The verdict in three sentences
A structural engineering firm with 16 engineers tracking projects on spreadsheets discovers overruns too late, once the job is already loss-making. Custom project tracking software costs EUR 20,000 to 40,000 in 2026 (about GBP 17,000 to 34,000 in London) and ships in 10 to 14 weeks. Recovering about 8% of unbilled hours and seeing margin per project pays back the tool within months.
What the tool must track in a reinforced concrete practice
A structural firm bills work split into stages (in the UK, RIBA stages 2 to 6; in France, the MOP law phases) with fixed or percentage-of-works fees, and frequent variations when the project changes.
| Module | Function | Indicative budget |
|---|---|---|
| Project records | Client, developer, stages, fees per stage | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Timesheets | Weekly time per project and stage, desktop and mobile | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Budget and alerts | Planned vs used hours, alerts at 80% and 100% of budget | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Fees and invoicing | Progress invoices, variations, reminders | EUR 4,000 to 8,000 |
| Margin per project | Loaded hourly cost per engineer, real-time margin | EUR 3,000 to 6,000 |
| Resource planning | Load of 16 engineers over 3 months, scheduling trade-offs | EUR 2,000 to 5,000 |
| Accounting connector | Export to Xero, Sage or your accountant | EUR 2,000 to 3,000 |
2026 estimate, order of magnitude. A first batch (projects, time, alerts) goes live in 6 weeks for about EUR 12,000.
Spreadsheet, practice management software or custom
| Criterion | Spreadsheet | Standard practice management software | Custom tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 0 | EUR 2,000 to 6,000 (configuration) | EUR 20,000 to 40,000 |
| Annual cost (16 users) | Admin time | EUR 7,700 to 15,400 (EUR 40 to 80/user/month) | EUR 2,500 to 4,500 |
| 5-year cumulative cost | Unquantified, lost hours | EUR 40,000 to 83,000 | EUR 32,500 to 62,500 |
| Stages and variations | Manual | Generic | Native |
| Overrun alerts | No | Basic | Configurable per project |
| Link to your design tools and DMS | No | Rare | Possible |
| Data ownership | Yes | With the vendor | Yes |
Practice management tools are often designed for architects. Custom makes sense when your fee methods and stages do not match the vendor's model.
Measurable gains over 12 months
| Indicator | Before | After 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Unbilled hours recovered | 0 | 8% of hours produced |
| Projects found over budget after the fact | 1 in 3 | 1 in 10 |
| Delay between stage completion and invoicing | 35 days | 8 days |
| Timesheet entry time per engineer | 45 min per week | 15 min per week |
| Monthly management close | 2 days | 3 hours |
Mini case study
Nick, managing director of a reinforced concrete engineering firm in London, employs 16 engineers producing about 1,500 billable hours each per year, or 24,000 hours. At an average rate of EUR 85 per hour, recovering 8% of unbilled hours (forgotten variations, unpriced extra work) means 1,920 hours, or EUR 163,200 of revenue. Even billing only half of it, the gain exceeds EUR 80,000 a year. With a tool at EUR 30,000 and EUR 3,500 of annual maintenance, payback comes in under 5 months, not counting the cash gained from faster invoicing.
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FAQ
Will engineers actually fill in their timesheets?
Yes, if it takes under 15 minutes a week and works on mobile. An automatic Friday reminder pushes completion above 95%.
Does the tool handle percentage-of-works fees?
Yes, fixed fee, percentage, time and materials, and mixed. Variations automatically recalculate the hour budget of the affected stage.
Can we connect our design software and DMS?
Yes, a link to your DMS or project folder structure costs EUR 2,000 to 5,000. A direct link to analysis software is rarely needed.
How long does it take to start?
Allow 6 weeks for batch 1 and 10 to 14 weeks for the full scope. Migrating ongoing projects takes 2 to 3 days.
Where is the data hosted?
In the UK or the EU, with daily backups and UK GDPR compliance. Hosting costs about EUR 50 to 120 per month.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your headcount, project types and current tools: we price project tracking software between EUR 20,000 and 40,000, deliverable in 10 to 14 weeks. 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.
