The verdict in three sentences
When an architecture practice's photo portfolio takes 6.8 s to load on mobile, half of visitors leave before seeing the first project. A Core Web Vitals audit at 2,500 to 6,000 CAD, followed by 5,000 to 13,000 CAD of fixes, brings LCP under 2.5 s, largely thanks to AVIF images that cut page weight by 60 to 75%. The observed gain averages 18% more contact requests, which pays back the work within a few projects.
What a Core Web Vitals audit measures
Google scores three metrics on real visitor data (the CrUX report). For an image-heavy architecture site, LCP is almost always the issue.
| Metric | Google "good" threshold | Typical finding on an architecture portfolio | Target after fixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (largest element rendered) | Under 2.5 s | 5 to 7 s | 1.8 to 2.4 s |
| INP (interaction responsiveness) | Under 200 ms | 250 to 450 ms (galleries, sliders) | Under 150 ms |
| CLS (visual stability) | Under 0.1 | 0.15 to 0.3 (images without dimensions) | Under 0.05 |
| Average project page weight | No official threshold | 8 to 15 MB | 1.5 to 3 MB |
| Mobile PageSpeed score | 90 and above recommended | 25 to 45 | 85 to 95 |
The audit delivers a prioritised report: each issue is tied to a fix, a cost and an estimated gain. That document lets you choose between targeted optimisation and a rebuild.
Budget: audit, fixes or rebuild
The level of intervention depends on the site's technology. A WordPress site with a heavy page builder is harder to fix than a modern stack.
| Option | 2026 cost | Timeline | Typical LCP gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit only (prioritised report) | 2,500 to 6,000 CAD | 1 to 2 weeks | None without implementation |
| Targeted fixes (AVIF, lazy loading, caching, fonts) | 5,000 to 8,000 CAD | 2 to 3 weeks | From 6.8 s to about 3 s |
| Full fixes (image CDN and gallery rework) | 8,000 to 13,000 CAD | 3 to 5 weeks | Under 2.5 s |
| Full rebuild in Next.js | 20,000 to 32,000 CAD | 8 to 10 weeks | Under 2 s |
| Monthly Core Web Vitals monitoring | 250 to 500 CAD per month | Ongoing | Scores maintained |
For most practices of 5 to 20 people, full fixes give the best cost-to-gain ratio. A rebuild is only justified if the site is over 5 years old or the practice's brand needs a refresh anyway.
The fixes that matter for a photo portfolio
Converting photos to AVIF, with sizes adapted to each screen, cuts image weight by 60 to 75% with no visible loss. Lazy loading below-the-fold images, prioritising the hero image of each project and reserving image dimensions prevent layout shifts. Full-screen galleries must load photos on demand rather than all at once. These fixes keep the visual quality an architect depends on while dividing load time by two or three.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Emily, partner at a 9-person architecture practice in Toronto, receives 25 contact requests a month. Her 4,000 CAD audit and 10,000 CAD of full fixes bring mobile LCP from 6.8 s down to 2.2 s. With the average 18% gain, she gets about 4.5 extra requests a month. If one in ten becomes a commission worth 20,000 CAD in fees, that is 9,000 CAD of additional fees per month on average. The 14,000 CAD invested is recovered in under two months.
FAQ
How much does a Core Web Vitals audit cost for an architecture website in Toronto?
Between 2,500 and 6,000 CAD depending on page count and templates. The report includes a costed, prioritised fix plan.
What LCP should we target?
Google rates LCP under 2.5 s as good, measured at the 75th percentile of real visits. A well-optimised portfolio reaches about 2 s on mobile.
Does AVIF reduce the quality of project photos?
No, at equivalent visual quality AVIF is 60 to 75% lighter than JPEG. A JPEG fallback is still served to the rare unsupported browsers.
How long before results show in Google?
CrUX field data updates over a rolling 28 days. Allow 4 to 6 weeks after the fixes to see green scores in Search Console.
Do we need to rebuild the whole site?
Rarely: fixes of 5,000 to 13,000 CAD are enough in most cases. A rebuild from 20,000 CAD is justified for a site over 5 years old.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your scope, current tools and timeline: we scope the project lot by lot and agree the schedule with you. 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.
