diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fb7fa00f..6cfaf4de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ Configure your build by editing `.the-build/build.default.properties.yml`. You c
 * [Building an artifact](docs/artifacts.md)
 * [Using Drupal multisites](docs/drupal_multisite.md)
 * [Custom tasks provided by the-build](docs/tasks.md)
+* [Developing on the-build](docs/development.md)
 
 ----
 Copyright 2016, 2017, 2018 Palantir.net, Inc.
diff --git a/docs/development.md b/docs/development.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3d368577
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/development.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Developing on the-build
+
+To develop and test changes to the-build, you'll generally need to have a Drupal codebase to run the-build on.
+
+1. Choose a site to test against
+2. Check out the-build as a git repository into the site's `vendor/` directory
+3. Make, commit, and push your changes from within `vendor/palantirnet/the-build/`
+
+The major thing to watch out for here is that your copy of the-build is temporary -- in certain cases (especially when switching branches) when you run composer commands, your repo may be replaced with a different version.
+
+## Testing on an existing site
+
+You can clone the-build into the vendor directory of an existing site. If it doesn't have a version of the-build already installed, you'll need to require it with `composer require palantirnet/the-build:dev-release-2.0 --prefer-source --dev` first.
+
+```
+cd my-site
+composer require palantirnet/the-build:dev-release-2.0 --prefer-source --dev
+```
+
+At this point, `vendor/palantirnet/the-build` should be a clone of `git@github.com:palantirnet/the-build.git`.
+
+## Creating a new site for testing
+
+Follow the [Quick Start guide for palantirnet/drupal-skeleton](https://github.com/palantirnet/drupal-skeleton#quick-start). Before installing the-build in step 3, update the required version of the-build:
+
+```
+composer require palantirnet/the-build:dev-release-2.0 --prefer-source
+```
+
+----
+Copyright 2018 Palantir.net, Inc.