Architecture firm website cost in Bath: local agencies vs Kolonell (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

In Bath, an architecture firm website built by a local or West of England agency costs, as a 2026 ballpark, between 5 000 and 22 000 GBP, and a long-established practice with decades of projects to archive tends to sit in the upper half. Kolonell builds the portfolio, heritage expertise pages, team profiles and enquiry journey for a fixed price of 2 300, 3 900 or 6 900 GBP, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth and on a written schedule (usually 4 to 6 weeks) on Premium. For a Bath practice the comparison turns on the 3-year total cost, how well the site tells the story of work on listed Georgian fabric, and who controls photo rights for an archive built up over many years.

How do Bath agencies and freelancers price a practice website?

These are prudent ballparks, not official figures. They draw on public rate cards of agencies in Bath and Bristol, minimum project sizes shown on Clutch.co profiles of West of England agencies, hourly rates commonly published by UK studios outside London (often 60 to 110 GBP per hour) and freelance rates visible on Upwork and similar platforms. Bath has a strong pool of independent designers, and some build very good architecture sites.

To be clear, a Bath freelancer can build a good template portfolio for less than our Growth price, sometimes less than Starter. Kolonell is worth considering when you want the project texts written for you, one project manager, a fixed written scope and full handover. Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. The team is based in Senegal on GMT, the same clock as Bath in winter and one hour behind in summer, with Google Meet calls at your time and a written update each week. More on our international website offer.

What does each tier cover for a heritage-led practice?

A client portal, an online survey booking system or an internal archive database is a custom application quoted on request. Ongoing search work is quoted on request too.

What is the 3-year cost for a practice with a large archive?

Premium includes 6 months of support, so the table counts maintenance over the remaining 30 months and applies the same assumption to both columns, as Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted on request.

The figures structure the conversation; they are not a quote. Ask every supplier to complete the same rows.

What do clients of Bath architects expect to see?

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage city, and a large part of the work for local practices involves Georgian and Victorian buildings in Bath stone: townhouse refurbishments, basement conversions, sash window and roof repairs, energy retrofit within the limits of listed building consent. Planning goes through Bath and North East Somerset Council, often with conservation officers involved early. Clients include long-standing residents, families relocating from London, owners of holiday lets and small hotels, schools and the two universities. Around the city, Somerset and Wiltshire villages bring new-build homes and barn conversions. The site should help each of them:

• Show heritage competence with evidence: survey drawings, details of repairs, how the practice worked with the conservation team.
• Explain listed building consent and the process in plain language for owners buying their first listed house.
• Separate city heritage work from rural new-build, since the two audiences ask different questions.
• Present accreditations exactly: conservation registers such as the AABC register only if the person holds them.
• Credit photographers and dates for images of buildings, some taken many years ago.

On compliance, facts only. "Architect" is protected in the UK by the Architects Act 1997, and only people on the ARB register can use it in business, so each profile needs the correct status. Photos of buildings are usually the photographer's copyright: older archive images in particular may have been licensed for print only and need a web licence. Forms and analytics are covered by the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and cookies by PECR. This is not legal advice.

Which red flags should a Bath practice watch for in a quote?

• "Unlimited projects" with no word on who uploads them: archives take real time to load and describe.
• No question about image rights for archive photos.
• Generic heritage wording that could apply to any city.
• The domain or hosting registered to the agency.
• No page weight target for image-heavy project pages.
• A retainer that is mandatory to keep the site online.

Mini case study

Illustrative example. Hannah W., partner of a three-person Bath practice with twenty years of townhouse refurbishments and a growing number of village new-builds, wants to put the full archive online. A Bath agency quotes 21 000 GBP for a bespoke site, delivered in 16 weeks. Kolonell proposes Premium at 6 900 GBP with the full archive, a heritage section and a written schedule of 5 weeks.

The build gap is 14 100 GBP. Adding the same maintenance assumption of 2 100 GBP on each side over 30 months gives 23 100 GBP versus 9 000 GBP over three years. Hannah budgets part of the difference to re-license and re-shoot the archive images that were only cleared for print.

FAQ

How much does an architecture firm website cost in Bath in 2026?

With a local agency, a ballpark of 5 000 to 22 000 GBP, and 1 500 to 5 500 GBP with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 300, 3 900 or 6 900 GBP.

Why choose Premium rather than Growth?

Growth covers up to 20 projects, which suits most small practices. Premium at 6 900 GBP is for a full archive with filters by period and location, long case studies and 6 months of support.

Can you write about listed building work without visiting?

Yes, from your drawings, notes and a call per project. You check every technical point before publication, and corrections are part of the project.

Is a Bath freelancer a better option?

Sometimes, especially for a small site on a template, which can cost under 2 000 GBP. Kolonell fits when you want the copy written, a project manager and a fixed scope in writing.

How do we pay?

By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. On Premium, that is two payments of 3 450 GBP.

Let's scope your project. Send us your project archive, the images you hold and your current site, and we reply with a fixed-price tier and a written timeline, 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth. Request your free quote or see the international offer.