The verdict in three sentences
For a Utrecht practice, the useful question is not the redesign price but the total cost over three years compared with patching an ageing theme or a portfolio-builder site. On our assumptions, fixing the current site costs about EUR 7,900 over 36 months, a Kolonell Growth redesign (EUR 4,500) about EUR 7,800 over three years and Premium (EUR 8,200) about EUR 11,500, with maintenance as a market assumption, against more than EUR 23,000 with a mid-range local agency. The redesign is delivered in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, provided the project pages that already rank are protected.
Is your current site still worth patching?
Score each statement from 0 (false) to 2 (true). A total of 6 or more out of 12 makes a redesign more rational than another fix.
- The theme or portfolio builder no longer receives updates, or every plugin breaks the layout.
- A project page weighs more than 5 MB on mobile.
- Restoration and adaptive reuse projects are not separated from new builds.
- The English version is missing or stuck halfway.
- Only the original developer knows how to edit a page.
- The form accepts plans as attachments.
What does a redesign cost in Utrecht in 2026?
2026 ballpark from public rate pages of local agencies and typical quotes, photography excluded.
| Provider | Usual timeline | 2026 redesign budget |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance fixes on the existing theme | 2 to 4 weeks | EUR 1,500 to 3,000 per year |
| Freelancer, new theme | 4 to 6 weeks | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 |
| Utrecht web agency, mid-range | 8 to 12 weeks | EUR 10,000 to 25,000 |
| Specialist design studio | 10 to 16 weeks | EUR 25,000 to 45,000 |
| Kolonell Starter | 3 to 4 weeks | EUR 2,700 |
| Kolonell Growth | 3 to 4 weeks | EUR 4,500 |
| Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) | 3 to 4 weeks | EUR 8,200 |
Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable in the Amsterdam time zone, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Dutch copy is supplied by the firm or by a freelance translator, a third-party cost. On quote, linked or embedded: BIM viewers, project extranets, client portals, tender document rooms, CRM and a secure channel for plans. Tier details are on the international offer page.
What does each option cost over three years?
Maintenance and hosting figures are market assumptions, not Kolonell prices: Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months is on quote.
| Option | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patch the theme (fixes EUR 2,500 then 1,800, hosting and plugins EUR 600 a year) | EUR 3,100 | EUR 2,400 | EUR 2,400 | EUR 7,900 |
| Rebuild yourself on a portfolio builder (subscription EUR 400, internal time 40 h then 15 h at EUR 60) | EUR 2,800 | EUR 1,300 | EUR 1,300 | EUR 5,400 |
| Local agency EUR 18,000, maintenance EUR 150 a month | EUR 19,800 | EUR 1,800 | EUR 1,800 | EUR 23,400 |
| Kolonell Growth EUR 4,500, maintenance: market assumption EUR 100 a month from month 4 (Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote) | EUR 5,400 | EUR 1,200 | EUR 1,200 | EUR 7,800 |
| Kolonell Premium EUR 8,200, same assumption | EUR 9,100 | EUR 1,200 | EUR 1,200 | EUR 11,500 |
The portfolio builder looks cheapest, but internal time is usually underestimated and the SEO structure stays limited. Patching costs almost as much as a Growth redesign without solving image weight or the missing English version.
Which risks should you control during the redesign?
- Traffic loss. Inventory every URL, write a page-by-page 301 redirect map and monitor Search Console for 6 weeks. A well-ranked adaptive reuse page is redirected to its new address, never to the homepage.
- Project migration. Each project keeps its text, photo credits and client permission. Private houses are published without addresses. Images move to WebP or AVIF with responsive sizes and lazy loading.
- Integrations. Links to the extranet or file-sharing tool are listed and tested before the switch.
- Downtime. DNS switch on a weekday evening, old site backed up for 30 days.
- Content compliance. The title architect is protected by the Architectentitelwet: only people listed in the Architectenregister may use it, so every team page is reviewed before go-live. Permit procedures under the Omgevingswet, in force since 1 January 2024, and heritage rules are described generally, never as advice. Awards and certifications appear only if real and supplied by the firm. The form falls under the GDPR (AVG), supervised by the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens: it asks only for name, contact, project type, area and rough budget. This is not legal advice.
Typical schedule: week 1 inventory and structure, weeks 2 and 3 design, build and migration, week 4 compliance review and go-live. A local agency usually plans 8 to 12 weeks.
When is a Utrecht agency the better choice?
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
If you want workshops in Dutch at your office, a photographer coordinated by the same team or a custom client portal, a local agency is a better fit. Before signing with anyone, ask: who writes the redirect map, who owns the domain, how photo rights are recorded, what maintenance costs after delivery, and which items are excluded.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Bureau Vechtzicht, a fictional six-person Utrecht studio specialising in heritage restoration and adaptive reuse, whose two partners are listed in the Architectenregister, runs a 2017 WordPress theme with 30 project pages. A freelancer offers to patch it: EUR 7,900 over three years per the table.
Chosen option: Kolonell Premium at EUR 8,200 (the multilingual tier, Dutch and English set in the quote), plus EUR 100 a month of maintenance from month 4, a market assumption, Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months being on quote. Calculation: 8,200 + 9 × 100 + 24 × 100 = EUR 11,500 over three years, EUR 3,600 more than patching, about EUR 100 a month, for a bilingual site and a structure that finally separates restoration from reuse. A freelance Dutch translator, about EUR 900, is a third-party cost on top.
FAQ
How much does an architecture firm website redesign cost in Utrecht?
In 2026, expect EUR 10,000 to 25,000 with a mid-range local agency and EUR 2,700 to 8,200 on the Kolonell grid. Over three years, maintenance weighs as much as the initial gap.
How long does it take?
Kolonell delivers in 3 to 4 weeks once texts and photos are ready, against 8 to 12 weeks at a local agency. Then plan 6 weeks of redirect monitoring.
Can we write architect on the team page?
Only for people listed in the Architectenregister, in line with the Architectentitelwet. Other team members are presented by role, for example 2 designers or 1 project lead.
Can the site integrate our extranet or BIM models?
Yes, linked or embedded and priced on quote, on top of the EUR 4,500 or EUR 8,200 tier. They are never rebuilt inside the site.
Is a portfolio builder not enough?
It costs about EUR 5,400 over three years in our assumption, but with 40 internal hours in year one and limited SEO control. Beyond 30 project pages, a dedicated structure is easier to maintain.
Let's scope your project. Send your project page count, languages and target date, and we will price the redesign at a fixed fee from EUR 2,700. 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.
