Website redesign for an architecture firm in Charleston: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

For a Charleston architecture firm opening a second office, a website redesign is first a local search project: one Google Business Profile per office, the same name, address and phone everywhere, one page per location. On Kolonell's grid the budget runs USD 2,900 to 8,900 for delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, against a 2026 ballpark of USD 12,000 to 38,000 in typical Charleston agency quotes. The main danger is breaking pages that already rank at the very moment the firm needs visibility in a new city.

Five signals specific to a Charleston practice

• The site lists one address while a second office opens, for example in Savannah or Columbia, and nothing helps Google connect it to the firm.
• Historic district projects are mixed in with everything else, with no page explaining in general terms how Board of Architectural Review style processes work.
• Lowcountry constraints (flood zones, elevated construction, resilient materials) are covered nowhere, although clients raise them on the first call.
• Project pages weigh more than 6 MB on mobile, with no WebP or AVIF images.
• The firm name varies across directories (with or without an ampersand, an old phone number), which muddles local rankings.

These processes are described on the site in general terms, never as advice on a specific case.

What does a second office change in the redesign budget?

Market figures reflect typical agency quotes and public rate pages, not an official source. Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support. Details are on the international offer page.

How do you keep and extend local visibility after the redesign?

Google's rules require a real address where the firm meets clients or works during business hours: no virtual offices. On each office page, the title architect appears only for people who hold it in that state, since each state has its own licensing board. AIA membership is mentioned only if it exists.

When should you launch, and which risks need managing?

Ideally the new site goes live 2 to 3 weeks before the second office opens, so the office page is indexed when the first enquiries arrive. Typical Kolonell timeline: week 1 for the audit, URL inventory and name-address-phone list; weeks 2 and 3 for design, office pages and project migration; week 4 for accessibility, review of marketing content and launch.

Risks to handle:

• Losing ranking project pages: a page-by-page 301 redirect map.
• Credits and permissions: every photo credited, every project published with client consent, private homes without addresses.
• Accessibility: ADA Title III claims are frequent; target WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA.
• Cutover: TTL lowered the day before, morning launch, form tested within the hour.
• Newsletter: CAN-SPAM compliant footer and a working unsubscribe. This is not legal advice.

On quote: project extranets, client portals, BIM viewers, tender document rooms and CRM, linked or embedded.

A Charleston agency is the better choice if you want someone to photograph both offices and your sites every quarter, or a full identity redesign through on-site workshops. Ask any provider: who manages the Google profiles? Who writes the office pages? Who monitors Search Console after launch?

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Clara is managing partner of Ashby Rowe Studio, a fictional Charleston firm opening an office in Savannah. She wants two office pages, a page on historic district work and 15 migrated projects.

• Growth tier: USD 4,900
• Local photographer for the Savannah team and office (third-party cost): USD 900
• Hosting at USD 55 a month over 33 months (market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote): USD 1,815

Three-year total: 4,900 + 900 + 1,815 = USD 7,615, against about USD 32,715 for a USD 30,000 local agency quote with the same photographer and hosting assumption. No volume of enquiries is guaranteed.

FAQ

Do we need one page per office?

Yes, one page per genuinely staffed office, with address, team and area projects. Two office pages fit within the USD 4,900 Growth tier.

When should the site launch relative to the opening?

Aim for 2 to 3 weeks before the opening. That gives the office page time to be indexed.

How do we avoid losing current rankings?

Inventory every URL, 301 each one and monitor Search Console for 6 weeks. 404 errors are fixed as soon as they appear.

Can we create a Google profile for a shared office?

Only if the firm genuinely meets clients or works there during set hours. A mail-drop address is not accepted by Google.

What is the minimum budget?

The Starter tier costs USD 2,900 and suits a compact site. CRM or extranet integrations stay on quote.

Let's scope your project. Share your addresses, the number of projects to migrate and the second office's opening date, and we will price the redesign between USD 2,900 and 8,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.