The verdict in three sentences
For a mid-sized London broker, a custom client portal costs £50,000 to £110,000 in 2026 with a local agency, against €25,000 to €50,000 excl. VAT with a studio in France or a remote team. Running costs stay modest, around €300 to €600 a month for hosting, maintenance and small changes. With roughly 1,200 admin hours saved per year, the project usually pays for itself in under two years.
What the portal must do for an 18-person brokerage
A brokerage handling 4,500 policies by email receives dozens of repetitive requests every week: proof of insurance for a lease, a copy of the schedule, claim status, a change of bank details. Each request takes a handler 6 to 12 minutes. The portal turns these requests into self-service and keeps human time for advice and placement.
| Module | Function | Indicative 2026 cost (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Secure client area (strong auth, MFA) | Login, profile, documents | €4,000 to €7,000 |
| Certificates and documents | Instant download, PDF generation | €3,000 to €6,000 |
| Claims notification (FNOL) | Guided form, attachments, status tracking | €5,000 to €9,000 |
| E-signature (Yousign, DocuSign) | Endorsements, mandates, cancellations | €2,500 to €5,000 |
| Broker system sync (API or export) | Policies, premiums, claims | €6,000 to €15,000 |
| Handler back office | Dashboard, reminders, permissions | €3,000 to €6,000 |
| GDPR, FCA record-keeping, logging | Records, consents, audit trail | €1,500 to €2,000 |
The line that can double the budget is the sync with your broker management system (Acturis, Open GI, SSP and similar). If your platform exposes a documented API, integration stays under control. If you must rely on scheduled exports or screen scraping, plan for the top of the range and a longer testing phase.
Budget ranges by level of ambition
| Package | Scope | Build budget | Timeline | Monthly run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Client area, certificates, form-based requests | €25,000 to €32,000 (London: £50,000 to £65,000) | 8 to 10 weeks | €300 |
| Standard | + claims notification, e-signature | €32,000 to €42,000 (London: £65,000 to £85,000) | 10 to 14 weeks | €400 to €450 |
| Advanced | + two-way sync, SMS alerts, PWA mobile app | €42,000 to €50,000 (London: £85,000 to £110,000) | 14 to 18 weeks | €500 to €600 |
| Off-the-shelf portal SaaS | Standard features, little customisation | €0 to €5,000 setup | 2 to 4 weeks | €8 to €15 per internal user |
| In-house build | 1 senior developer for 9 months | £70,000 to £90,000 fully loaded | 9 to 12 months | Ongoing salary cost |
Off-the-shelf SaaS looks cheaper at first, but it imposes its own journey and rarely your brand. For a brokerage that competes on service quality, custom still wins over five years, especially above 3,000 policies.
Watch-outs specific to broking
Brokers handle sensitive data: health information in protection lines, claims history, bank details. Three requirements are non-negotiable in 2026. First, UK or EU hosting with a certified provider. Second, access logging so you can answer an FCA review or a subject access request. Third, retention of evidence of advice and demands-and-needs statements, which the portal can archive automatically.
Mini case study
Isabelle, managing partner of an 18-person brokerage in the City of London, picks the Standard package delivered by a remote studio at €38,000 excl. VAT with a run cost of €420 a month.
- Admin time saved: 1,200 h a year at a loaded cost of €32 per hour, i.e. €38,400 a year.
- Annual run cost: €420 × 12 = €5,040.
- Net annual gain: 38,400 - 5,040 = €33,360.
- Payback: 38,000 / 33,360 = 13.7 months.
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With a London agency at £75,000 (about €87,000), payback would stretch to roughly 31 months, which is why many brokers now scope locally and build remotely.
FAQ
How much does a broker client portal cost in 2026?
Plan on €25,000 to €50,000 excl. VAT with a remote studio, or £50,000 to £110,000 with a London agency. Integration with your broker system alone accounts for €6,000 to €15,000.
How long does it take to go live?
An Essential portal ships in 8 to 10 weeks, an Advanced one in 14 to 18 weeks. The timeline depends mostly on the quality of your broker system's API.
Where should the data be hosted?
In the UK or the EU with a certified provider, with encryption at rest and in transit. Expect €80 to €200 a month for a compliant managed setup.
Do clients actually use these portals?
For a personal lines and small business book, 40 to 60 % adoption in year one is a realistic estimate. Renewal reminders by email and SMS push that figure up noticeably.
Can we start small and extend later?
Yes, and it is recommended: launch certificates and requests in 8 weeks, then add claims and e-signature in a second phase of €10,000 to €15,000.
Let's scope your project. Send us your policy volume, your broker system and your priorities, and we will propose a scope, an indicative budget and a realistic schedule. 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.
