The verdict in three sentences
For a local authority area of 35,000 residents in the Dublin region, redesigning a website flagged as non-compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549 costs EUR 30,000 to 70,000 excl. VAT in 2026, plus a EUR 3,000 to 6,000 audit. Between writing the tender, the procurement process (4 to 6 months) and delivery, allow 10 to 12 months to go live. Grant funding of 20 to 50% and moving services onto the online portal make the project sustainable for a council budget.
Why act now
Under the EU Web Accessibility Directive, public bodies must publish an accessibility statement and are monitored by the National Disability Authority, with non-compliance reported publicly and subject to complaints. Beyond the legal exposure, non-compliance shuts residents out: around one in five people in Ireland report a disability, and older residents form a growing share of rural and suburban areas. A site that fails with screen readers or keyboard navigation pushes these residents back to the front desk, which costs staff time.
The detailed budget
| Item | 2026 range (EUR excl. VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Initial WCAG audit (sample of 15 to 25 pages) | 3,000 to 6,000 | Starting conformance, often 30 to 50% |
| Client-side advisory and tender drafting | 4,000 to 8,000 | Optional if the IT team is well staffed |
| UX design, sitemap by user profile | 5,000 to 10,000 | Residents, businesses, community groups, councillors |
| Development and accessible CMS | 12,000 to 30,000 | WCAG 2.1 AA templates |
| Online services linked to the service portal | 5,000 to 15,000 | Waste, childcare, planning, water |
| Content migration and rewriting | 3,000 to 8,000 | 150 to 400 pages to triage |
| Accessibility training for editors | 1,000 to 3,000 | 1 to 2 days for 8 to 15 staff |
| Verification audit and accessibility statement | 2,000 to 4,000 | After launch |
| Total | 35,000 to 84,000 | Of which redesign alone 30,000 to 70,000 |
Maintenance and EU-based hosting then run EUR 4,000 to 9,000 a year.
The typical timeline
| Stage | Duration | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG audit and usage diagnosis | 4 to 6 weeks | Conformance report, traffic analytics |
| Tender drafting, council approval | 6 to 8 weeks | Tender documents, funding plan |
| Grant application | In parallel | National or regional digital funding scheme |
| Procurement (call, evaluation, award) | 10 to 14 weeks | Contract awarded |
| Design and mockups approved by steering group | 5 to 7 weeks | Mockups tested with 5 residents |
| Development, service integration, content migration | 10 to 14 weeks | Site in acceptance testing |
| Verification audit, fixes, launch | 3 to 4 weeks | Accessibility statement published |
In total, 10 to 12 months. The procurement phase, 4 to 6 months between the initial audit and contract award, is the part the council controls best: a precise tender reduces bidder questions and the risk of a failed procurement.
Online services, a source of savings
Linking the site to the service portal lets the most frequent requests be handled online: recycling centre permits, childcare registration, bin requests, issue reporting. Each request moved online saves on average 10 to 15 minutes of front-desk time. Across 2,400 requests a year that is 400 to 600 hours, or EUR 12,000 to 18,000 of staff time at EUR 30 fully loaded hourly cost.
Mini case study
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Siobhán, director of services for a local authority area of 35,000 residents near Dublin, receives an audit showing 38% WCAG conformance. She commits EUR 4,500 to the audit and EUR 52,000 to the redesign with five online services, EUR 56,500 in total. Grant funding covers 40%, EUR 22,600, leaving EUR 33,900 for the council. With 2,400 requests moved online and 12 minutes saved each, 480 front-desk hours are freed, about EUR 14,400 a year. The net cost is recovered in just under two and a half years, and the site reaches 92% conformance at the verification audit.
FAQ
How much does a local council website redesign cost in 2026?
Between EUR 30,000 and 70,000 for the redesign, plus EUR 3,000 to 6,000 for the WCAG audit. With advisory, training and verification audit, the overall budget is EUR 35,000 to 84,000.
What conformance level should we target?
Full WCAG 2.1 AA conformance is the legal goal, but 85 to 95% at launch is realistic with accessible templates. A multi-year plan schedules fixes for the remaining issues over 3 years.
What funding is available?
National and regional digital funding schemes commonly cover 20 to 50% of local authority digital projects. Apply before the contract is awarded.
How long does procurement take?
Allow 4 to 6 months between the initial audit and award for a below-threshold process. An open procedure above EU thresholds adds 1 to 2 months.
Should staff be trained after launch?
Yes, conformance degrades quickly when editors publish untagged PDFs or images without alt text. One to two training days, EUR 1,000 to 3,000, cover 8 to 15 staff.
Let's scope your project. Send us your accessibility audit, page count and the services to link to your portal: we will price a redesign between EUR 30,000 and 70,000 with a timeline that fits your procurement process. 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.
