The verdict in three sentences
In Fribourg, a website for an engineering and construction firm built by a Fribourg agency costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, between 9 000 and 30 000 CHF, and many of these agencies work natively in French and German, a real advantage in a bilingual canton. Kolonell delivers the marketing and recruitment site (disciplines, references, careers, prequalification documents) at a fixed price: 2 700 CHF, 4 500 CHF or 8 200 CHF, written in native French or English, with the German version supplied by your firm or quoted separately. The trade-off therefore depends on how much of your work happens in German, on the three-year cost and on site photography, which Kolonell does not do.
This version is written for the English-speaking partners and managers of engineering and construction firms in Fribourg, with the same figures as the French edition.
How much does an engineering website cost with a Fribourg agency, a freelancer or Kolonell?
The following ranges are cautious orders of magnitude with no official value. They draw on public price lists of agencies in French-speaking Switzerland and the Mittelland region, on minimum project sizes shown on Clutch.co, on hourly rates published by Swiss digital agencies and on rates visible on Malt and Upwork. Native bilingualism is part of many local agencies' offer, and it comes at a price.
| Criterion | Fribourg agency | Freelancer from Romandy or Bern | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build, 2026 order of magnitude | 9 000 to 30 000 CHF and more | 3 000 to 10 000 CHF | 2 700 CHF, 4 500 CHF or 8 200 CHF, fixed price |
| Hourly rate for changes | Often 110 to 180 CHF | Often 80 to 130 CHF | Changes quoted before any work |
| German copywriting | Often native | Depends on profile | Supplied by you or quoted separately |
| French or English copywriting | Native French | Variable | Native French or English included |
| Usual timeline | 8 to 14 weeks | 5 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Photos of boreholes, sites, drone | Can be organised locally | Rarely | Not included: your photos or a local photographer |
| Support after launch | Separate contract | Case by case | 3 months, 6 in Premium |
Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % on delivery. A project manager stays reachable in your time zone, with Google Meet calls at your hours and a weekly written update. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), one hour behind Fribourg in winter and two in summer. The plans are detailed in our international website offer.
What budget should you plan over three years for a French and German site?
The scenario: a French and German site on the Premium structure, with the German copy entrusted to a specialist translator. The same maintenance assumption applies to both sides, since Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted separately.
| Item over 36 months | Fribourg agency (mid-range) | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual site build | 20 000 CHF, German included | 8 200 CHF |
| German copy, about 25 pages | Included | Translator, 2 600 CHF |
| Maintenance (same assumption) | 150 CHF per month over 30 months, so 4 500 CHF | 4 500 CHF, quoted separately |
| Photographer and drone shots, 1 day | Organised by the agency, 1 800 CHF | Booked by you, 1 800 CHF |
| Support after launch | Depends on contract | 6 months included |
| Indicative total | 26 300 CHF | 17 100 CHF |
The gap remains clear, but it is smaller than elsewhere because the local agency includes German. If more than half of your mandates are handled in German, a bilingual Fribourg agency is a reasonable choice: be honest with yourself about that before comparing prices.
What does each plan provide for a Fribourg engineering firm?
| Item | Starter 2 700 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Languages | One language | One language | Bilingual structure (FR/EN included, or FR/DE with German supplied) |
| Disciplines | Summary | One page per discipline (geotechnical, environmental, hydrogeology, structural...) | Disciplines linked to sectors and references |
| References | Gallery | Filterable project sheets | Detailed sheets by municipality or region |
| Prequalification | Capability statement | Downloadable documents | Document area by type of mandate |
| Careers | Recruitment page | Openings and open applications | Bilingual candidate journey |
| Timeline and support | 3 to 4 weeks, 3 months | 3 to 4 weeks, 3 months | Usually 4 to 6 weeks, 6 months |
A borehole data portal, a custom interactive map, a client extranet or an ERP connection is a custom application, quoted separately, as is ongoing SEO.
What a Fribourg engineering firm needs to show online
The canton of Fribourg has been among the fastest-growing in Switzerland for about twenty years, which drives demand for housing, schools, roads and utility networks. Greater Fribourg, the Gruyère, the Broye and the Sense district each have their own clients: municipalities, the canton, food-industry companies, developers. The blueFACTORY innovation district and the city's universities, including the School of Engineering and Architecture, sustain a pool of young bilingual engineers. French and German coexist right down to the tender documents.
- Disciplines written in both languages with the same precision: a client in the Sense district reads German first.
- References approved by clients, with anonymised sheets for confidential mandates (contaminated sites, private expert reports).
- Accurate qualifications: REG listing, SIA or usic membership where relevant, ISO 9001, 14001 or 45001 only if the firm holds them, Minergie or SNBS only for certified projects.
- A careers page that speaks to the region's bilingual graduates and states the working language in the office.
- Well-captioned field images: boreholes, tests, site monitoring, with the photographer's rights and the client's consent.
On compliance, let us stay factual. Public procurement in Fribourg follows cantonal law within the intercantonal agreement on public procurement, with notices on simap.ch. Contact and application forms fall under the Swiss nFADP (nLPD), in force since 1 September 2023: purpose, CV retention period, hosting. WCAG 2.1 AA remains the technical accessibility reference. This is not legal advice.
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Which warning signs should you look for in a quote?
- A "bilingual" site with no word on who writes the German or who checks the technical vocabulary.
- Only one language indexed: each version needs its own addresses and metadata.
- Site photos without a written licence or without the client's consent.
- An interactive map "included" with no specification.
- A domain registered in the provider's name.
- No image weight rules, when your visitors often open the site from the field.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Laurent M. runs a 9-person geotechnical and environmental engineering firm in Fribourg and is opening a branch in Bern to be closer to his German-speaking clients. A Fribourg agency quotes 19 000 CHF for a French and German site, delivered in 12 weeks. With Kolonell, he picks Premium at 8 200 CHF, hands the German pages to a technical translator for 2 600 CHF and books a photographer with a drone for 1 800 CHF.
Agency route: 19 000 + 1 800 = 20 800 CHF. Kolonell route: 8 200 + 2 600 + 1 800 = 12 600 CHF. The gap is 8 200 CHF. Laurent chooses Kolonell because his translator already knows his vocabulary, but he notes that without her, the bilingual agency would have been the better choice.
FAQ
How much does an engineering firm website cost in Fribourg in 2026?
As an order of magnitude, 9 000 to 30 000 CHF with a local agency and 3 000 to 10 000 CHF with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 700 CHF, 4 500 CHF or 8 200 CHF.
Does Kolonell write the German version?
No. Kolonell writes native French and English; German is supplied by your firm or quoted separately, for example about 2 600 CHF for 25 pages with a technical translator.
Is a bilingual Fribourg agency worth the price?
Often yes if German accounts for more than half of your work. The build gap, around 8 000 to 12 000 CHF depending on the quotes, then buys native bilingual copy and in-person meetings.
Can Kolonell photograph our sites and boreholes?
No, Kolonell does not shoot on location. A local photographer with a drone often charges 1 500 to 2 000 CHF per day according to published rates.
How is the project paid?
By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % on delivery. For Premium, that means two payments of 4 100 CHF.
Let's scope your project. Send us your disciplines, the split of your mandates between French and German and a few approved references, and we will reply with a fixed-price plan and a 3 to 4 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
