gets more scrutiny.
  • It opens a door to the partner. A non-solicit closes it, but only for the term you agreed.

Keeping it under your brand

Pros

  • One team, one brand, one point of accountability. The client's experience is simpler.
  • Your agency gets the credit for the work, and the case study.
  • Pricing stays a single number, sold on the outcome.

Cons

  • It only holds if nothing leaks: a footer credit, a stray email, a repo in the wrong account.
  • It can't survive a direct question. If the client asks, you answer honestly, and then they wonder why you didn't say so.
  • Some contracts and industries don't allow it.

How to decide

  1. Does the contract or procurement require naming subcontractors?

  2. Will the partner be on client calls often?

  3. Is the partner fully behind the scenes, with you accountable for everything?

  4. Did they ask?

What to say if you tell them

“We bring in specialist engineers for builds like this. We run the project and we're accountable for it.”

Keep it about you. Clients rarely mind specialists. They mind not knowing who's responsible.

Protect the relationship either way

An NDA protects information. A non-solicit protects the relationship: the partner can't take your client's work directly for a set period. Ask for both, whichever way you go.

And if you keep it under your brand, close the usual leaks.

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Our current agency terms

We work either way. We stay behind the agency's brand, or join client calls as its engineering team when invited. The agency decides.

Fifteen years as one agency's development team, under that agency's name.

  1. NDASigned before kickoff
  2. 0LBM logos or credits on deliverables
  3. 1Point of contact on each side
  4. 24Months of non-solicit

When keeping it quiet is the wrong call

Enterprise clients whose procurement requires naming subcontractors.

Regulated work where the client must vet everyone with data access.

The partner will be on most client calls.

Any time a client asks directly.

Answer honestly.

Related questions

Should I hire internal developers or partner with a third party?

Hire when development is steady and part of what you sell. Partner when the work comes in spikes.

How does white-label web development actually work?

You sell and manage the project; the partner builds it under your name.

Can a development partner handle SEO and AI visibility under my brand?

Yes. The technical half is engineering: keep the strategy and reporting, and let the partner fix what's under the hood.

How do I price white-label work and keep my margin?

Price on the value of the outcome, not on your partner's invoice.

How do agencies outsource development without losing control of the client?

Back to the agencies guide.

Send us your NDA. We'll sign it before you share a single client detail.

Whichever way you go with your client. Don't have one? We'll send you ours, with a non-solicit included.

Emailhello@lbm.co
NDAYours or ours
Non-solicit24 months