The verdict in three sentences
For a Toronto building materials distributor with 2,800 contractor accounts and 9 branches, a B2B ordering portal costs CAD 60,000 to 135,000, with almost a third going to ERP sync of customer-specific pricing. Without negotiated prices accurate to the cent, contractors go back to the trade counter or the phone, so ERP integration comes before design. The project ships in 4 to 6 months, with a realistic target of 25% of orders online within 18 months and an online average order 15% higher.
What the portal must do for a contractor
A drywaller or mason orders from the truck at 7 a.m., before reaching the site. He wants his usual list, his price, stock at the Etobicoke or Scarborough branch, pickup or delivery, and charging to his net-30 account. Each function has a clear cost.
| Feature | 2026 budget (CAD) | Priority | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25,000 SKU catalogue with spec sheets | 9,000 to 18,000 | Essential | Search by manufacturer part or UPC |
| Customer-specific net pricing synced from ERP | 15,000 to 37,000 | Essential | Discounts by family, net prices, freight terms |
| Stock by branch in near real time | 7,500 to 15,000 | Essential | Refresh every 15 minutes |
| Branch pickup or jobsite delivery with time slot | 6,000 to 13,500 | Essential | Choice of 9 branches, site address |
| Multi-user accounts (owner, foreman) | 4,500 to 10,500 | Recommended | Spending caps per crew member |
| Net-30 or card payment | 4,500 to 12,000 | Essential | Credit limit checked before approval |
| Saved lists and one-click reorder | 3,000 to 7,500 | Recommended | Higher average order |
| Mobile app (PWA) | 10,500 to 21,000 | Option | Ordering from the jobsite |
A CAD 60,000 portal covers the essentials with a recent ERP that exposes an API. The top of the range, CAD 135,000, reflects a legacy ERP (file exports to transform), job-specific pricing and a PWA.
Off-the-shelf platform or custom build
| Criterion | B2B SaaS (Sana, Shopify B2B, BigCommerce B2B) | Custom build connected to ERP |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | CAD 37,000 to 75,000 | CAD 75,000 to 135,000 |
| Monthly subscription or maintenance | CAD 1,200 to 3,700 | CAD 1,800 to 3,700 |
| Cascading discounts | Limited, often by group | ERP logic reproduced exactly |
| Temporary job pricing | Rarely native | Native |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 months | 4 to 6 months |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
| Cumulative 3-year cost (estimate) | CAD 80,000 to 210,000 | CAD 140,000 to 270,000 |
SaaS fits if your discounts fit a few price groups. Once each contractor has negotiated net prices, branch-specific freight terms and job pricing, a custom build avoids manual workarounds that cancel out the gain.
18-month targets
| Indicator | Before | 18-month target |
|---|---|---|
| Share of orders online | 0% | 25% |
| Online vs counter average order | Baseline | + 15% |
| Inbound calls to the counter | 100% | - 20% |
| Order entry errors | 3 to 4% | Under 1% |
| Contractors active on the portal | 0 | 700 to 900 |
Mini case study
David, VP sales at a building materials distributor in Toronto, runs CAD 70 M in revenue across 9 branches. He targets 25% of orders online at 18 months, about CAD 17.5 M through the portal. If the online average order rises 15%, part of that volume is incremental: conservatively assuming 5% extra revenue on that flow, CAD 875,000, at a 24% gross margin, the gain is CAD 210,000 a year. Add 1.5 counter staff redeployed to sales, about CAD 90,000. Against a CAD 105,000 project and CAD 2,700 a month in maintenance, the investment pays back in under a year.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
Will contractors really order online?
Younger business owners adopt first, and 25 to 30% of active accounts use the portal after a year when sales reps support the rollout. One-click reorder from history is the most used feature.
How do we avoid a displayed price that differs from the invoice?
Prices are calculated by the ERP or a copy synced every 15 minutes, with a check at order approval. Discrepancies fall below 0.5% of lines on our projects.
Can net-30 terms coexist with card payment?
Yes, the customer chooses at checkout. The credit limit is checked in real time and card becomes mandatory above it, which limits bad debt.
Which ERP is required?
We have connected common distribution ERPs, from Sage X3 to Microsoft Dynamics and Epicor. An ERP without an API adds CAD 12,000 to 22,000 for a file-based connector.
Do we need a mobile app?
A PWA at CAD 10,500 to 21,000 is enough and installs without an app store. More than 60% of contractor orders are placed on a smartphone.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your ERP, SKU count and branch count: we will price your B2B portal between CAD 60,000 and 135,000 with a 4 to 6 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h at kolonell.com/en/devis-gratuit. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
