Private or international school website cost in Hamilton, Bermuda: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Hamilton, a private or international school website built by a local agency costs, as a 2026 ballpark, 15 000 to 60 000 BMD, which is the same amount in USD since the Bermudian dollar is pegged at par with the US dollar. Kolonell builds the division pages, the admissions journey, the pages for relocating families and the guidance on next steps after primary for a fixed price of 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth. The right choice depends on the 3-year total cost, on how much face-to-face work matters to your leadership team and on who supplies campus photography, because Kolonell does not travel.

What do Hamilton agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?

None of these amounts is a quote. They are prudent ranges drawn from public rate cards of Bermudian agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles of studios in Hamilton, and also in Toronto and Boston, which island schools often consult, hourly rates published by local agencies (often 125 to 200 BMD per hour) and freelance rates listed on Upwork. Bermuda's cost of living shows in these rates.

A Hamilton agency remains the better choice if the leadership team wants workshops on campus, filming for the open day and a contact who knows every parent from Paget to Warwick. Kolonell targets the school that wants a clean admissions site, delivered before the new school year, without an open-ended hourly bill. The three tiers are detailed on our international website offer.

On timing, the Kolonell team is based in Senegal (GMT): 4 hours ahead of Bermuda in winter and 3 hours in summer. A 10 am call in Hamilton falls in the early afternoon for your project manager, and a written update arrives every week. Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery.

What budget should you plan over three years, beyond the build?

A Bermudian school updates its fees, calendar, staff and admissions pages every year. Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted on request, so we apply the same maintenance assumption on both sides, here 175 USD per month once support ends. The comparison uses the Premium tier, which includes 6 months of support.

Most of the gap comes from the build and from hours billed in later years. Ask every supplier for the same table, line by line.

Which tier fits which kind of Bermudian school?

Every tier includes a project manager reachable at your hour, native copywriting, the domain in the school's name and 3 months of support (6 months on Premium). Other languages, such as Portuguese, widely spoken in the community of Azorean origin, are supplied by the school or quoted separately.

What Hamilton families look for on a school website

The island's economy rests largely on insurance, reinsurance and international financial services. Some families arrive on a work permit and must secure a place within weeks; others have been Bermudian for generations and compare schools over the long run. The private sector counts only a few schools, and many families later consider boarding school or university in the UK, Canada or the United States. The same expectations come up again and again:

• Places and the calendar: the school year starts in September; explain how mid-year arrivals work.
• The next step: how the school prepares pupils for secondary, for boarding overseas or for exams, without promising admission anywhere.
• The curriculum actually offered: IB, British, Canadian or US, only if it is in place and recognised.
• Fees, or a clear explanation of how to obtain the schedule.
• School life: transport from Smith's or Devonshire, sport and activities, with photos taken with written parental consent.

Compliance, on established facts only. Bermuda's Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA), fully in force since 1 January 2025, applies to forms, admissions records and cookies, and is overseen by a Privacy Commissioner. Children's data calls for particular care, and a clear privacy notice is expected. Display an accreditation (CIS, IB World School, NEASC) only if the school holds it. WCAG 2.1 AA remains the technical reference for accessibility. This is not legal advice.

Which questions should you ask before signing?

• Who writes the admissions pages? If the answer is the school, plan weeks of work for the office team.
• What does the yearly update of fees and calendar cost? An uncapped hourly rate inflates year three.
• Who owns the domain, hosting and CMS? They must be in the school's name.
• Is the existing admissions software linked or replaced? Replacing a working tool is expensive.
• What happens after support? Ask for the maintenance price in writing.
• Who handles photo consent? The workflow must exist before launch.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Claire D. heads a 260-pupil independent primary and middle school in Paget. A local agency proposes 38 000 BMD, with an update package of 40 hours a year at 150 BMD, so 6 000 USD every year. She chooses Kolonell Growth at 4 900 USD, books a local photographer for 1 600 USD and has three pages translated into Portuguese for 600 USD: 7 100 USD up front, 30 900 USD less than the agency offer. Her yearly updates, quoted beforehand, come to around 700 USD, against 6 000 USD in the agency package. The site goes live in 4 weeks, before the September start.

FAQ

Why does Kolonell invoice in USD rather than BMD?

The Bermudian dollar is pegged at par with the US dollar, so 4 900 USD equals 4 900 BMD. Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, in two instalments of 50 %.

Can a Bermudian freelancer be cheaper?

Rarely below 4 000 BMD for a complete school site, against 2 900 USD for Starter. A local freelancer keeps the advantage of proximity and in-person meetings.

Will Kolonell attend our open day?

No, there are no in-person meetings and no on-site filming. A local photographer often costs 1 200 to 2 500 USD a day based on published rates.

Will the site be ready for September?

Yes if the project starts by early August: 3 to 4 weeks on Growth, usually 4 to 6 weeks on Premium with a written schedule from day one.

Can you link our existing parent portal?

Yes, Kolonell links the tool chosen by the school from the site's pages. A custom parent portal is an application quoted on request.

Let's scope your project. Send us your divisions, pupil numbers and admissions calendar, and we will come back with a fixed-price tier and a 3 to 4 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.