The verdict in three sentences
When three quotes for a street furniture manufacturer's website range from CAD 9,000 to 45,000, the gap rarely comes from design and almost always from vague lines: how many products are actually loaded, the CAD and BIM download library nobody priced, and AODA accessibility left out. A low quote missing those items often ends up costing more than a complete mid range quote once change orders are signed. Before signing, rewrite every vague line as a priced clause: volume, format, timeline and renewal price.
Why this site is more technical than it looks
A Toronto manufacturer of benches, transit shelters, waste receptacles, bollards and planters sells to municipal parks and transportation departments, regional governments, landscape architects and engineering firms. These buyers do not order online. They need a precise spec sheet, finish and colour options, anchoring details, DWG files for their drawings and increasingly Revit or IFC objects for BIM projects.
The catalogue holds 100 to 300 products, each with several finishes (powder coated steel, wood slats, stainless). The site has to be bilingual, English and French, if you bid outside Ontario or for federal properties, and it must let procurement teams download a full product package for a tender.
Lines to check one by one
| Typical quote line | The trap | The clause to require |
|---|---|---|
| "Product catalogue setup: flat fee" | No volume: 50 products loaded, the rest billed as extras | "Import of 250 products and 12 finishes from a supplied spreadsheet, one template" |
| "Downloads area" | No DWG or BIM, small file size limit | "Library of 250 DWG and RVT files, 2 GB, filter by product family" |
| "Accessible website" | No audit, no price | "WCAG 2.0 AA audit on 15 page templates, fixes included" |
| "Timeline: 6 weeks" | Ignores your approval time | "Milestone plan, client approvals within 5 business days, launch in week 12" |
| "Free hosting for year one" | Uncapped renewal | "Hosting price fixed for 3 years" |
| "Maintenance from CAD 130" | Undefined scope | "Annex: daily backups, updates, 2 hours of work, weekly report" |
| No ownership clause | Code and content locked at the agency | "IP assignment and code handover at launch" |
Under the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, many Ontario organizations must make their public websites conform to WCAG 2.0 AA. Whether and how it applies to your company depends on your size and sector, so read the official text on the Ontario government site or ask counsel. Municipal buyers are bound by accessibility rules themselves and notice when a supplier takes it seriously.
Comparing three quotes on the same basis
Put the three proposals in one table, line by line. Figures are 2026 market ballparks in Toronto.
| Line | Quote A | Quote B | Quote C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design and build | CAD 5,500 | CAD 9,000 | CAD 18,000 |
| Catalogue import (real volume) | CAD 1,500, 50 products | CAD 4,000, 300 products | CAD 6,500, 300 products |
| DWG and BIM library | Not included | CAD 3,000 | CAD 7,500 |
| Accessibility audit and fixes | Not included | CAD 4,000 | CAD 6,000 |
| French version | Not included | CAD 2,000 | CAD 3,500 |
| Content and photography | CAD 2,000 | CAD 1,500 | CAD 3,500 |
| Total build | CAD 9,000 | CAD 23,500 | CAD 45,000 |
| Stated timeline | 6 weeks | 11 weeks | 16 weeks |
| Monthly maintenance | CAD 130 | CAD 280 | CAD 520 |
Kolonell's prices as a reference point
Kolonell's prices are public and fixed: a Growth site of 8 to 12 pages with a blog costs EUR 1,830 to 3,050. A catalogue of 50 to 500 products adds EUR 760, the client area EUR 230 and the French version EUR 110 as a multilingual option, so roughly EUR 2,930 to 4,150. Each extra page is EUR 40 and Standard maintenance EUR 114 a month. As with any provider, get the scope of the technical file library in writing.
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Illustrative example: Priya, marketing manager at a street furniture maker in Etobicoke, likes Quote A at CAD 9,000. Asking for the missing items, she gets: remaining 250 products CAD 3,000, DWG and BIM library CAD 4,000, accessibility audit CAD 4,500, French version CAD 2,500. Quote A climbs to CAD 23,000, almost level with Quote B at CAD 23,500 all in.
Over three years with maintenance, A comes to 23,000 + 4,680 = CAD 27,680 and B to 23,500 + 10,080 = CAD 33,580. The CAD 5,900 gap buys B's maintenance, which includes monthly updates of spec sheets and drawings. Priya picks B and adds the clauses from the first table.
FAQ
Why do quotes range from CAD 9,000 to 45,000?
Catalogue volume, the CAD and BIM library, accessibility and the French version explain most of the gap. Any quote missing them must be completed before you compare.
Do municipalities really use BIM files?
More and more, through their landscape architects and engineering consultants. Expect CAD 3,000 to 7,500 as a market ballpark depending on file count.
What timeline is realistic?
6 to 16 weeks depending on scope, approvals included. Six weeks for 300 products plus an accessibility audit should worry you.
What should maintenance include?
Daily backups, security updates, 2 to 4 hours of work and a weekly report. Market ballpark: CAD 130 to 520 a month.
Should we show list prices?
Rarely, since public buyers purchase through quotes and tenders. A request a quote button per product with a 48 hour answer works in most cases.
Let's scope your project. Send us your quotes and catalogue size, and we will flag the lines to clarify and price a site with a full technical library. 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.
