Laravel Modernisation Perth

Is your Laravel application stuck on an old version? Nano Solutions upgrades legacy Laravel codebases — from Laravel 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 to the current Laravel 11 or 12 — without breaking your production system. We have been building Laravel in Perth since 2013 and have migrated applications through every major version. Our upgrade process includes dependency audits, breaking-change resolution, test restoration, and zero-downtime deployment.

This page is specifically about upgrading existing Laravel applications to modern versions. For new Laravel builds, see our Laravel Development Perth page. For non-Laravel legacy modernisation (ASP, VB.NET, MS Access), see Software Modernisation.

Why Upgrade Your Laravel Application?

Laravel follows a predictable release cycle: a new major version every year, with security patches for two years after release. Applications running on unsupported versions (Laravel 9 and earlier as of 2026) no longer receive security fixes. That means:

• Security risk: Known vulnerabilities in end-of-life Laravel versions and their PHP dependencies will not be patched. Your application is exposed to attacks that are documented in public CVE databases.
• PHP version lock: Older Laravel versions require older PHP versions (Laravel 8 needs PHP 8.0, Laravel 7 needs PHP 7.4). Hosting providers are dropping support for PHP 7.x and 8.0, and your server will eventually stop receiving PHP security patches.
• Ecosystem drift: Modern packages (Filament, Livewire, Pest, Laravel Reverb) require Laravel 10+ and PHP 8.2+. The longer you wait, the further your application drifts from the ecosystem that would make new feature work fast and affordable.
• Developer availability: Senior Laravel developers do not want to work on Laravel 7. Recruiting and retaining talent for legacy codebases costs more and takes longer.
• Performance: Laravel 11 and 12 include significant performance improvements — streamlined service providers, lazy service resolution, and PHP 8.3/8.4 optimisations that reduce response times without code changes.

Our Upgrade Process

1. Codebase audit (1 week): We clone your repository and perform a full assessment: Laravel version, PHP version, dependency audit (Composer outdated + security advisories), test coverage measurement, static analysis (PHPStan/Larastan), and a list of every breaking change between your current version and the target. Output: a detailed upgrade report with effort estimate, risk assessment, and recommended approach.
2. Dependency resolution (1–2 weeks): We update Composer dependencies incrementally — one major version at a time when possible. Third-party packages that are abandoned or incompatible are replaced with maintained alternatives. This is often the hardest part of an upgrade and where most teams get stuck.
3. Breaking-change fixes (1–3 weeks): We resolve every breaking change identified in the audit — updated method signatures, removed helpers, changed configuration, middleware changes, routing changes, and Eloquent behaviour changes. Each fix is committed individually with a clear explanation.
4. Test restoration (1–2 weeks): If your test suite has degraded (common in legacy codebases), we restore coverage on critical paths — authentication, authorisation, payment flows, and core business logic. New tests are written in Pest for consistency.
5. Deployment and cutover: We deploy the upgraded application alongside the existing version, run production data through both, compare outputs, and cut over with zero downtime. Rollback plan is ready throughout.

Version-Specific Upgrade Paths

Laravel 5.x → Laravel 11/12

The biggest jump. Laravel 5 used a fundamentally different directory structure, middleware stack, and authentication system. Expect 4–8 weeks depending on application size. We typically upgrade through 6 → 8 → 10 → 11 rather than attempting a single jump.

Laravel 6/7 → Laravel 11/12

Moderate effort. Key changes: PHP 8.1+ requirement, Symfony 6/7 components, updated Eloquent casting, and new middleware configuration. Expect 2–4 weeks for most applications.

Laravel 8/9 → Laravel 11/12

The most straightforward upgrade. Main changes: PHP 8.2+ requirement, streamlined application structure (optional), and updated configuration files. Expect 1–2 weeks for well-maintained codebases.

Laravel 10 → Laravel 11/12

Minor effort. Laravel 11 introduced a simplified application skeleton and merged configuration files, but these changes are optional for existing applications. Expect 2–5 days.

What Happens to Your Customisations?

We preserve all your custom business logic, database schemas, API contracts, and frontend code. The upgrade targets the framework layer and its dependencies — not your application code. Where your code uses deprecated patterns (string-based route helpers, removed facade methods, changed Eloquent behaviours), we update it to the modern equivalent and explain why in the commit message.

Typical Investment

Laravel upgrade projects typically range from $5,000–$10,000 for a single-version jump on a small application, $15,000–$35,000 for a multi-version upgrade (e.g., Laravel 7 → 12) on a mid-sized codebase, and $40,000+ for large enterprise applications with extensive custom packages and low test coverage. The codebase audit ($2,500) is always the first step and gives you a fixed-price quote for the full upgrade.

Book a free discovery call to discuss your Laravel upgrade.