The verdict in three sentences
For a manufacturing group with around 300 employees in Montreal, a full corporate website redesign costs roughly 40,000 to 110,000 CAD before taxes in 2026 with an agency, versus 12,000 to 25,000 CAD for a well-scoped partial redesign. A partial redesign is enough when the technical foundation still holds (up-to-date CMS, load time under 3 seconds, sound page structure). Once the site combines technical debt, an outdated structure and stale product content, the full redesign becomes cheaper over three years than repeated patching, and Quebec's Law 25 adds privacy work you should budget from day one.
Partial or full redesign: what each option covers
This is not an aesthetic question. It involves three layers: the technical foundation, the information architecture and the content. A partial redesign touches one or two layers, a full redesign rebuilds all three.
| Item | Partial redesign | Full redesign |
|---|---|---|
| Agency budget (2026 estimate) | 12,000 to 25,000 CAD | 40,000 to 110,000 CAD |
| Senior freelancer budget | 6,000 to 12,000 CAD | 12,000 to 25,000 CAD |
| Project duration | 4 to 8 weeks | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Technical foundation | Kept and updated | New CMS or framework |
| Information architecture | Adjusted on 10 to 20 % of pages | Rebuilt after business workshops |
| Design | New UI on existing templates | Full design system |
| SEO risk | Low | Medium, managed with a 301 redirect plan |
A simple signal: if more than 40 % of pages need a new URL or template, the partial option loses its economic advantage. You pay for the complexity of a full project without getting its benefits.
Cost items of a full redesign in Quebec
For an industrial group, the budget rarely goes into design. The heavy items are technical product pages, the French and English versions required in Quebec, and integrations (ERP, CRM, configurator).
| Item | Share of budget | Indicative 2026 range |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, workshops, sitemap | 10 to 15 % | 5,000 to 14,000 CAD |
| UX and design system | 15 to 20 % | 7,000 to 20,000 CAD |
| Development and CMS integration | 30 to 40 % | 15,000 to 40,000 CAD |
| Content migration and product pages | 10 to 15 % | 5,000 to 15,000 CAD |
| French and English versions | 8 to 12 % | 4,000 to 12,000 CAD |
| Law 25 compliance (consent, privacy policy, cookie banner) | 3 to 6 % | 2,000 to 6,000 CAD |
| Maintenance | Outside project | 450 to 1,400 CAD per month |
Hosting stays a modest item: 50 to 250 CAD per month on a Canadian region (OVHcloud Beauharnois, AWS or Azure Canada Central), which legal teams often prefer for data residency. The real recurring cost is maintenance, which should include security updates, backups and a block of improvement hours.
How to decide at executive committee level
The communications director must present a costed choice, not a preference. Four criteria are enough in practice.
- Age of the foundation: a CMS older than 6 years or an unsupported PHP version points to a full redesign.
- Performance: an LCP above 4 seconds on mobile is rarely fixed without changing the foundation.
- Sales usage: if sales engineers no longer send links to the site, the structure needs rework.
- Cumulative cost: add up three years of fixes and plugins. Above 30,000 CAD, a full redesign is justified.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Claire, communications director of a precision engineering group in Montreal (300 employees, 45 % export). Her 2018 WordPress site has 180 pages, including 90 product pages. She compares two scenarios over three years.
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- Partial redesign: 18,000 CAD, then about 14,000 CAD of fixes and plugins over three years, so 32,000 CAD, with a site that stays slow on mobile.
- Full redesign: 65,000 CAD, then 750 CAD of monthly maintenance, so 65,000 + 27,000 = 92,000 CAD over three years.
The gap is 60,000 CAD. Claire compares it with the sales target: if the new site generates 2 more qualified requests per month, with an average deal of 50,000 CAD and a 15 % close rate, it brings in about 180,000 CAD of additional revenue per year. The committee approves the full redesign, phased over 16 weeks.
FAQ
How much does a full corporate website redesign cost in Montreal in 2026?
As an estimate, plan for 40,000 to 110,000 CAD with an agency, depending on the number of product pages and languages. A senior freelancer typically charges 12,000 to 25,000 CAD for a narrower scope.
How long does a full redesign take?
Plan for 12 to 20 weeks, including 3 to 4 weeks of scoping and 2 weeks of testing. Internal content approval is usually what stretches the schedule.
Does a redesign hurt search rankings?
Without a 301 redirect plan, traffic can drop by 10 to 30 % for several months. With a complete plan and SEO testing, the drop is usually temporary and limited.
What does Law 25 change for a corporate website?
Since September 2023, Quebec requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies, a clear privacy policy and a designated privacy officer. Budget roughly 2,000 to 6,000 CAD to implement it properly during the redesign.
What maintenance budget should we plan after launch?
For an industrial site of 100 to 300 pages, the order of magnitude is 450 to 1,400 CAD per month. That should cover security, backups and a few hours of improvements.
Let's scope your project. Describe your current site and goals: we help you choose between partial and full redesign, with a realistic scope and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h via our form. 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.
