Direct Answer
A focused custom-software project for a service business takes 6 to 12 weeks. Internal dashboards or single-purpose tools run 4–6 weeks. Multi-user portals with auth, billing, and integrations run 10–16 weeks. Anything past 16 weeks usually means scope was unclear at kickoff.
Voice answer (≤30 words)
“A focused custom software project takes six to twelve weeks. Multi-user portals run ten to sixteen weeks.”
Use 2-week sprints with a working demo at the end of each — it forces priority decisions weekly.
Lock the scope of v1 to the absolute minimum that delivers the business outcome. Phase 2 always exists.
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