diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a7f8048..abf3d47 100755
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,5 +10,7 @@ playwright-report/
 test-results/
 .env
 .superpowers/
+# Logs, pids and uploads written by scripts/start-local.ps1
+.local/
 .scannerwork/
 .nyc_output/
diff --git a/scripts/start-local.ps1 b/scripts/start-local.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6aac5dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/start-local.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,300 @@
+#Requires -Version 7
+<#
+.SYNOPSIS
+    Starts the Redefined Designs stack locally for testing and review.
+
+.DESCRIPTION
+    Brings up a Postgres container, runs migrations, builds and starts the
+    backend, and starts the Vite dev server. Safe to run repeatedly: an
+    existing container is reused rather than recreated, and processes already
+    listening are left alone.
+
+    Logs and process ids go to .local/ at the repository root.
+
+.PARAMETER Fresh
+    Drop the database container and its data before starting, so migrations
+    run against an empty database.
+
+.PARAMETER Stop
+    Stop the backend, the dev server and the database container, then exit.
+
+.PARAMETER DbPort
+    Host port for Postgres. Change it if something already holds the default.
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    .\scripts\start-local.ps1
+    .\scripts\start-local.ps1 -Fresh
+    .\scripts\start-local.ps1 -Stop
+#>
+[CmdletBinding()]
+param(
+    # Deliberately not 55432. That port is reserved by Hyper-V on at least one
+    # machine here, and Docker's failure when it cannot bind does not mention
+    # reservations, which has cost time more than once.
+    [int]$DbPort = 55500,
+    [int]$ApiPort = 3000,
+    [int]$WebPort = 5173,
+    [switch]$Fresh,
+    [switch]$Stop
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+$RepoRoot = Split-Path -Parent $PSScriptRoot
+$StateDir = Join-Path $RepoRoot '.local'
+$PidFile = Join-Path $StateDir 'pids.json'
+$Container = 'redefined-designs-local-db'
+$DbUser = 'redefined_local'
+$DbPassword = 'redefined_local'
+$DbName = 'redefined_local'
+
+function Write-Step { param([string]$Message) Write-Host "==> $Message" -ForegroundColor Cyan }
+function Write-Note { param([string]$Message) Write-Host "    $Message" -ForegroundColor DarkGray }
+function Write-Good { param([string]$Message) Write-Host "    $Message" -ForegroundColor Green }
+
+# $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop' does NOT stop the script when a native
+# executable exits non-zero, only when a cmdlet throws. Everything here is
+# node, npm or docker, so without this wrapper a failed migration is a line of
+# red text the script prints and then carries straight past. It did exactly
+# that once, and reported a healthy stack sitting on an empty database.
+function Invoke-Checked {
+    param([scriptblock]$Command, [string]$What)
+    & $Command
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+        throw "$What failed (exit code $LASTEXITCODE)."
+    }
+}
+
+function Assert-Docker {
+    docker info *>$null
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+        throw "Docker is not running. Start Docker Desktop and try again."
+    }
+}
+
+# node-pg-migrate pulls in an lru-cache that calls
+# diagnostics_channel.tracingChannel, which does not exist before Node 20. On
+# Node 18 the migration dies in minified library code with "(0 , U.tracingChannel)
+# is not a function", which says nothing about versions. CI runs Node 20.
+function Assert-NodeVersion {
+    $raw = (node --version)
+    $major = [int](($raw -replace '^v', '') -split '\.')[0]
+    if ($major -lt 20) {
+        throw @"
+Node $raw is too old. This needs Node 20 or newer.
+
+If you use nvm-windows:
+
+    nvm use 24.13.1
+
+Then run this script again in a new shell.
+"@
+    }
+    Write-Note "node $raw"
+}
+
+# Reads back only the ids this script wrote. Killing by port would be shorter
+# and would also kill whatever else happened to be listening.
+function Get-TrackedProcesses {
+    if (-not (Test-Path $PidFile)) { return @{} }
+    try { return (Get-Content $PidFile -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json -AsHashtable) }
+    catch { return @{} }
+}
+
+function Stop-Tracked {
+    param([string]$Name)
+    $tracked = Get-TrackedProcesses
+    if (-not $tracked.ContainsKey($Name)) { return }
+    $process = Get-Process -Id $tracked[$Name] -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    if ($process) {
+        Stop-Process -Id $process.Id -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+        Write-Good "stopped $Name (pid $($process.Id))"
+    }
+}
+
+function Set-Tracked {
+    param([string]$Name, [int]$ProcessId)
+    $tracked = Get-TrackedProcesses
+    $tracked[$Name] = $ProcessId
+    $tracked | ConvertTo-Json | Set-Content $PidFile
+}
+
+function Test-Listening {
+    param([int]$Port)
+    return [bool](Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort $Port -State Listen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)
+}
+
+function Wait-For {
+    param(
+        [scriptblock]$Condition,
+        [string]$What,
+        [int]$TimeoutSeconds = 60
+    )
+    for ($i = 1; $i -le $TimeoutSeconds; $i++) {
+        if (& $Condition) {
+            Write-Good "$What ready after ${i}s"
+            return
+        }
+        Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
+    }
+    throw "$What did not become ready within ${TimeoutSeconds}s."
