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

The verdict in three sentences

In Jersey City, where developers compare firms on high-rise residential and waterfront redevelopment across from Manhattan, a generalist portfolio dilutes the message: the redesign should reposition the firm around a specialism and create service pages by building type. On Kolonell's grid the redesign costs USD 2,900 to 8,900 in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, against a 2026 ballpark of USD 15,000 to 45,000 in typical Hudson County agency quotes. The main risk is deleting or merging pages that already rank without a redirect plan.

Does your portfolio tell developers what you do best?

A multidisciplinary firm combining architects and landscape designers often sorts its portfolio by date or by client. A developer is looking for something else: proof that you know their building type. Start with a positioning audit, project by project, keeping only what you can show with client permission.

This table is an example: each firm fills in its own with its real projects. The titles architect and landscape architect appear only for people who hold them, since the professions are regulated by the state's licensing boards; other team members are presented as designers or landscape designers.

How do you restructure URLs without losing traffic?

Repositioning changes the site structure. Every old page needs a destination.

After launch, monitor Search Console for 6 weeks: 404 errors, excluded pages, falling queries. Renderings of unbuilt projects are published only with the developer's consent and clearly labeled as renderings.

What budget and timeline should you plan?

Market figures reflect typical agency quotes and public rate pages. Each Kolonell tier includes a project manager in your time zone, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support: see the international offer. Typical timeline: week 1 for the positioning audit and URL inventory, weeks 2 and 3 for writing the building-type pages, design and migration, week 4 for accessibility (WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA target, as ADA Title III claims are frequent), review of marketing content and launch.

What other risks matter, and what stays on quote?

Three points deserve attention. First, performance claims: a sustainability certification or rating appears only if it is real and supplied by the firm. Second, the form: name, contact, project type, area and rough budget are enough; drawings and developer files go through a separate secure channel on quote. Third, cutover: TTL lowered the day before, a weekday launch, form and redirects tested within the hour. For any newsletter, follow the CAN-SPAM Act. This is not legal advice.

On quote: tender document rooms, project extranets, BIM viewers, client portals and CRM, linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside a fixed-price site.

A Manhattan or Hudson County agency is the better choice if repositioning comes with a name change, a new identity or in-person workshops with several partners. Questions to ask: who runs the positioning audit? Who signs off the redirect table? Who writes the building-type pages?

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Rafael is a partner at Mercer Field Studio, a fictional Jersey City firm combining architects and landscape designers. He wants to refocus the site on multifamily housing and its outdoor spaces, with 2 building-type pages and 12 migrated projects.

• Growth tier: USD 4,900
• Local architectural photographer for 3 completed projects (third-party cost): USD 3,000
• Hosting at USD 65 a month over 33 months (market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote): USD 2,145

Three-year total: 4,900 + 3,000 + 2,145 = USD 10,045, against about USD 50,145 for a USD 45,000 Manhattan agency quote with the same photographer and hosting assumption. Repositioning clarifies the offer, with no guarantee of new commissions.

FAQ

Should we delete projects outside the specialism?

No, archive them and 301 their old URLs. Only 2 or 3 building types stay in the main navigation.

How many building-type service pages should we plan?

Two to four are enough for a clear repositioning. They fit within the USD 4,900 Growth tier.

Can we publish renderings of unbuilt projects?

Yes, with the developer's written consent and a rendering label. Plan on 3 to 5 images per project.

How long should we monitor rankings?

At least 6 weeks in Search Console. A temporary dip in the first 2 weeks is common.

Is the Starter tier enough?

Starter at USD 2,900 covers a compact site without heavy restructuring. For a repositioning with a redirect plan, Growth is the better fit.

Let's scope your project. Send us your target specialism and the list of projects you can show, 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.