The verdict in three sentences
A heating and air conditioning SME in Amsterdam with 25 technicians paying 45 EUR per user per month spends 13,500 EUR a year on a field service SaaS it works around with spreadsheets. A custom application typically costs 25,000 to 55,000 EUR excluding VAT on the 2026 market (estimate) and pays off over 3 years as soon as the standard tool forces double entry or blocks trade-specific obligations, such as refrigerant tracking. Below 15 technicians or without specific processes, SaaS remains the right call.
Compare cost over 3 and 5 years, not 12 months
An honest comparison includes licences, double entry, maintenance and changes. Assumption: 25 technicians, 4 office staff, 3 new technicians a year.
| Item (2026 estimate) | SaaS at 45 EUR per user | Custom, mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | 2,000 EUR configuration | 38,000 EUR development, excl. VAT |
| Annual cost, year 1 | 15,660 EUR (29 licences) | 6,500 EUR maintenance and hosting |
| Annual cost, year 3 | 18,900 EUR (35 licences) | 7,000 EUR |
| Total over 3 years | 53,840 EUR | 58,250 EUR |
| Total over 5 years | 96,500 EUR | 73,000 EUR |
| Double entry and workarounds | 6 to 10 h a week in the office | Near zero |
| Ownership of code and data | No, limited export | Yes |
Over 3 years the two options are close. The gap widens as the team grows and above all with lost time: 8 hours of weekly re-keying at 35 EUR loaded cost in Amsterdam is about 14,500 EUR a year, which tips custom software into profit near the end of year two.
What the application must cover for an HVAC business
Custom software makes sense when it fits field constraints. For a refrigeration installer, these features make the difference.
| Feature | Concrete benefit | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling and dispatch | Assignment by skill, zone (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Amstelveen) and urgency | 18% |
| Work order on tablet | Photos, parts fitted, customer signature, PDF sent instantly | 20% |
| Refrigerant logbook | Quantities charged and recovered, per-equipment register, annual reporting export | 14% |
| Maintenance contracts | Visits scheduled automatically, alerts before due date | 12% |
| Van stock | Parts per van, restocking, valuation | 12% |
| Offline sync | Data entry in basements and car parks without signal | 10% |
| Accounting link | Invoice generated from the work order, export to accounting software | 14% |
Refrigerant traceability is often the trigger: the EU F-Gas regulation and the Dutch STEK-based certification require precise records that many generic SaaS tools handle poorly or through a paid add-on.
Realistic timelines
A project of this kind ships in 12 to 18 weeks: 3 weeks of scoping with technicians and office staff, 8 to 12 weeks of development in releases, and a 2 to 3 week pilot with a team of 5 technicians before full rollout.
Mini case study
*Illustrative example.* Daan, managing director of a 25-technician HVAC company in Amsterdam, pays 13,500 EUR a year in licences, and his office assistant spends 8 hours a week re-keying work orders into accounting.
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- Current annual cost: 13,500 EUR licences + 8 h × 46 weeks × 35 EUR = 12,880 EUR of re-keying, so 26,380 EUR.
- Custom: 40,000 EUR development excl. VAT, then 6,500 EUR a year.
- Annual saving from year 2: about 19,900 EUR, a payback in just over 2 years, before team growth.
With 10 technicians the result would flip: 5,400 EUR of licences does not justify 40,000 EUR of development.
FAQ
From how many technicians does custom software pay off?
As an estimate, from 20 to 25 technicians, or from 10 if the SaaS forces more than 5 hours of re-keying a week. Below that, a well-configured SaaS stays cheaper.
Does the app work without mobile signal?
Yes if it is built offline-first: work orders are entered on the tablet and synced when signal returns. This mode accounts for about 10% of the budget.
Can we recover the history from our current SaaS?
Usually yes, through CSV exports or the vendor API. Allow 3 to 5 days of data migration for several years of jobs.
Is a customer signature on a tablet legally valid?
A simple electronic signature is enough for a work order in most cases. For maintenance contracts, an eIDAS advanced signature costs 1 to 3 EUR per document.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
Plan 15 to 20% of the development cost per year, hosting included, so 6,000 to 8,000 EUR for a 40,000 EUR application.
Let's scope your project. Share your technician headcount, current tool and field constraints on our free quote page and we will define scope and timeline. 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.
