The verdict in three sentences
For an engineering and construction firm in Dublin, a local agency is justified when the site has to rely on drone footage, site videos and filmed interviews with your engineers. If you already have project photos, a remote studio delivers a solid reference site for tenders and recruitment at 2 700, 4 500 or 8 200 EUR, in 3 to 4 weeks. Dublin and Dakar share the same time zone in winter, which makes remote work almost as smooth as local: so decide on visuals, code ownership and the precision of your project sheets.
What do visitors look for on a Dublin engineering firm's website?
Three audiences read your site, for different reasons. A public buyer preparing a file on eTenders checks your references, your ISO 9001, 14001 or 45001 certifications and team size. A housing developer in Fingal or an investor in west Dublin data centres wants comparable projects, with floor area, budget and duration. A civil or structural engineer weighing three employers looks at the careers page, live projects and the path to Chartered Engineer.
The pages that matter: one sheet per project (client if permitted, location, scope, indicative value, duration, photo), one page per discipline (structural, civil, mechanical and electrical, project management), a safety and quality page, a careers page with current openings, and a form that separates tenders, partnership requests and job applications.
| Criterion | Dublin agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell (remote studio) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-zone overlap | Full day | Full, subject to availability | Full day in winter, one hour apart in summer (team based in Dakar, GMT) |
| Meetings | Visits to your offices and sites | In person or video | Video calls only, no on-site visits |
| Languages | English, Irish on request | English | Native English or French copywriting |
| Creation price | 10 000 to 45 000 EUR | 3 000 to 12 000 EUR | 2 700 / 4 500 / 8 200 EUR fixed |
| Timeline | 8 to 14 weeks | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Domain and code ownership | Put it in the contract | Often unwritten | Put it in the contract: the firm holds domain and access |
| Drone, site photo and video | Often with a partner | Rarely | Not offered: hire a local operator |
These ranges are a 2026 ballpark, based on public price pages of Irish agencies, minimum project sizes listed on Clutch.co profiles of Dublin agencies and day rates published on Malt and Upwork.
What does each tier include, and what is the three-year cost?
| Line item | Dublin agency (mid-range) | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Website creation | 24 000 EUR | 4 500 EUR |
| Drone and photo day on 2 sites (local provider) | 3 000 EUR | 3 000 EUR |
| Copy for 12 project sheets | Included | Included |
| Hosting and maintenance over 3 years (hypothesis: 130 EUR per month) | 4 680 EUR | 4 680 EUR |
| 3-year total | 31 680 EUR | 12 180 EUR |
Starter is a compact site of a few key pages, Growth a fuller site with one page per discipline, project sheets and qualified forms, Premium a complete bilingual English and French site with a richer structure, useful if you bid for work in France or Belgium. Every tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support after launch. A document upload portal for subcontractors or an integration with your recruitment software is quoted on request, as is maintenance after the 3 months. See the international website offer. Payment by bank transfer: 50 % at kickoff, 50 % at delivery.
When is a Dublin agency the better choice?
If your main sales lever is imagery (aerial views of a bridge under construction, site time-lapses, team portraits on site), a local agency organising production on the ground is the best choice: Kolonell does no in-person meetings and no photo or video shoots. It is also the better option if your leadership wants workshops in your Sandyford or Cork offices, if you are planning a full rebrand after a merger, or if a public client requires an Ireland-based supplier for digital services tied to the contract.
Which rules apply to an engineering firm's website in Ireland?
The GDPR and Ireland's Data Protection Act 2018 apply to forms and job applications, under the supervision of the Data Protection Commission; a careers page collecting CVs should state how long they are kept. Non-essential cookies require prior consent under the 2011 ePrivacy Regulations. Advertising is governed by the code of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland: your references and certifications must be accurate. Only use the Chartered Engineer title for engineers who hold it through Engineers Ireland, and only name a client with written consent. For accessibility, aim for WCAG 2.1 AA, which public buyers often expect. This is not legal advice.
Which questions should you ask both types of provider?
- How are project sheets structured so a public buyer finds a reference in under a minute?
- Can we post a job opening without technical help?
- Are the domain, hosting and code in our name?
- How are received CVs stored and deleted?
- Who coordinates the photographer or drone operator, and how fast?
- What does a change cost after the support period?
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
To compare accurately, request a free quote with the list of your reference projects.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Ciarán D., managing director of a 35-person civil and structural engineering firm in Sandyford, receives a local quote of 28 000 EUR over 12 weeks. He already has photos of 10 projects. He picks Kolonell Growth at 4 500 EUR and books a drone day at 1 400 EUR, 5 900 EUR in total. Gap: 22 100 EUR. On recruitment, a single engineer hired through the careers page rather than a recruiter charging 18 % of a 60 000 EUR salary (hypothesis) avoids 10 800 EUR in fees, almost twice the cost of the site.
FAQ
Is the time difference with the team a problem?
No: Dublin and Dakar share the same time in winter and are one hour apart in summer. Two 45-minute calls a week are enough for a 3 to 4 week project.
Can Kolonell come and photograph our sites?
No, Kolonell does no shoots. Budget roughly 900 to 1 800 EUR a day for a certified drone operator in Dublin as a 2026 ballpark.
Is an Irish-language version included?
No. Native copywriting is in English or French; an Irish version would be supplied by your translator.
Is the subcontractor document portal included in Premium at 8 200 EUR?
No, it is quoted on request. Premium covers the complete bilingual public site and its forms.
How quickly can the site be live before a tender?
Allow 2 weeks to gather project sheets and photos, then 3 to 4 weeks of build, about 6 weeks in total.
Let's scope your project. A tender-ready reference site and an up-to-date careers page, on Growth at 4 500 EUR, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. 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.
