The verdict in three sentences
A dental practice website redesign in Montreal costs CAD 8,000 to 60,000 with a local agency in 2026 (about USD 5,800 to 43,000), and USD 2,900 to 8,900 on Kolonell's fixed grid. The main risk is losing local search traffic if old URLs are not redirected, followed closely by compliance: Quebec's Law 25, the Charter of the French Language and the advertising rules of the Ordre des dentistes du Québec. A well-run redesign takes 3 to 4 weeks of production once content is ready, plus 4 to 8 weeks of monitoring after launch.
What signals that a redesign is due?
A practice on the Plateau, in Outremont, downtown, in Laval or on the South Shore lives on local search: "emergency dentist Montreal", "teeth whitening Outremont", "dentist accepting CDCP". The most common warning signs:
- the site does not show opening hours or booking properly on mobile, while most visits come from a phone;
- the privacy policy predates Law 25 and does not name a person in charge of the protection of personal information;
- tracking cookies fire without consent;
- the French version is incomplete or machine-translated, while French must be available on a commercial website in Quebec;
- before/after photos or testimonials are published with no framework, which raises questions under the professional code of ethics.
What budget should you plan for a 2026 redesign?
2026 ballpark figures from typical quotes and public rate pages of Montreal agencies, converted approximately into USD (this article's currency):
| Option | Budget in CAD | Approximate USD equivalent | Typical timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer, simple theme-based redesign | CAD 3,000 to 10,000 | USD 2,200 to 7,200 | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Small local agency, custom bilingual site | CAD 8,000 to 25,000 | USD 5,800 to 18,000 | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Established agency, multi-clinic, integrations | CAD 25,000 to 60,000 | USD 18,000 to 43,000 | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Kolonell Starter | n/a | USD 2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Growth | n/a | USD 4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) | n/a | USD 8,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable on Eastern Time, native French or English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. On quote: integrating online booking with your practice management software, a patient portal and any connection to an external system. Tier details are on the international offer page.
How does the redesign run, phase by phase?
| Phase | Content | Realistic duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Audit | Inventory of every URL, Search Console export, pages that drive phone calls | 3 to 5 days |
| 2. Content | Treatment pages, team, insurance and a general CDCP mention, photos | 1 to 3 weeks, practice side |
| 3. Design and development | Mockups, build, full French version, English version if chosen | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| 4. Redirects and testing | 301 redirect map, forms, cookie consent, accessibility | 2 to 3 days |
| 5. Launch | Evening DNS switch, checks on local listings | 1 day |
| 6. Monitoring | Search Console, 404 errors, local rankings | 4 to 8 weeks |
What are the risks and how do you reduce them?
Search ranking loss. This is the costliest risk. Export every existing URL, map each one to a new address in a 301 redirect plan, submit the new sitemap in Search Console and watch errors for 8 weeks. Keep the same treatment names where they already rank.
Content migration. Treatment pages written ten years ago sometimes contain promises of results. Use the redesign to rewrite them factually.
Integrations. The booking module and medical history forms are the fragile points. Health information is sensitive personal information: collect only what you need, encrypt transmission, restrict access and set a retention period. Avoid forms that route through an unsecured email inbox.
Downtime. Switch outside office hours, keep the old site available as a backup for 30 days and test tap-to-call phone numbers.
Compliance before go-live. Have marketing content reviewed against the Ordre's code of ethics (caution with testimonials and before/after photos), check that the privacy policy uses plain language, names the person in charge, keeps tracking cookies off by default, and plan the procedure for a confidentiality incident. The Commission d'accès à l'information is the oversight body in Quebec. For newsletters, CASL requires consent. This is not legal advice.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Questions to ask your provider: who builds the redirect map? Who holds the domain and hosting? Where is form data stored? Who proofreads the French version?
When a local agency is the better choice. If you run several clinics with a custom patient portal, or want weekly in-person workshops with your dentists, a well-established Montreal agency will serve you better, at the higher price shown above.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Dr. Camille Gagnon runs a four-chair practice on the Plateau. Her site has 120 URLs; 35 pages receive 85% of organic visits, about 400 visits a month, with a 3% booking rate, so 12 new patients a month. Without redirects, a 30% drop over three months would cost about 11 new patients. At an estimated average of USD 450 per first treatment, that is close to USD 5,000. Local quote received: CAD 30,000, about USD 21,600. She wants a French and English site and chooses Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) at USD 8,900, with a plan of 35 priority redirects checked before the switch.
FAQ
How long does a dental practice website redesign take?
With Kolonell, 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready, plus 4 to 8 weeks of search monitoring. A local agency often quotes 8 to 20 weeks depending on integrations.
Is an English version mandatory in Montreal?
No, it is French that must be available on a commercial website. English is a business choice: for several languages, Premium (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote) at USD 8,900.
Can we publish before/after photos?
Professional ethics rules govern dentists' advertising: check with the Ordre before publishing. If you do publish, get written patient consent and avoid any promise of results.
Is online booking included?
A button or link to your existing tool is included from Starter at USD 2,900. A deep integration with practice management software stays on quote.
Will we lose Google rankings?
A temporary dip of 5 to 15% is common for a few weeks. With a complete 301 redirect plan and Search Console monitoring, most practices recover their traffic within 4 to 8 weeks.
For a precise estimate of your redesign, request a free quote with the list of your current pages.
Let's scope your project. A redesign with a redirect plan and a Law 25 review, USD 4,900 to 8,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
