The verdict in three sentences
For a 12-person architecture practice, a serious portfolio website rebuild costs between 6,500 and 14,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026 (roughly 5,500 to 12,000 GBP), and the main price driver is the number of project pages (30 to 80). A Squarespace template at 300 EUR a year is enough to exist online, but it does not win competitions: juries and clients judge image quality, loading speed and how easy references are to read. Plan for 8 to 10 weeks and 90 to 180 EUR per month of maintenance.
What drives the budget of an architect's portfolio
An architecture practice website is first and foremost a gallery. Each project page holds 12 to 25 visuals on average (site photos, renderings, plans), a brief, floor area, client, construction value and awards. This volume of images and data entry weighs on the quote far more than the homepage design.
| Scope | Project pages | 2026 budget (EUR excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential portfolio | 30 pages | 6,500 to 8,000 | 8 weeks |
| Extended portfolio | 50 pages | 8,500 to 10,500 | 9 weeks |
| Full portfolio + filters | 80 pages | 11,000 to 14,000 | 10 weeks |
| Bilingual option | all | + 1,800 to 3,200 | + 2 weeks |
| 3D tour / BIM model option | 5 to 10 projects | + 1,500 to 4,000 | + 1 week |
| Additional photo shoot | per project | 450 to 900 | variable |
Three technical items matter most. First, an AVIF-optimised image gallery: a 4 MB visual drops to 180 to 350 KB with no visible loss, cutting mobile load time by 3. Second, project filters (typology, scale, built or competition, region), essential beyond 40 projects. Third, a simple CMS so an assistant or junior architect can add a project in 20 minutes without calling the agency.
Squarespace, freelancer or agency: the numbers
| Criterion | Squarespace template | Freelancer (450 EUR/day) | Specialised agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 600 EUR | 4,500 to 9,000 EUR (10 to 20 days) | 6,500 to 14,000 EUR |
| Annual cost | 300 EUR | 600 to 1,200 EUR | 1,080 to 2,160 EUR |
| Custom design | Low | Medium to good | High |
| AVIF and lazy loading | Partial | Depends on profile | Systematic |
| Typical mobile Lighthouse score | 55 to 75 | 70 to 90 | 90 to 98 |
| Dependency risk | Platform | One person | Team + documentation |
| Timeline | 2 to 3 weeks | 6 to 12 weeks | 8 to 10 weeks |
A freelancer remains a credible option for 30 projects and a clean design, provided you check their architecture portfolio and post-launch availability. Beyond 50 projects, with filters, a second language and performance targets, an agency is safer: content entry, image retouching and multi-device testing require several profiles.
What competition juries and clients actually look at
When you enter a public competition or a private tender, your website acts as an extended reference file. Juries often browse it on a tablet, in a meeting, on an average connection. A portfolio that takes 6 seconds to show its first image makes a poor impression before anyone reads the brief.
| Indicator | Ageing site | After rebuild (target) |
|---|---|---|
| First image display time (mobile LCP) | 4 to 7 s | under 2 s |
| Average project page weight | 25 to 60 MB | 3 to 6 MB |
| Time to find a project of the same typology | 1 to 2 min | under 15 s |
| Pages per visit | 2 to 3 | 5 to 8 |
| Inbound enquiries per month (estimate) | 2 to 4 | 5 to 9 |
Add a strong "Practice" page (team, sustainability and BIM skills, public client references) and an "Awards" page. Both directly answer the selection criteria of most applications.
Mini case study
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Emma, managing partner of a 12-architect practice in London, picks an agency rebuild with 52 project pages, filters and a second language: 10,200 EUR + 2,400 EUR for the bilingual layer, so 12,600 EUR excluding VAT, plus 140 EUR per month of maintenance (1,680 EUR per year). Three-year cost: 12,600 + 5,040 = 17,640 EUR.
The practice enters about 15 competitions and tenders a year. If the new site helps win just one extra commission per year with 45,000 EUR in fees (12 % of a 375,000 EUR project), the return covers more than 2.5 times the total three-year cost. Even with one commission every two years, the investment pays off.
FAQ
How much does a portfolio website for an architecture firm cost?
Expect 6,500 to 14,000 EUR excluding VAT in 2026 with an agency, depending on the number of project pages (30 to 80) and options. A freelancer at 450 EUR per day will usually charge 4,500 to 9,000 EUR for a smaller scope.
Do we need all photos ready before kick-off?
Ideally 80 % of visuals should be ready by week 3. Content delays cause most overruns, often 2 to 4 weeks.
Is AVIF supported by all browsers?
In 2026, more than 95 % of browsers support it. The site falls back automatically to WebP or JPEG for the rare exceptions.
Can we keep our Squarespace site and just refresh it?
Yes, for under 1,500 EUR, but the performance and filtering limits remain. Beyond 40 projects, migrating to a custom build is usually more cost-effective.
What does 90 to 180 EUR per month of maintenance include?
Security updates, daily backups, uptime monitoring and 1 to 3 hours of monthly changes, such as adding new projects.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects you want to publish, your languages and your next competition deadline, and we will price a portfolio between 6,500 and 14,000 EUR with an 8 to 10 week plan. 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.
