labs@atheron:~/industries/municipalities/apps$ build app --web --mobile

Municipal apps

Permits, 311 and one account for every resident.

Municipal software is often bought one department at a time, so residents end up with five logins and staff with five records. We build the resident-facing parts and the field apps around the systems you already run, so a resident has one account and staff one record.

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// what matters here

What is different in this industry.

One account for the resident

Permits, 311 requests, bills and bookings under one sign-in, in English and French where your community needs both.

Field staff who work offline

Inspectors, bylaw officers and crews use an app that stores their work on the phone and syncs when they reach a signal.

Your finance and GIS systems stay

We read balances from your finance system and parcels from your GIS through their interfaces, rather than replacing systems that work.

Records you can retrieve

Files kept to your retention schedule and searchable, so an information request or a council question is answered in minutes.

// example projects

Priced examples for this service.

Each one is hypothetical, labelled as such, and priced live from our rate card. Open any of them in the estimator and make it yours.

Example projectWeb appMobile app

Permits, inspections and bylaws

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

A growing town takes building and development permits by PDF, books inspections by phone, and runs bylaw files in a cabinet, so staff retype everything and applicants cannot see progress.

// What we would build

An online portal where residents and builders apply, pay and track permits, an iOS and Android app inspectors and bylaw officers use offline in the field, and a staff workspace on the town's property and GIS data, built and tested to WCAG 2.1 AA.

// What is in it

Applications, documents and fees online, with status the applicant can follow
Inspection booking, results and photos from the field app, offline
Bylaw complaints, files, notices and tickets in one place
Property and zoning data from GIS and the assessment roll
Records kept to the municipality's retention schedule
Accessibility built and tested to WCAG 2.1 AA, with audit readiness support

// Stack

Next.js
React Native
PostgreSQL with PostGIS
ArcGIS REST API
Payment processor's hosted checkout
AWS Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$186,000 to US$285,000, delivered within 34 weeksCAD 265,200 to 405,700
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$2,500 a monthCAD 3,565 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 8.4 to 14.9 weeks
Core features: 2.4 to 3.4 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 2.4 weeks
First build on devices: 4.4 to 7.4 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.4 to 0.9 weeks
Store submission: 0.4 to 0.9 weeks
Retention rules checked with your records manager: 0.9 weeks
Controls built and evidenced: 0.9 weeks
Readiness review: 0.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

App store review: 1 week
Payment processor setup and PCI questionnaire: 2 to 6 weeks
GIS and property data access: 1 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 53,040 to 81,140
Discovery 6.4%: CAD 16,972.80 to 25,964.80
Design approved 6.4%: CAD 16,972.80 to 25,964.80
Core features 5.3%: CAD 14,055.60 to 21,502.10
Full build 3.5%: CAD 9,282.00 to 14,199.50
First build on devices 14.1%: CAD 37,393.20 to 57,203.70
Testing and fixes 1.7%: CAD 4,508.40 to 6,896.90
Store submission 4.7%: CAD 12,464.40 to 19,067.90
Retention rules checked with your records manager 7%: CAD 18,564 to 28,399
Controls built and evidenced 7%: CAD 18,564 to 28,399
Readiness review 7%: CAD 18,564 to 28,399
Launch 6.9%: CAD 18,298.80 to 27,993.30
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 26,520 to 40,570

Start from this example

Example projectWeb app

Resident bills and bookings

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

Residents pay water bills by cheque or at the bank, register for swimming lessons by phone at 7 in the morning, and need a different login, or a visit, for each.

// What we would build

One resident account in English and French for utility bills, tax balances and recreation bookings, with online payments through a processor's hosted checkout and balances read from the municipal finance system.

// What is in it

Utility bills and tax balances read from the finance system
Online payment, pre-authorised debit sign-up and paperless billing
Recreation programs, drop-ins and facility bookings with waitlists
Household members under one account, with their own bookings
Notices for service interruptions and program changes

// Stack

Next.js
PostgreSQL
Municipal finance system integration
Payment processor's hosted checkout
AWS Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$100,000 to US$153,000, delivered within 22 weeksCAD 142,400 to 217,800
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$2,500 a monthCAD 3,565 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 5.4 to 8.9 weeks
Core features: 2.9 to 4.9 weeks
Full build: 1.9 to 3.4 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.9 to 1.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Payment processor setup and PCI questionnaire: 2 to 6 weeks
Finance system access from your vendor: 1 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 28,480 to 43,560
Discovery 7.7%: CAD 10,964.80 to 16,770.60
Design approved 7.7%: CAD 10,964.80 to 16,770.60
Core features 23.3%: CAD 33,179.20 to 50,747.40
Full build 15.5%: CAD 22,072 to 33,759
Testing and fixes 7.7%: CAD 10,964.80 to 16,770.60
Launch 8.1%: CAD 11,534.40 to 17,641.80
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 14,240 to 21,780

Start from this example

Example projectWeb app

Council agendas and minutes

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

The clerk's office assembles council packages by hand, posts them as scanned PDFs residents cannot search, and finds a past motion by memory.

// What we would build

A council meetings system where staff reports move through review into the agenda, minutes are written against the agenda during the meeting, and every motion and vote is searchable on an accessible public site.

// What is in it

Staff reports through review and approval into the agenda
Agenda packages published as accessible web pages, not only PDFs
Minutes, motions and votes recorded against agenda items
Every past motion searchable by topic, date and vote
Records kept to the retention schedule and ready for information requests

// Stack

Next.js
PostgreSQL
S3-compatible storage
DigitalOcean Toronto

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$57,500 to US$88,000, delivered within 16 weeksCAD 81,900 to 125,300
Hosting: ≈ US$176 a monthCAD 250 a month
Support: ≈ US$1,000 a monthCAD 1,425 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 2.9 to 4.4 weeks
Core features: 1.9 to 3.4 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 2.4 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.9 weeks
Retention rules checked with your records manager: 0.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 16,380 to 25,060
Discovery 6.8%: CAD 5,569.20 to 8,520.40
Design approved 6.8%: CAD 5,569.20 to 8,520.40
Core features 20.4%: CAD 16,707.60 to 25,561.20
Full build 13.6%: CAD 11,138.40 to 17,040.80
Testing and fixes 6.8%: CAD 5,569.20 to 8,520.40
Retention rules checked with your records manager 8.7%: CAD 7,125.30 to 10,901.10
Launch 6.9%: CAD 5,651.10 to 8,645.70
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 8,190 to 12,530

Start from this example

// questions

Questions we get about this.

Can a small town afford a custom permit system?

A focused system for one or two permit types is a modest project, and you own it. The estimator shows the range for your scope before anyone commits.

Will it work with our municipal finance system?

Usually, through its interfaces or scheduled files. We look at what your vendor offers before we quote, and the wait for access is shown as a lead time.

Can residents use it in French?

Yes. The resident side can be fully bilingual, with French written by people, not machine translated.

Back to the industry: Municipalities About the service: Web and mobile apps

// next

Not quite your project?

Tell us what you have in mind. We will come back to you with a range and the questions that would narrow it. Or book a call and talk it through.

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