The verdict in three sentences
For a 12-person architecture practice in Montreal, a full website redesign costs between 6,000 and 12,000 CAD with a freelancer and between 18,000 and 38,000 CAD with a local agency in 2026, over 8 to 12 weeks. The line item that justifies the spend is the portfolio: bringing an LCP of 5.8 s down below 2.5 s changes the first impression of a developer or public client comparing three teams before a competition. The Kolonell Premium grid (2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA, i.e. 3,050 to 5,340 EUR) covers this scope with an optimized portfolio, a simple back office and local SEO.
Why the 2017 website is costing projects
A WordPress site built in 2017 carries the same problems everywhere: an abandoned premium theme, 25 to 40 plugins, 3D renders exported at 6,000 pixels without compression, and a JavaScript slider gallery. Measured result on PageSpeed Insights: a 5.8 s LCP on mobile, while Google rates a page as "good" under 2.5 s.
For an architecture practice, the website has three jobs: prove the quality of completed work, reassure a jury or a developer about the team's capacity, and capture high-end private clients. A slow portfolio hurts all three.
| Metric | 2017 WordPress site (typical audit) | Target after redesign | Expected effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile LCP, portfolio page | 5.8 s | 1.8 to 2.3 s | Fewer mobile drop-offs |
| Weight of a project page | 9 to 14 MB | 1.5 to 2.5 MB | Smooth loading on 4G |
| Image format | 6,000 px JPEG | Responsive AVIF/WebP, 3 to 5 sizes | Sharp rendering, weight divided by 4 to 6 |
| Active plugins | 32 | 0 to 8 depending on the stack | Fewer vulnerabilities, less maintenance |
| Bounce rate on project pages | 65 to 75% | 40 to 50% (estimate) | More projects viewed per visit |
| Contact form | Generic, one message field | Qualifying: project type, floor area, budget, deadline | Requests sorted on arrival |
These values are 2026 orders of magnitude seen on websites of comparable practices; check them against your own audit.
What a redesign costs in 2026: Montreal market and Kolonell grid
The table below separates market estimates (freelancers and agencies in Montreal) from the Kolonell grid, which is an agency price, not a market price.
| Option | Budget (excl. tax) | Timeline | Monthly maintenance | Usually included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress freelancer (market estimate) | 6,000 to 12,000 CAD | 6 to 10 weeks | 100 to 200 CAD | Adapted theme, project migration, basic SEO |
| Montreal agency (market estimate) | 18,000 to 38,000 CAD | 8 to 12 weeks | 200 to 375 CAD | UX, custom design, local SEO, photo shoot excluded |
| Specialist architecture studio (market estimate) | 38,000 to 65,000 CAD | 12 to 16 weeks | 375 to 750 CAD | Strong art direction, animations, copywriting |
| Kolonell Growth | 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 FCFA (1,830 to 3,050 EUR) | 4 to 6 weeks | 35,000 to 75,000 FCFA (50 to 110 EUR) | Fast site, blog, analytics, filterable portfolio |
| Kolonell Premium | 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA (3,050 to 5,340 EUR) | 6 to 8 weeks | 75,000 to 120,000 FCFA (110 to 180 EUR) | Optimized portfolio, advanced animations, in-depth SEO |
Three items drive the bill: the number of projects to migrate (30 projects and 120 projects do not cost the same to enter), content production (architectural photography: roughly 900 to 2,200 CAD per day in Montreal, estimate) and the level of animation on project pages.
What to require in the quote, whoever the provider:
- a measurable commitment on Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) on mobile;
- an automatic image pipeline: you upload a high-resolution render, the site generates AVIF and WebP formats;
- a portfolio filterable by type (housing, public buildings, offices, renovation) and status (competition, delivered, under construction);
- a 301 redirect plan from the old project URLs.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Julie, partner at a 12-person architecture practice in Montreal, currently receives about 6 qualified requests per month through the website (private clients, developers, municipalities). Her conversion rate into a commission is 1 in 6, with average fees of 27,000 CAD per web-sourced commission.
Illustrative scenario: if the optimized portfolio and the qualifying form lift requests to 8 per month, the practice gains 2 requests, i.e. about 4 extra commissions per year (24 requests divided by 6). Order of magnitude: 108,000 CAD of additional fees over 12 months. Against a Premium redesign at 5,340 EUR and 180 EUR of monthly maintenance (around 7,500 EUR in year one), a single extra commission pays for the project. This is a simulation, not a guaranteed result: the quality of the work and reputation remain the main drivers.
FAQ
Should an architecture practice stay on WordPress for a redesign?
Not necessarily. WordPress still makes sense if the team publishes every week, but a Next.js site with a light CMS reaches an LCP under 2 s more easily. The choice depends mostly on who updates the portfolio and how often.
How many projects should the portfolio show?
Between 15 and 30 well-documented projects are enough for most practices of 10 to 20 people. Twenty complete case pages (context, floor area, construction budget, client, 8 to 12 visuals) beat 80 thumbnails without text.
How much lead time before a competition or a major bid?
Allow 8 to 12 weeks with a local agency and 6 to 8 weeks for a Kolonell Premium build, content supplied. If the date is fixed, start the redesign at least 3 months ahead to keep 2 to 3 weeks of margin.
Will the redesign lose existing search rankings?
Not if the 301 redirect plan covers 100% of indexed old URLs and page titles are kept or improved. A temporary dip of 2 to 4 weeks is common, then visits recover with faster pages.
Is local SEO included?
Premium builds include initial technical and local SEO (Google Business Profile, pages by project type, structured data). For monthly follow-up, Kolonell SEO plans range from 100,000 to 350,000 FCFA per month, i.e. 150 to 530 EUR.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current URL, the number of projects to migrate and your deadline, and we will price a redesign within the Premium grid of 2,000,000 to 3,500,000 FCFA. 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.
