The verdict in three sentences
For a loss adjusting firm with 30 adjusters and 9,000 instructions a year, custom claims software costs between EUR 50,000 and 110,000 excluding VAT in 2026 (roughly GBP 43,000 to 95,000), depending on how many insurers are connected through EDI and how deep the field app goes. The main gain shows up in closing time, which drops from about 45 to 25 days, and in avoided contractual late penalties. An off-the-shelf package is enough as long as your insurers accept its formats; custom software pays off as soon as three or four insurers impose their own feeds and fee scales.
What the software must cover, module by module
A loss adjusting firm runs on the service level agreements signed with insurers: time to first contact, time to file the report, attachment formats. The software must therefore follow each instruction from receipt to fee invoicing, with no re-keying.
| Module | Key function | Indicative 2026 cost (EUR excl. VAT) | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction intake | Automatic import of instructions, allocation by area and specialty | 6,000 to 12,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Insurer EDI connectors | Standard industry feeds and insurer-specific APIs, 1 to 5 clients | 10,000 to 30,000 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Tablet field app | Geotagged photos, sketches, estimates, policyholder signature, offline mode | 12,000 to 25,000 | 5 to 7 weeks |
| Report generator | Templates per insurer, built-in estimates, signed PDF export | 8,000 to 15,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
| Deadline dashboard | Alerts on SLA deadlines, tracking per adjuster | 5,000 to 10,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Fee invoicing | Fee scales per insurer, reminders, accounting export | 5,000 to 12,000 | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Security and GDPR | Role-based rights, audit logs, UK or EU hosting | 4,000 to 6,000 | Ongoing |
The low end, around EUR 50,000, is a core platform with two connected insurers and a simple field app. The high end, near EUR 110,000, includes five connectors, full offline mode and automatic report generation per insurer template.
Package or custom build: the numbers
Specialist vendors charge a subscription per adjuster, often with setup fees. The comparison is made over five years with the same scope.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf package | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 setup | EUR 50,000 to 110,000 |
| Recurring cost | EUR 90 to 180 per adjuster per month | EUR 600 to 1,500 per month (hosting, maintenance) |
| 5-year total, 30 adjusters | EUR 170,000 to 345,000 | EUR 86,000 to 200,000 |
| Adapting to a new insurer's scales | Depends on the vendor roadmap | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 per connector |
| Ownership of code and data | Usage licence | Firm owns it |
| Time to go live | 1 to 2 months | 4 to 6 months |
A package still makes sense for a firm with fewer than 10 adjusters. Above 25 adjusters, the cumulative subscription exceeds the cost of a proprietary tool within three to four years, and the gap widens with every hire.
Where the return on investment hides
Three items carry most of the gain. The first is admin time: an adjuster spends on average 1 h 30 per file re-keying data and formatting the report, cut to 40 minutes with field capture and templates. The second is cash: a file closed faster is invoiced faster. The third is contractual: many agreements include fee reductions of 5 to 15% when deadlines are missed.
| Indicator | Before | After (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Average closing time | 45 days | 25 days |
| Admin time per file | 1 h 30 | 40 min |
| Files outside SLA | 18% | 5% |
| Time to invoice after filing | 12 days | 2 days |
| Re-keying between tools | 4 per file | 0 to 1 |
Mini case study
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Claire runs a loss adjusting firm with 30 adjusters and 9,000 instructions a year, with an average fee of EUR 420. Before the project, 18% of files missed the SLA, with an average 10% fee reduction: 9,000 x 18% x EUR 42 = EUR 68,040 lost per year. With the software, that rate falls to 5%, or EUR 18,900 in residual penalties: EUR 49,140 saved. On top of that, 50 minutes saved on 9,000 files frees 7,500 adjuster hours for new instructions. For an EUR 85,000 project, payback comes in under two years on penalties alone.
FAQ
Do we need to connect every insurer from day one?
No. Start with the two or three clients that represent 60 to 70% of volume, then add a connector every two months. Each extra connector costs EUR 2,000 to 6,000.
Does the field app work without signal?
Yes, offline mode stores photos, sketches and estimates on the tablet and syncs when signal returns. It accounts for about 20% of the field app budget, or EUR 3,000 to 5,000.
How long until a first release is live?
Allow 10 to 12 weeks for instruction intake, one connector and the deadline dashboard. The full project rolls out in 4 to 6 months.
Is policyholder data GDPR compliant?
UK or EU hosting, role-based rights and access logs are part of the core. A retention period is set per file type, often 5 to 10 years depending on agreements.
Can we migrate history from the old tool?
Yes, migrating 3 to 5 years of history usually costs EUR 3,000 to 8,000 depending on source data quality.
Let's scope your project. Send us your instruction volume, your list of insurer clients and your SLA deadlines: we will price the scope, the indicative budget and a phased plan. 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.
