The verdict in three sentences
A premium brochure redesign for an architecture firm lands between 9,000 and 22,000 EUR ex. VAT in 2026, animations and high-definition portfolio included. The agency day rate ranges from 480 to 720 EUR, versus 350 to 520 EUR for a senior freelancer who carries more timeline risk. The real hidden cost is not the mockup but structuring the project portfolio and the monthly maintenance that keeps the site fast and secure over time.
What a redesign really costs in 2026
A 12-person firm wants three things: a portfolio that sells, a tender-qualification form and flawless speed. Here is the 2026 range by service tier.
| Tier | Scope | Price EUR ex. VAT | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 6-8 pages, 15-project portfolio, blog | 9,000 - 12,000 | 7-8 weeks |
| Signature | 10-14 pages, GSAP animations, project filters | 13,000 - 18,000 | 9-11 weeks |
| Premium | Bespoke design, WebGL, client area | 18,000 - 22,000 | 11-12 weeks |
| Portfolio only | Gallery + project pages redesign | 4,500 - 7,000 | 4-5 weeks |
| Tender landing | Dedicated bid page | 2,500 - 4,000 | 2 weeks |
The price gap comes mainly from bespoke design (Figma mockups, art direction) and image handling: cut-outs, AVIF compression, lazy-loading of heavy 3D renders.
Agency vs freelancer vs CMS: the decision matrix
The choice of vendor and technical stack matters as much as the mockup budget. A headless CMS (Sanity, Strapi) costs more upfront but lowers maintenance and secures performance.
| Criterion | Agency | Senior freelancer | WordPress | Headless CMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day rate / cost | 480-720 EUR | 350-520 EUR | stack included | +2,000-4,000 EUR |
| Typical timeline | 8-12 wks | 6-10 wks | 5-8 wks | 9-12 wks |
| Monthly maintenance | 250-450 EUR | 180-300 EUR | 150-350 EUR | 120-250 EUR |
| Security risk | Low | Medium | High (plugins) | Low |
| Target avg LCP | < 2 s | < 2.5 s | 2.5-3.5 s | < 1.5 s |
For a firm publishing 4 to 6 projects a year, a headless setup with a simple editor costs less over three years than a WordPress loaded with extensions to maintain.
Mini case study
Mark, managing partner of a 12-person architecture firm in London, budgets 15,000 EUR ex. VAT for a Signature redesign. His old site generated 3 qualified tender requests per month. With a portfolio filtered by typology (housing, commercial, public buildings) and a dedicated tender page, he reaches 7 requests/month. If 1 tender in 8 converts into a 45,000 EUR fee mission, the 4 extra monthly requests represent 6 more potential missions per year. The redesign pays for itself with the first signed mission, an ROI reached in under 4 months.
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FAQ
How long does an architecture website redesign take?
Expect 7 to 12 weeks in 2026 depending on animation level. The longest phase is preparing project visuals: budget 2 to 3 weeks just to sort and optimise your renders.
Should I rebuild the whole portfolio or migrate what exists?
Migrating costs 4,500 to 7,000 EUR if the structure is clean. If your project pages are inconsistent, a targeted rebuild is often more cost-effective than cleaning up the old one.
What maintenance budget should I plan?
Maintenance of 180 to 450 EUR/month covers security updates, backups, project additions and small changes. It is essential to keep LCP under 2 seconds.
Is a headless CMS justified for a 12-person firm?
Yes, as soon as you publish projects regularly and want premium performance. The 2,000 to 4,000 EUR premium is recovered through lower maintenance and stronger security.
Can payment be staged?
Most agencies bill 40% on order, 30% on mockup sign-off, 30% on delivery. A clear quote sets these milestones.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your firm, the number of projects to showcase and your indicative budget, and we will frame scope and timeline. 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.
