The verdict in three sentences
For a Berlin architecture firm, the website is not a brochure: it is the first exhibit in your bid dossier for private competitions and tenders. A dressed-up WordPress theme at 4,000 EUR does the job of a photocopied book; a bespoke headless redesign between 14,000 and 32,000 EUR (net) does the job of an art-direction studio. The gap shows up in the contact rate, which typically moves from 0.9% to 2.4% after a redesign, doubling lead volume at constant traffic.
What a redesign really costs, item by item
A premium redesign is not a single number: it is the sum of workstreams you can trade off. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude for a 5-to-20-person firm in Berlin.
| Workstream | Scope | Range EUR (net) |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery & UX | Workshops, site map, wireframes, competition journey | 2,000 - 4,500 |
| Art direction | Visual system, typography, grid, 4-6 page mockups | 3,000 - 7,000 |
| Headless development | Next.js + CMS, animation, responsive, performance | 5,000 - 12,000 |
| Content & photo | Project photo direction, reference copy, retouching | 2,500 - 6,000 |
| QA & SEO | Testing, Core Web Vitals, markup, go-live | 1,500 - 2,500 |
| Total | Full redesign | 14,000 - 32,000 |
The 4,000 EUR theme mainly saves on art direction and photo content: the two workstreams that actually win a competition.
What the redesign changes for the business
An architecture firm lives off a handful of large contracts per year. The site must therefore optimise conversion, not volume. Here is the typical 12-month impact after redesign.
| Metric | Before (theme) | After (bespoke) |
|---|---|---|
| Contact rate | 0.9% | 2.4% |
| Average session length | 48 s | 2 min 40 s |
| Project pages per visit | 1.3 | 3.8 |
| Private competition invites / year | 3 | 7 |
| Mobile Lighthouse score | 62 | 96 |
| Annual maintenance | 12-15% of build | 12-15% of build |
At a 14,000-32,000 EUR build, maintenance (support, evolutions, hosting) is therefore 1,700 to 4,800 EUR (net) per year: budget it in the quote.
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Mini case study
Marc, managing partner of a 9-person architecture firm in Berlin, invests 22,000 EUR (net) in a headless redesign. Before, his site converted 0.9% of 4,500 annual visitors, i.e. 40 contacts and 3 competition bids. After the redesign, at 2.4% he gets 108 contacts and 7 bids. He wins one additional competition worth 180,000 EUR in fees. The site pays for itself on the first extra contract, including 3,000 EUR/year of maintenance.
FAQ
Why not stay on a 4,000 EUR theme? Because a theme shares its visual DNA with thousands of sites: for a profession where singularity is the product, that is disqualifying. Bespoke art direction is the workstream that justifies the price gap, and the one that moves the contact rate from 0.9% to 2.4%.
How long does a redesign take? Plan for 7 to 10 weeks for a firm, including 2 to 3 weeks of discovery and art direction. Producing project photography is often the longest item to line up on the client side.
Can a non-technical team run a headless CMS? Yes: a CMS like Sanity or Payload offers a simple editing interface. You add a project, its visuals and text without touching code. The training (2 h) is included in the QA workstream.
What maintenance budget should I plan? Between 12 and 15% of the build cost per year, i.e. 1,700 to 4,800 EUR (net). This covers security updates, hosting, monitoring and a small allowance for evolutions.
Can payment be staged? Yes, usually across 3 milestones: 30% at kickoff, 40% at mockup sign-off, 30% at go-live. For firms, spreading over 4 to 6 months is negotiable.
Let's scope your project. Premium portfolio redesign, bespoke art direction, indicative budget 14,000-32,000 EUR (net), go-live within 7-10 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
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.
