The verdict in three sentences
To run sites, time tracking and procurement in a London construction firm, custom software costs between 55,000 and 130,000 EUR in 2026, delivered in 4 to 8 months. A construction SaaS (30-90 EUR/user/month) is unbeatable below 15-20 field users, but hits a wall as soon as your work-progress billing or offline time tracking leaves the standard mould. The switch to custom is justified by the coordination hours saved: above 25 crew members, return on investment often drops below 24 months.
What custom construction software costs in 2026
Price mostly depends on the number of modules and the level of offline sync required on sites with poor network coverage. Here are the 2026 orders of magnitude for a mid-sized London contractor.
| Module | Scope | Indicative 2026 cost (EUR) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site planning | Gantt, crew allocation, milestones | 9,000 - 18,000 | 3-5 wk |
| Offline mobile time tracking | Field app, geoloc, deferred sync | 12,000 - 26,000 | 4-7 wk |
| Procurement & subcontracting | Requests, orders, receipt | 10,000 - 22,000 | 4-6 wk |
| Work-progress billing | Progress, final account, invoicing | 11,000 - 24,000 | 4-7 wk |
| Reporting & margins | Dashboards, budget variance | 8,000 - 16,000 | 3-4 wk |
| Technical core + integ. | Auth, roles, accounting/payroll API | 12,000 - 30,000 | 5-8 wk |
On top of that, maintenance runs 1,500 to 3,500 EUR/month depending on SLA, yearly evolutions and active user count.
Custom vs construction SaaS: the real trade-off
SaaS wins on entry cost and time to launch; custom wins on process fit and the absence of a per-user cost that explodes with growth.
| Criterion | Construction SaaS | Custom by Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost (20 users) | 7,200 - 21,600 EUR/yr | 55,000 - 90,000 EUR |
| Year 3 cumulative | 21,600 - 64,800 EUR | 90,000 - 135,000 EUR |
| Marginal cost / user | 30 - 90 EUR/month | 0 EUR |
| Offline time tracking | Often limited | Native, built for dead zones |
| Work-progress billing | Standard | Tailored to your contracts |
| Code ownership | No | Yes |
Simple rule: below 15 users, stay on SaaS. Between 15 and 40, compare over 5 years. Above 40 field users, custom is almost always the best total cost of ownership.
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Mini case study
Mark, director of a 32-strong structural works firm in East London, loses about 1.5 hours per site manager per day in re-entry (paper time sheets, procurement spreadsheets, phone calls). With 6 managers at 45 EUR/h loaded, that is 6 x 1.5 x 45 x 220 days = 89,100 EUR/year of unproductive time. Custom software at 82,000 EUR + 2,200 EUR/month maintenance removes 70% of that re-entry, saving roughly 62,000 EUR/year. Return on investment: under 20 months, before even counting fewer billing errors on work-progress statements.
FAQ
What is a realistic entry price for a first module? An MVP centred on offline mobile time tracking + planning ships at around 25,000 to 40,000 EUR in 2026, in 8 to 12 weeks, then extends module by module.
How much is annual maintenance? Budget 1,500 to 3,500 EUR/month, i.e. 18,000 to 42,000 EUR/year, covering fixes, hosting, minor evolutions and support.
Isn't SaaS always cheaper? No: at 90 EUR/user/month for 40 users you pay 43,200 EUR/year, over 200,000 EUR across 5 years, without owning the code or covering your specifics.
How soon do the gains appear? Coordination gains show from the first quarter after time-tracking rollout; full payback usually falls between 18 and 30 months.
Can payroll and accounting be integrated? Yes, via API: integrations with payroll or accounting software represent 12,000 to 30,000 EUR depending on the number of automated flows.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your priority modules (time tracking, procurement, billing), your field-user count and an indicative budget: we can scope an MVP from 25,000 EUR. Detailed quote within 48 h. 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.