+}
+
+function Stop-Environment {
+    Write-Step 'Stopping'
+    Stop-Tracked 'backend'
+    Stop-Tracked 'frontend'
+    docker stop $Container *>$null
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) { Write-Good "stopped container $Container" }
+    else { Write-Note "container $Container was not running" }
+    Remove-Item $PidFile -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    Write-Host ''
+    Write-Host 'Stopped.' -ForegroundColor Green
+}
+
+function Start-Database {
+    if ($Fresh) {
+        Write-Step 'Removing the existing database (-Fresh)'
+        docker rm -f $Container *>$null
+        Write-Good 'removed'
+    }
+
+    $existing = (docker ps -a --filter "name=^/$Container$" --format '{{.Names}}')
+    if ($existing -eq $Container) {
+        Write-Step "Reusing the database container"
+        docker start $Container *>$null
+    }
+    else {
+        Write-Step "Creating the database container on port $DbPort"
+        docker run -d --name $Container `
+            -e "POSTGRES_USER=$DbUser" `
+            -e "POSTGRES_PASSWORD=$DbPassword" `
+            -e "POSTGRES_DB=$DbName" `
+            -p "${DbPort}:5432" `
+            postgres:16 *>$null
+
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+            # The message Docker gives for a reserved port does not say
+            # "reserved", so name the likely cause and the way out of it.
+            throw @"
+Could not start Postgres on port $DbPort.
+
+If the port is in use, or reserved by Hyper-V (which silently claims ranges on
+Windows), pick another one:
+
+    .\scripts\start-local.ps1 -DbPort 55600
+
+Reserved ranges: netsh interface ipv4 show excludedportrange protocol=tcp
+"@
+        }
+    }
+
+    Wait-For -What 'Postgres' -Condition {
+        docker exec $Container pg_isready -U $DbUser -d $DbName *>$null
+        $LASTEXITCODE -eq 0
+    }
+}
+
+function Install-IfMissing {
+    param([string]$Directory)
+    $name = Split-Path -Leaf $Directory
+    if (Test-Path (Join-Path $Directory 'node_modules')) {
+        Write-Note "$name dependencies already installed"
+        return
+    }
+    Write-Step "Installing $name dependencies"
+    Push-Location $Directory
+    try { Invoke-Checked { npm install } "$name npm install" } finally { Pop-Location }
+}
+
+function Start-Backend {
+    $backend = Join-Path $RepoRoot 'backend'
+
+    # The six the backend refuses to boot without, plus the two that make a
+    # local run behave. Set in this session so the child process inherits them.
+    $env:PGHOST = 'localhost'
+    $env:PGPORT = "$DbPort"
+    $env:PGUSER = $DbUser
+    $env:PGPASSWORD = $DbPassword
+    $env:PGDATABASE = $DbName
+    $env:UPLOADS_DIR = (Join-Path $StateDir 'uploads')
+    $env:PORT = "$ApiPort"
+    # No PayPal credentials locally. DEMO_MODE lets the whole cart and checkout
+    # path run without them and with no way to reach live PayPal.
+    $env:DEMO_MODE = 'true'
+    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $env:UPLOADS_DIR *>$null
+
+    Write-Step 'Running migrations'
+    Push-Location $backend
+    try {
+        Invoke-Checked { node migrate.js up } 'Migrations'
+        Write-Step 'Building the backend'
+        Invoke-Checked { npm run build } 'Backend build'
+    }
+    finally { Pop-Location }
+
+    if (Test-Listening -Port $ApiPort) {
+        Write-Note "something is already listening on $ApiPort; leaving it alone"
+        return
+    }
+
+    Write-Step "Starting the backend on $ApiPort"
+    # Separate files: Start-Process cannot redirect both streams to one path.
+    $process = Start-Process -FilePath 'node' -ArgumentList 'dist/server.js' `
+        -WorkingDirectory $backend `
+        -RedirectStandardOutput (Join-Path $StateDir 'backend.log') `
+        -RedirectStandardError (Join-Path $StateDir 'backend.err.log') `
+        -WindowStyle Hidden -PassThru
+    Set-Tracked 'backend' $process.Id
+
+    Wait-For -What 'Backend' -Condition {
+        try {
+            $null = Invoke-WebRequest "http://localhost:$ApiPort/api/config" -TimeoutSec 2 -UseBasicParsing
+            $true
+        }
+        catch { $false }
+    }
+}
+
+function Start-Frontend {
+    if (Test-Listening -Port $WebPort) {
+        Write-Note "something is already listening on $WebPort; leaving it alone"
+        return
+    }
+
+    Write-Step "Starting the dev server on $WebPort"
+    $process = Start-Process -FilePath 'npm.cmd' -ArgumentList 'run', 'dev' `
+        -WorkingDirectory (Join-Path $RepoRoot 'frontend') `
+        -RedirectStandardOutput (Join-Path $StateDir 'frontend.log') `
+        -RedirectStandardError (Join-Path $StateDir 'frontend.err.log') `
+        -WindowStyle Hidden -PassThru
+    Set-Tracked 'frontend' $process.Id
+
+    Wait-For -What 'Dev server' -Condition { Test-Listening -Port $WebPort }
+}
+
+New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $StateDir *>$null
+
+if ($Stop) {
+    Stop-Environment
+    return
+}
+
+Assert-NodeVersion
+Assert-Docker
+Start-Database
+Install-IfMissing (Join-Path $RepoRoot 'backend')
+Install-IfMissing (Join-Path $RepoRoot 'frontend')
+Start-Backend
+Start-Frontend
+
+Write-Host ''
+Write-Host 'Running.' -ForegroundColor Green
+Write-Host "  Storefront   http://localhost:$WebPort"
+Write-Host "  Admin        http://localhost:$WebPort/admin"
+Write-Host "  API          http://localhost:$ApiPort/api/config"
+Write-Host "  Postgres     localhost:$DbPort  ($DbUser / $DbPassword / $DbName)"
+Write-Host ''
+Write-Host "  Logs         $StateDir"
+Write-Host "  Stop         .\scripts\start-local.ps1 -Stop"
+Write-Host ''