A custom web application costs $12,000 to $50,000 for most business use cases — internal tools and simple portals at $12,000 to $25,000, and workflow systems with integrations and multiple roles at $25,000 to $50,000. Discovery to produce a fixed price typically costs $2,500 to $5,000 and takes two weeks.
Web applications are hard to price without a specification, which is why serious quotes come after a paid discovery phase rather than from a phone call.
Most applications
Discovery to fix the price
Typical build
The estimating unit
$2,500–$5,000. Process mapping, specification and prototype. You own it regardless of who builds.
$3,000–$10,000 depending on screen count and how many states each needs designed.
$8,000–$30,000. The dominant variable is unique screens multiplied by user roles.
$500–$4,000 each. A documented REST API is cheap; a legacy ERP with no interface is not.
$1,000–$6,000. Cleaning and importing existing spreadsheets and legacy records, verified.
$1,500–$3,000/month for systems your operations depend on, including priority response.
| Application | Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple internal tool, one role | $12,000 – $20,000 | 6–9 weeks |
| Customer portal | $18,000 – $35,000 | 8–14 weeks |
| Workflow system with approvals | $25,000 – $50,000 | 10–16 weeks |
| Operations dashboard with integrations | $25,000 – $45,000 | 10–14 weeks |
| Quoting or configuration tool | $15,000 – $50,000 | 8–20 weeks |
| Multi-tenant platform | $40,000 – $100,000+ | 16+ weeks |
Count unique screens, multiply by the number of roles that see them differently, and add integration complexity.
| Cheaper | More expensive |
|---|---|
| One or two roles | Five roles with different permissions |
| CRUD on clear entities | Complex business rules with exceptions |
| Modern APIs to integrate | Legacy systems with no interface |
| Desktop use only | Mobile field use with offline tolerance |
| Standard reporting | Custom report builder |
| Fresh start | Migration from a live system in use |
Because the difference between a $12,000 and a $40,000 version of the same described application is in details a call does not surface — roles, exceptions, integrations and data. A number given without those is a guess that will move.
Almost always, if it fits. A $200-a-month tool beats a $30,000 build unless your process is genuinely your advantage or nothing on the market covers the requirement. We recommend buying over building several times a year.
Discovery plus a narrow first phase covering the single most painful part of the process. You get working software in weeks, learn what the real requirements are, and phase two is estimated far more accurately.
Hosting and infrastructure typically $50–$300 a month at business scale. Support and enhancement is $1,500–$3,000 a month if the system is operationally important.
Indicative ranges in USD. Every engagement is quoted to a written scope before work starts, so the number you approve is the number you pay.
$2,500 – $5,000
2 weeks
Best for: Getting a real number
$12,000 – $50,000
6–16 weeks
Best for: Replacing manual processes
from $1,500 / month
Ongoing
Best for: Systems operations depend on
How we think about this work, in more depth.
Cost guide
A 30-minute call, then a written proposal with scope, price and timeline within two to three working days. No retainer required to get a real number, and no obligation if the answer is that we are not the right fit.