The verdict in three sentences
A successful practice tool is 80% decided in the spec: fuzzy scope, runaway budget. For a New York firm, expect $55,000-110,000 in development, 12-18 weeks of timeline and $800-1,600/month of maintenance. The often-forgotten line is maintenance: over 5 years it totals $48,000 to $96,000, as much as the initial build.
Writing the spec
The spec is the centerpiece of the RFP. It sets functional scope, data-privacy constraints, hosting and acceptance criteria. Two 2026 options:
| Approach | Cost / effort | Timeline | Recommended if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outsourced (business analyst) | $3,500-9,000 | 2-3 weeks | no internal resource |
| In-house | 6-10 partner/staff days | 3-4 weeks | processes already mapped |
| Scoping workshop with vendor | included in quote | 1-2 weeks | agile approach wanted |
A solid spec avoids change orders: every mid-build scope change costs 3-5x more than if planned upfront.
Budget split by phase
A well-run project follows a fairly stable split across phases. On a $85,000 base:
| Phase | Share | Amount | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping / design | 15% | $12,750 | detailed specs, mockups |
| Development | 60% | $51,000 | matter + billing modules |
| Testing / acceptance | 15% | $12,750 | test sets, fixes |
| Deployment / migration | 10% | $8,500 | migration, training |
This grid helps challenge a quote: a vendor putting 80% in dev and 5% in testing is building a fragile project.
Maintenance grid after go-live
Maintenance breaks into three parts. Negotiate scope and response time (SLA) at the RFP stage.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
| Maintenance type | Content | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Corrective | bugs, security, updates | $350-550 |
| Evolutive | new features, tweaks | $300-800 (packaged) |
| Support / hosting | help desk, monitoring, backups | $170-450 |
| Indicative total | $800-1,600/month |
Over 5 years, maintenance at $1,200/month totals $72,000: budget it from day one, not after.
Mini case study
Sarah is a partner at a 9-lawyer firm in New York. She has an outsourced spec written for $6,000, then runs an RFP. The build (matter management, deadlines, time billing, accounting connector) is awarded at $82,000 over 14 weeks, with maintenance at $1,150/month. Total 5-year cost: $82,000 + $69,000 maintenance + $6,000 spec = $157,000. The payoff: 6 hours/week recovered on time entry and billing, i.e. ~280 hours/year valued at $200/hour = $56,000/year of billable time freed up.
FAQ
Do we need a spec before consulting vendors? Yes, otherwise quotes are not comparable. A 15-30 page document ($3,500-9,000 or 6-10 in-house days) is enough to frame a serious RFP.
How long does the project take? Expect 12-18 weeks for matter management with billing, scoping included. Historical data migration can add 2-4 weeks.
Is maintenance mandatory? Practically, yes: without it the software degrades (security, compatibility). Budget $800-1,600/month depending on corrective/evolutive/support scope.
How do we ensure data compliance? Require compliant hosting, a processing register, retention management and encryption. Professional confidentiality also demands access partitioning by matter.
Who owns the code? Have the IP assignment written into the contract. Without an explicit clause, you risk total dependency on the vendor for any change.
Let's scope your project. Send us your scope (matters, time billing, connectors), indicative budget and timeline, and we will help structure the spec and price the maintenance. 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.
