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

The verdict in three sentences

For a Neuchâtel architecture firm that mainly designs high-end private houses, a redesign becomes worthwhile the day it wants to win public or institutional work: the site must then show capabilities, a team and verifiable references. A Neuchâtel agency typically quotes CHF 8,000 to 40,000 for this kind of redesign depending on scope, against CHF 4,500 (Growth) or CHF 8,200 (Premium) on the Kolonell fixed grid, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. The specific risk of this shift lies in balancing the discretion owed to private clients with the transparency a public buyer expects.

What does a public buyer look for on your site?

A commune, the canton or an institution preparing a tender first checks online that the practice has the structure to deliver a commission. Public procurement rules, cantonal and intercantonal, are not handled by a website; the structure is.

Private houses stay visible, but without addresses, without image geotags and only with the owners' written consent.

What does this shift cost, by scope?

These local ranges are a ballpark from typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages. Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support. Each tier is detailed on the international offer page.

Which risks need watching during the redesign?

• Private client discretion: an owner who agreed to appear on a site of prestige homes has not necessarily agreed to a sheet in a public credentials pack. A fresh consent per project avoids later takedowns.
• Inaccurate claims: the title of architect is not protected at federal level and the canton of Neuchâtel has its own rules on who may sign permit applications; the site mentions only titles, registrations and awards actually held, never framed as regulatory advice.
• Search traffic loss: house pages that get visits keep their URL or receive a 301, based on a full inventory; Search Console is monitored for 6 weeks.
• Oversized PDF: a 40 MB pack never gets downloaded; aim for under 5 MB with compressed images, and web pages in WebP or AVIF with lazy loading.
• Personal data: the form collects the minimum (name, contact, project type, area, rough budget), in line with the nLPD; plans go through a separate secure channel, on quote. This is not legal advice.
• Downtime: off-peak DNS switch, TTL lowered 48 hours ahead, email checked on the day.

Kolonell schedule: week 1, URL inventory and capabilities, team and references structure; week 2, copy and design; week 3, build and page migration; week 4, compliance review and go-live. The PDF pack is then finalised from the same copy.

Questions to ask: has the provider structured capability pages before? Who updates the PDF when a reference changes? How many project sheets are included? A Neuchâtel agency remains the better choice if you want to prepare tender submissions together in meetings, or if the project includes a custom-built competition portal.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Atelier Morlane, a four-person practice, designs high-end houses and second homes. It wants to answer its first public tenders. It selects 10 references, including 6 houses published with fresh written consent, and writes 3 capability pages in 12 internal hours. Budget: Growth CHF 4,500, an independent designer for the 12-page PDF pack, third-party cost, CHF 1,200, an independent photographer for 4 projects at CHF 800, third-party cost, CHF 3,200. Total: CHF 8,900, against CHF 14,000 to 28,000 for the site alone with a local agency, per the ballpark above.

FAQ

How many references should a firm show to target public work?

Between 6 and 10, well documented and sorted by building type. One real public or institutional reference counts for more than 20 similar houses.

Should private houses be removed from the site?

No. Keep them with the owners' consent, without addresses or geotags, in a category separate from the 3 or 4 capability pages.

Should the PDF pack mirror the site?

Yes, with the same copy, to avoid two diverging versions. A 10 to 15 page file under 5 MB is enough.

Is a German version useful in Neuchâtel?

Only if you target German-speaking clients. Premium, at CHF 8,200, is the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote.

How long until the firm is ready to bid?

Allow 2 to 4 weeks of content preparation, then 3 to 4 weeks of build, so 5 to 8 weeks in total.

Let's scope your project. Tell us which commissions you are targeting and how many references you can document, and we will price the tier, the PDF pack and the schedule. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.