The verdict in three sentences
In Austin, an immigration and relocation firm website built by a local agency costs, as a 2026 ballpark, between 12 000 and 50 000 USD, and more once you add a Spanish version, a document upload portal or a custom booking flow. Kolonell builds the service pages, intake form and consultation booking for a fixed price of 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks on Starter and Growth. The comparison that matters is the 3-year total cost and how carefully the site separates relocation services from legal advice, because that line is regulated.
What do Austin agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?
The ranges below are prudent ballparks, not official figures. They draw on public rate cards of agencies in Austin and Central Texas, minimum project sizes listed on Clutch.co profiles (often 5 000 to 25 000 USD for agencies in the metro), hourly rates published by Texas agencies (often 100 to 175 USD per hour) and rates visible on Upwork for experienced US-based developers (often 40 to 100 USD per hour).
| Criterion | Austin agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 ballpark | 12 000 to 50 000 USD | 3 500 to 12 000 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD, fixed |
| Changes outside scope | Often 100 to 175 USD per hour | Often 50 to 100 USD per hour | Quoted in writing before any work |
| Usual timeline | 8 to 16 weeks | 4 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Service page copy (visas, relocation, family) | Often a separate copywriting line | Rarely included | Native English or French included |
| Spanish version | Often offered, at extra cost | Depends on the profile | Supplied by the firm or quoted separately |
| Support after launch | Separate retainer | Case by case | 3 months, 6 on Premium |
| Ownership | Check the contract | Check the contract | Domain in your name, all access handed over |
To be frank: Austin has good freelancers, and an independent developer at 4 000 USD sits close to the Growth tier. What Kolonell adds at a similar price is a project manager, native copywriting, a written fixed price and the handover of every access. Payment is by bank transfer or Wise: 50 % to start, 50 % at delivery. The project manager works in your time zone, with Google Meet calls at your time and a written update every week. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), 5 hours ahead of Austin in summer and 6 in winter, so calls fit your morning or early afternoon. Kolonell does no in-person meetings and no on-site photo shoots: team portraits come from you or an Austin photographer. Full details are on our international website offer.
Which 3-year total cost should you compare?
An immigration firm edits its site often: new visa categories, updated processing times, relocation guides. The table assumes the same maintenance budget on both sides, since Kolonell maintenance after the support period is quoted on request.
| Item over 36 months | Austin agency (mid range) | Kolonell Growth |
|---|---|---|
| English site build, 10 to 14 pages | 22 000 USD | 4 900 USD |
| Support included after launch | Depends on contract | 3 months included |
| Maintenance (same assumption) | 200 USD per month over 33 months, 6 600 USD | 6 600 USD, maintenance quoted on request |
| Spanish version of key pages | Often 2 500 USD | Translator chosen by the firm or quoted separately, assumption 2 500 USD |
| Third-party intake and booking tools (36 months) | 40 USD per month, 1 440 USD | 1 440 USD |
| Team portraits | 800 USD | Local photographer booked separately, 800 USD |
| Indicative total | 33 340 USD | 16 240 USD |
These figures structure the comparison; they do not predict your invoice. Ask every supplier to fill in the same table.
What does each Kolonell tier include for an immigration and relocation firm?
| Item | Starter 2 900 USD | Growth 4 900 USD | Premium 8 900 USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service pages | Main lines (employment, family, relocation) | One page per visa category or relocation service | Full structure by client type (employers, individuals, families) |
| Intake form | Simple contact form | Multi-step form, no eligibility verdict | Separate paths for employers and individuals |
| Consultation booking | Link to your scheduling tool | Embedded booking (Calendly or the tool you choose) | Embedded booking, paid consultation if your tool supports it |
| Resources | No | Guides section (relocation checklists, timelines) | Guides by category, downloadable checklists |
| Bilingual FR/EN site | No | No | Included |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written schedule at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
| Support after launch | 3 months | 3 months | 6 months |
A client portal for uploading documents and tracking case status is a custom application quoted on request. The tiers can also link the secure area of your case management software. Ongoing search work is quoted on request too.
What does an immigration and relocation website in Austin need?
Austin draws engineers hired by technology employers, managers tied to industrial and semiconductor investment in Central Texas, and international students and researchers around the University of Texas. Your clients are HR teams moving employees, individuals on work visas, families joining them and a large Spanish-speaking community. On the relocation side, the work covers housing, schools, driver's licenses and settling in between The Domain, East Austin, Round Rock or Cedar Park. The site should:
- Separate legal advice from relocation clearly: in the United States, only attorneys and accredited representatives of organisations recognised through the EOIR program (Department of Justice) may give immigration legal advice. A relocation company without an attorney should not present itself as offering visa advice.
- Never promise an outcome: no wording like guaranteed approval.
- Show who does what: attorney bios with bar admissions stated exactly.
- Include an employer page: employee mobility, typical timeline, a named contact.
- Keep first-contact data minimal: no passport numbers in an intake form.
On compliance, the facts only. The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act has applied since 1 July 2024 and lists immigration or citizenship status as sensitive data, which requires consent; check whether your firm falls within its scope or the small business exemption. Texas attorneys are subject to the State Bar of Texas advertising rules, which can require filing with its advertising review department. The ADA is regularly cited against inaccessible websites; WCAG 2.1 AA is the technical reference. This is not legal advice.
How do you compare quotes, and which red flags matter?
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- Copy that promises results: a writer who does not know the field quickly writes visa approved in 30 days.
- The word notario in Spanish copy with no attorney behind it: it suggests legal authority, and notario fraud is a known enforcement priority.
- A form that sends sensitive data by plain email with no encryption or secure tool.
- A domain registered in the agency's name: it must be in yours.
- A machine-translated Spanish version nobody reviewed.
- Mandatory long-term maintenance with no way to take back control.
For reference, our first North American client, TR Signing Group, a notary and apostille service in New Jersey, runs a bilingual FR/EN site with quote requests verified per file, appointment scheduling, live chat and a full back office.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Laura M., founder of a 6-person relocation company working with two partner immigration attorneys, receives two proposals. An Austin agency quotes 26 000 USD for an EN/ES site, in 14 weeks, copywriting not included. Kolonell proposes Growth at 4 900 USD for a fully written English site, delivered in 4 weeks; the Spanish version goes to her usual translator for 2 200 USD and an Austin photographer shoots the portraits for 700 USD.
Total: 26 000 USD versus 7 800 USD, an 18 200 USD gap. Laura also estimates 6 days of writing avoided; at an internal day rate of 600 USD, that is another 3 600 USD.
FAQ
How much does an immigration firm website cost in Austin in 2026?
With a local agency, expect a ballpark of 12 000 to 50 000 USD; a freelancer often charges 3 500 to 12 000 USD. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Can Kolonell write the visa pages?
Yes, native English copywriting is included, based on your notes or a 45-minute interview. Kolonell gives no legal advice: the attorney reviews and approves every text before publication.
Can the site be in Spanish?
The bilingual FR/EN site is included in Premium at 8 900 USD. Spanish is supplied by the firm or quoted separately.
Can clients upload their documents online?
A custom portal is an application quoted on request. The 2 900 to 8 900 USD tiers can link the secure upload area of your case management software.
How does payment work?
By bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. On Growth, that means two payments of 2 450 USD.
Let's scope your project. Send us your service lines, the languages your clients speak and the intake tools you already use, and we come back with a fixed-price tier and a 3 to 6 week timeline. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.
