The verdict in three sentences
In Nashville, an architecture firm designing multi-unit housing for developers pays roughly $8,000 to $24,000 for a boutique agency redesign in 2026 and $25,000 to $60,000 with a full-service agency, against $4,900 (Growth) or $8,900 (Premium) on Kolonell's fixed grid. The point of this redesign is to present retrofit, energy, timber or reuse expertise factually, with no label or certification the firm does not hold. Production takes 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, then 6 weeks of Search Console monitoring.
What does a developer check on your site before calling?
Rapid growth, hospitality and music venue projects, and infill in East Nashville and The Gulch have multiplied the developers who compare several practices online before a first call. Here is what they look for.
| Developer question | Page that answers it | Acceptable evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Can you do multi-unit housing? | Multifamily service page | Real projects supplied by the firm, with client consent |
| Do you know the local steps? | Approach page | General description of zoning and permits, never advice |
| Can you rework an existing building? | Retrofit and reuse page | Approach described, studies carried out, credited photos |
| Who will lead the project? | Team page | Real titles, licensed architects only where they are |
| What is your energy approach? | Performance page | Verifiable facts, no label not obtained |
| How do we send you a file? | Contact | Minimum form, separate secure channel on quote |
In the US, the architect title and the practice of architecture are regulated by each state's licensing board. NCARB certification or AIA membership appears only if real.
How do you talk about sustainability without exposure?
The sustainability page is often the riskiest page in a redesign: promised savings, assumed labels, unsourced numbers. The compliance review of marketing content before go-live should start there.
| Avoid | Factual wording |
|---|---|
| Zero-carbon buildings | We study embodied carbon and energy use from concept stage |
| Guaranteed energy savings | We model energy use when the project warrants it |
| Label claimed with no evidence | Label named only with the certificate supplied by the firm |
| Timber experts | Completed timber-frame projects, with credits and consent |
| 100% reuse | Reused materials described project by project |
What budget and what calendar?
2026 ballpark from typical local agency quotes and public rate pages, not a survey: freelancer $3,500 to $9,000, boutique agency $8,000 to $24,000, full-service agency $25,000 to $60,000. At Kolonell, Starter is $2,900, Growth $4,900 and Premium $8,900, with a project manager in your time zone, native copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Details are on the international offer.
| Phase | Kolonell | Typical boutique agency |
|---|---|---|
| URL inventory and 301 map | Week 1 | Weeks 1 to 3 |
| Service pages and sustainability page | Week 2 | Weeks 3 to 6 |
| Project migration, WebP or AVIF images | Week 3 | Weeks 6 to 10 |
| Compliance review and QA | Week 4 | Weeks 10 to 12 |
| Switch and Search Console monitoring | Weeks 4 to 10 | Weeks 12 to 18 |
What are the risks during migration?
Ranking project pages. A URL inventory lists every project and service page that gets clicks. Each keeps its address or gets a 301 redirect, checked in Search Console for 6 weeks.
Image rights. Developer renderings and completion photos often belong to third parties: get credits and written consent before migration. Private homes are shown without an address.
Side tools. BIM viewers, project extranets, client portals, tender document rooms and CRM stay on quote, linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside a fixed-grid site.
Data and compliance. The form asks for name, contact, project type, area and rough budget, nothing more. Tennessee has adopted a consumer privacy law with applicability thresholds: have someone check whether it covers you. ADA Title III claims are frequent, so aim for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA; CAN-SPAM governs email. This is not legal advice.
Switch. Avoid a Friday afternoon launch: prefer a Tuesday morning, with rollback ready.
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Questions to ask: who reviews the sustainability page? Who owns the rights to the renderings? Who runs the recruitment page for architects and technologists? Who tracks 404s?
When is a Nashville agency the better fit?
If you are building a full developer pitch with site films, on-site visits and a monthly content strategy, a local agency that can come to your sites is a better fit. For a redesign with a defined scope, the fixed grid covers the essentials.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Fernhill Housing Studio, 9 people in Nashville, designs multi-unit housing for developers and wants to highlight its retrofits. The site has 48 URLs, including 19 project pages; 7 get organic traffic.
Option: Kolonell Growth at $4,900, with a retrofit and reuse page, a factual performance page and a 301 map for the 7 ranking pages. The firm adds $600 for an independent energy consultant to review the performance page (third-party cost). Total: $4,900 + $600 = $5,500, against a $16,000 boutique quote, a $10,500 gap. Launch the main site first, then move to Premium at $8,900 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) if a Spanish version becomes useful.
FAQ
Can we name a sustainability label?
Yes, if it was actually obtained and you supply the certificate. Without evidence, describe the approach in 2 or 3 factual sentences.
How many service pages for a multifamily practice?
Three to five are usually enough: multifamily, retrofit, mixed-use, performance, approach. Each page targets one developer question.
Does a redesign lose traffic?
A temporary dip of a few weeks is common, even with a complete 301 map. Watch Search Console for 6 weeks.
Is Starter at $2,900 enough?
For a practice with fewer than 10 projects and a single specialism, yes. With 19 projects to migrate and sustainability pages, Growth at $4,900 is more realistic.
Where do developers send plans?
Not through the website form. A separate secure channel, on quote, receives heavy files, often 50 to 500 MB.
Let's scope your project. A redesign with factual sustainability pages, project migration and a 301 map, from $4,900 in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
