The verdict in three sentences
A maintenance contract (application support) is not just "fixing bugs": it covers corrective, evolutive, security, backups and reversibility. The right price benchmark: 10 to 18 % of the build cost per year, or 150 to 800 EUR/month by complexity. Without a written SLA and a reversibility clause, you do not have a contract, you have a promise.
Maintenance service levels
A serious contract clearly separates what is included from what is billed extra. Here are the three standard levels.
| Level | What it covers | Included / billed |
|---|---|---|
| Corrective | Bugs, errors, regressions | Included |
| Preventive | CMS, plugin, PHP updates | Included |
| Security | Vulnerability patches, monitoring | Included |
| Evolutive | New pages, features | Hour pack or quote |
| Support | User assistance | By volume |
| Hosting | Server, CDN, certificates | Often optional |
The classic trap: assuming evolutive work is included. A contract usually provides a monthly hour pack (2 to 10 h); beyond that you are billed at the day rate.
SLA and restoration times
The SLA (service level agreement) is what separates a marketing contract from an operational one.
| Severity | Example | Acknowledgement | Target restoration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | Site down, payment broken | < 1 h (business hours) | < 4 h |
| Major | Broken form | < 4 h | < 1 business day |
| Minor | Display bug | < 1 day | < 3 days |
| Enhancement | New request | < 2 days | Per schedule |
Insist these times be written and backed by a penalty or credit if missed. "Responsive support" with no numbers commits to nothing.
Maintenance pricing in 2026
2026 orders of magnitude for the UK/EU market, in EUR ex. VAT. The 10-18 % of build rule remains the best benchmark.
| Site type | Initial build | Maintenance/mo | Maintenance/yr (~15 %) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brochure | 8,000 - 15,000 | 150 - 300 | 1,200 - 2,250 |
| B2B site + SEO | 15,000 - 25,000 | 300 - 550 | 2,250 - 3,750 |
| Corporate site | 25,000 - 45,000 | 550 - 800 | 3,750 - 6,750 |
| Portal / LOB app | 40,000 - 80,000 | 800 - 2,000+ | 6,000 - 12,000+ |
Backups (daily, 30-day retention), uptime monitoring and SSL certificates should be included, not presented as extras.
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Mini case study
Mr Kelly, head of a services SME in Dublin, signs a maintenance contract at 450 EUR/month for a B2B site built for 22,000 EUR (about 24 %/year, above benchmark). Negotiating on the 10-18 % basis, he brings it down to 320 EUR/month with 4 evolutive hours included and a 4 h critical SLA. Annual saving: about 1,560 EUR. Six months later, an unpatched CMS flaw defaces a competitor's site with no contract; his own site, patched within 2 h thanks to the security level, is untouched. The contract paid for its first year in a single intervention.
FAQ
Is maintenance really mandatory?
Contractually no, technically yes. An un-updated CMS becomes vulnerable within months; 40 to 60 % of hacks exploit outdated components. The cost of a post-hack cleanup (1,500 to 6,000 EUR) quickly exceeds a year of maintenance.
Corrective vs evolutive, what is the difference?
Corrective repairs what should have worked (included); evolutive adds what did not exist (billed). Confusing the two is the number-one source of billing disputes.
What is a reversibility clause?
It guarantees that at contract end you get back code, access, databases and documentation within a defined time. Without it, switching providers can cost 2,000 to 5,000 EUR in "unlocking".
Are backups included?
They should be: daily, with 30-day retention and a tested restore. A backup never tested is worthless the day you need it.
Can I terminate easily?
Check the notice period (1 to 3 months standard) and the absence of excessive lock-in. A 24-month commitment with no exit clause should come with a significant discount.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL and your SLA expectations (scope, monthly budget, restoration time) for a clear maintenance contract. 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.
