The verdict in three sentences
For an MEP engineering firm of 18 engineers in Amsterdam handling 120 projects a year, custom project management software costs between 30,000 and 55,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026, delivered in 3 to 5 months. Its main value is measuring time spent per design phase (sketch design, preliminary design, final design, technical design, tender, construction supervision, handover) against the fee for each phase, following the DNR 2011 phasing commonly used in Dutch contracts. Without that data, the managing director discovers project profitability at year end, too late to negotiate a variation.
Why an MEP firm loses track of its margin
In an HVAC and plumbing consultancy, a residential or office project often runs 18 to 36 months. Engineers log hours in a spreadsheet, fees are split by phase in the appointment, and progress billing is done by hand. Nobody sees that construction supervision is overrunning until handover.
| Design phase | Typical share of MEP fees | Common overrun |
|---|---|---|
| Sketch and preliminary design | 8 to 12 % | Low |
| Final design | 12 to 15 % | Medium, rework of BENG energy calculations |
| Technical design | 15 to 20 % | Medium |
| Tender documents and award | 10 to 12 % | Low |
| Contractor drawing review | 8 to 10 % | High |
| Construction supervision | 25 to 30 % | Very high, extra site meetings |
| Handover and snagging | 5 to 8 % | High |
These splits are 2026 orders of magnitude for standard appointments. The software continuously compares each phase's hour budget with the hours actually logged.
Scope and detailed budget
| Item | Essential version | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping with director and project leads | 2,500 EUR | 4,500 EUR |
| Project record split by phase | 5,500 EUR | 8,500 EUR |
| Time recording (web and mobile) | 6,000 EUR | 9,000 EUR |
| Progress billing and fee statements | 6,000 EUR | 10,000 EUR |
| Variations and additional services | 3,000 EUR | 6,000 EUR |
| Engineer resource planning | 3,000 EUR | 7,000 EUR |
| Profitability dashboards, accounting export | 2,500 EUR | 6,000 EUR |
| Testing, migration of live projects, training | 1,500 EUR | 4,000 EUR |
| Total | 30,000 EUR | 55,000 EUR |
The essential version ships in 3 months, the full version in 5 months with two production releases.
Off-the-shelf package or custom build
| Criterion | Package for engineering firms | Custom build |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 3,000 to 8,000 EUR setup | 30,000 to 55,000 EUR |
| Annual cost (18 users) | 12,000 to 19,000 EUR (55 to 90 EUR/month/user) | 3,500 to 6,500 EUR |
| Native design phases | Often, with a fixed model | Yes, matched to your contracts |
| Progress billing | Standard | Your own billing rules |
| Link with your tools (Revit, calculations) | Rare | Possible via API or import |
| 5-year total cost | 63,000 to 103,000 EUR | 47,500 to 87,500 EUR |
| Time to go live | 1 to 2 months | 3 to 5 months |
Mini case study
Joost, managing director of an MEP firm in Amsterdam (18 engineers, 120 projects a year, 2,400,000 EUR turnover), suspects social housing projects lose money. He has no figures to prove it.
- With phase tracking, he finds construction supervision uses 140 % of its hour budget on average across 30 housing projects.
- A typical project carries 40,000 EUR of fees, 11,000 EUR of which for supervision. The 40 % overrun means 4,400 EUR of unbilled cost per project, or 132,000 EUR a year across 30 projects.
- By billing variations for extra meetings on half of these projects and adjusting his bids, he recovers about 60,000 EUR a year.
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For software costing 42,000 EUR, this hypothetical scenario pays back in under 9 months.
FAQ
How much does project management software cost for an MEP firm?
Budget 30,000 to 55,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026 for a firm of 10 to 30 people. Maintenance and hosting then cost 3,500 to 6,500 EUR a year.
Does the software follow design phases?
Yes, each project is split into phases from sketch design to handover, each with an hour budget and a fee amount. Additional services such as energy modelling or commissioning are added as separate lines.
How does progress billing work?
The project lead enters a completion percentage per phase each month. The software generates the matching fee statement and exports it to accounting, saving 1 to 2 days a month.
Will engineers actually log their time?
Logging must take under 3 minutes a day, on mobile or browser, with planned projects preselected. An automatic Friday reminder usually gets you to 95 % completion.
What timeline should we expect?
3 months for the essential version, 5 months for the full one. Starting in January lets you track a full financial year from year one.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of engineers, projects a year and current tools, and we will price an essential or full version with a 3 to 5 month 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.
