The verdict in three sentences
For a private medical clinic in Dublin, the website contract must first settle ownership: the .ie domain, hosting account, code, copy and booking tool configuration in the clinic's name. It must then include a GDPR Article 28 processor agreement with the web provider, and confirm one exists with each booking or form vendor, since health data may pass through the site. Finally, payments should follow verifiable milestones and acceptance should rest on written criteria, including WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility and a content review by the medical director.
Which clauses should you require before signing?
| Clause | What it should say | What to watch for a clinic |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | List of pages (specialties, consultants, fees, insurers accepted, contact) and features | Number of consultant profiles and specialties stated |
| .ie domain | Registered in the clinic's name, access handed over | Never in the agency's name |
| Hosting | Account in the clinic's name, EU hosting or written transfer safeguards | Where form data goes |
| Code and content | Assignment of rights to custom code, copy and paid visuals | Photo and plugin licences listed |
| Booking | Tool account in the clinic's name, documented configuration | Processor agreement with the vendor |
| Payment milestones | 3 or 4 payments tied to deliverables | 40% maximum at signing |
| Acceptance | Written criteria, 2 revision rounds, WCAG 2.1 AA targeted | Signed medical and compliance review |
| Exit | Access handover, content export, documentation | Fixed handover time, for example 10 business days |
The local frame. In Ireland, the GDPR applies alongside the Data Protection Act 2018, supervised by the Data Protection Commission. Health data is special category data: a form asking about symptoms or history calls for secure hosting, a defined retention period and restricted access. Registered doctors are also bound by Medical Council guidance, which covers among other things how information about services is published; have specialty and consultant pages approved by medical management. For accessibility, the European Accessibility Act has applied since June 2025 to certain products and services; even if a clinic website does not necessarily fall within its scope, WCAG 2.1 AA as an acceptance criterion is the practical benchmark.
This is not legal advice.
What do standard contracts say, and what should you ask for instead?
The ranges below are a 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages in Dublin for clinic websites of 15 to 50 pages.
| Topic | Typical local agency contract | What to ask for | Kolonell fixed terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build price | €10,000 to €45,000 | Firm price per phase | €2,700, €4,500 or €8,200 depending on package |
| Deposit | 40 to 50% | 30 to 40% maximum | Payments tied to milestones |
| Timeline | 8 to 16 weeks | Dated schedule with an exit option | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Ownership | Licence to use a proprietary theme | Assignment of paid deliverables | Code and content handed to the clinic |
| Personal data | Generic confidentiality clause | Full Article 28 agreement, sub-processors listed | Processor agreement provided |
| Support | €200 to €900 per month | Written rates and response times | 3 months included, then on quote |
| Advanced integrations | Billed on time and materials | Priced upfront | On quote |
Package details are on the international website offer page. A patient portal or integration with practice management software is priced separately.
How should milestones, acceptance and change requests work?
- Signing (30%): scope, sitemap, schedule and processor agreement signed.
- Designs (30%): home, specialty and consultant templates approved.
- Staging (30%): full site on a test address, booking connected in test mode.
- Launch (10%): signed acceptance, domain pointed, access handed over.
Acceptance should list measurable criteria: every form tested and test data deleted, a cookie banner with no trackers before consent, contrast and keyboard navigation meeting WCAG 2.1 AA on the main templates, mobile load time under 3 seconds, and sign-off from medical management on content. Any out-of-scope request goes through a written change request, priced and dated before work starts.
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*Illustrative example.* Siobhán manages an 8-consultant private clinic in Ranelagh. Agency A offers €24,000, 50% at signing, a licensed theme and the domain in its own name. Kolonell offers the Growth package at €4,500, with four milestones and a processor agreement.
With Agency A, the clinic pays €12,000 before seeing a design. If it switches providers after three years, rebuilding the theme and recovering the domain is estimated at €7,000, so €31,000 is exposed. With the Growth package, the first payment is €1,350, and exit costs nothing extra since everything is already in the clinic's name. Siobhán keeps the difference for a consultant photo shoot and a legal review of the contract.
FAQ
Is the web provider a processor under the GDPR?
If it hosts the site or can access form messages, yes. A 3 to 6 page Article 28 agreement then sets out the subject matter, duration, security and the list of sub-processors.
Who should own the booking tool account?
The clinic, with at least 2 internal administrators. The provider gets delegated access, removed at the end of the project.
Should WCAG 2.1 AA be in the contract?
It is recommended, as an acceptance criterion on the main templates. Plan an automated test plus a manual check of about 1 to 2 days.
What happens after the 3 included months of support?
At Kolonell, maintenance after the 3 months is on quote, depending on how often you update the site. Write down a fix time for critical incidents, for example 24 business hours.
How many revision rounds should we plan?
Two rounds per phase are usually enough, with the clinic responding within 5 business days. Request a free quote to receive our standard terms.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your specialties, booking tool and target date, and we will send a priced scope with milestones and a 3 to 4 week timeline. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.