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

The verdict in three sentences

A Gatineau architecture firm that designs schools and public buildings, while also serving Ontario clients and second-home owners, needs a site where French is complete and English is a real journey, not three translated pages. The budget runs from $4,900 (Growth, one language) to $8,900 (Premium, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) with Kolonell, against a 2026 ballpark of CAD 18,000 to 45,000 (roughly USD 13,000 to 32,400) with a regional agency. The main risk is technical: badly set hreflang tags and forgotten redirects can pull both language versions down at once.

Who visits your site, and in which language?

Gatineau has a particular position: a Quebec city facing Ottawa, with federal offices and services on both sides of the river. The same firm may answer a school service center on Monday, an Ontario developer on Tuesday and a family extending a cottage in the Collines-de-l'Outaouais on Wednesday.

This table drives the sitemap: every project page exists in both languages, each with its own URL.

How do you redesign in two languages without losing rankings?

Three simple rules. First, a subfolder structure (/fr/ and /en/) on one domain, easier to maintain than two domains. Second, reciprocal hreflang tags on every page pair, plus a default version. Third, a 301 redirect map that links each old URL, French or English, to its new equivalent in the same language. Google Search Console is then monitored for 6 weeks, language by language.

Copy matters as much as code. At Kolonell, text is written natively in French and English, not translated word for word. The ballparks below are drawn from typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages, converted approximately into USD.

Every tier includes a project manager in your time zone, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, and 3 months of support; maintenance after that is on quote. BIM viewers, project extranets, client portals, tender document rooms and CRM stay linked or embedded, on quote. More on our international offer page.

Which risks are specific to a public buildings practice?

• Public references: a school or municipal building is shown only with the client's consent, without implying a partnership that does not exist.
• Professional title: the architect title is reserved for members of the Ordre des architectes du Québec; a professional registered only in Ontario is presented with the title they actually hold.
• Awards and certifications: only if real and documented by the firm.
• Images: WebP or AVIF, lazy loading; private homes and cottages without addresses.
• Documents: the form collects the minimum (name, contact details, project type, area, rough budget); drawings and technical specifications go through a separate secure channel, on quote.
• Compliance: French must be available under the Charter of the French language; Law 25 governs personal information; CASL governs commercial email. Ontario accessibility rules (AODA) apply to organizations based in Ontario, depending on size. Permit processes are described in general terms, never as advice. This is not legal advice.

Typical schedule: week 1 inventory and 301 map in both languages; week 2 sitemap and copy; week 3 portfolio migration and hreflang; week 4 compliance review, testing and launch outside a tender submission period.

A regional agency remains the better choice if you want in-person meetings, an on-site photographer coordinated for you or a full brand identity. Questions to ask: are hreflang tags tested page by page? Does the 301 map cover both languages? Who writes the English?

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Atelier Vallon Nord, a fictional 22-person Gatineau firm working on schools, public buildings and a residential stream for second homes. The old site has 30 project pages in French and only 8 in English. The new site will have 30 project pages and 12 service pages in each language, so 42 hreflang pairs and 84 URLs. The 301 map covers all 38 old project URLs (30 + 8). Three-year cost: Premium at $8,900 + 33 months x $180 (market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote) = 8,900 + 5,940 = $14,840. A bilingual local quote at CAD 35,000 (approx. USD 25,200) would exceed that total before any maintenance.

FAQ

Do we really need two complete languages?

For a firm serving Ontario and clients from abroad, yes. Premium at $8,900 is the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.

What does hreflang actually change?

It tells Google which version to show for each language. In our illustrative example, 42 page pairs are linked this way.

Can we show schools we designed?

Yes, with the client's consent and photos whose rights are checked. The 2-day compliance review verifies this before launch.

How long does it take?

3 to 4 weeks of production once content is gathered, plus 1 to 2 weeks of preparation on the firm's side.

Is maintenance included?

Three months of support are included. After that, maintenance is on quote.

Let's scope your project. Send your current site and target languages and we will price the tier, the bilingual 301 map and the timeline. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.