The verdict in three sentences
For a Vancouver interior design studio, a website redesign in 2026 typically costs CAD 15,000 to 60,000 with a local agency, roughly USD 11,000 to 44,000, while Kolonell works on a fixed grid: USD 2,900 (Starter), USD 4,900 (Growth), USD 8,900 (Premium). The build takes 3 to 4 weeks once photos and copy are ready, and most studios need one to three weeks beforehand to select projects and clear image rights. The risks that actually cost money are losing project pages that already rank on Google, publishing photos without credits or client permission, and an enquiry form that silently fails on launch day.
Is your studio's website due for a redesign?
A site from 2019 or 2020 can still look fine on a desktop screen and be quietly losing enquiries on mobile. These are the signals we see most often with studios working on residential renovations, hospitality and retail interiors in Gastown, Yaletown, Kitsilano or West Vancouver.
| Signal | What you notice | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy project pages | 6 to 12 MB per page, slow on cellular data | Homeowners browse portfolios on phones, often between meetings |
| Positioning has moved | You now do hospitality and retail, the site still reads as residential only | Commercial clients leave before finding the relevant work |
| Generic enquiry form | One text box, no project type or budget range | Your team spends 20 to 40 minutes qualifying each lead by email |
| Locked editing | Only the original freelancer can add a project | New work waits weeks before it appears online |
| Missing privacy notice | No explanation of how form data is used | BC PIPA expects you to say why you collect personal information |
| Single language | Part of your clientele would rather read Chinese | They compare you with studios that offer it |
Two or more of these usually justify a redesign rather than another patch.
What does a redesign cost in Vancouver in 2026?
Local figures below are a 2026 ballpark based on typical agency quotes and public agency rate pages, converted approximately to USD at around 0.73. They vary with scope, so treat them as ranges, never as a price list.
| Option | Typical scope | 2026 ballpark (CAD) | Approx. USD | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelance designer or developer | Theme-based site, 8 to 12 pages | CAD 4,000 to 12,000 | USD 2,900 to 8,700 | 4 to 10 weeks |
| Small Vancouver studio | Custom design, 12 to 20 pages | CAD 15,000 to 30,000 | USD 11,000 to 22,000 | 8 to 14 weeks |
| Established Vancouver agency | Brand refresh, strategy, site | CAD 30,000 to 60,000 | USD 22,000 to 44,000 | 12 to 20 weeks |
| Kolonell Starter | Focused site, portfolio, enquiry form | Not applicable | USD 2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Growth | Project templates, journal, analytics | Not applicable | USD 4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Kolonell Premium | Advanced motion, deeper SEO setup, the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote | Not applicable | USD 8,900 | 3 to 4 weeks |
Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in Pacific time, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. Search work beyond the migration itself is on quote. A local photographer to reshoot projects is a third-party cost, paid directly to the photographer. You can compare tiers on the international offer page.
How long does it really take, phase by phase?
| Phase | Your side | Kolonell side | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Audit and URL inventory | Share Search Console and analytics access | Crawl and list every indexed URL | 2 to 3 days |
| 2. Content preparation | Pick 8 to 15 projects, gather photos, credits and permissions | Content plan and page list | 1 to 3 weeks (your side) |
| 3. Design | Two review rounds | Home, project template, services, studio page | Week 1 |
| 4. Build and migration | Answer questions within 48 hours | Build, WebP and AVIF images, 301 redirect map | Weeks 2 and 3 |
| 5. Review | Check every claim, title and credit | Form tests, mobile tests, accessibility pass | Week 4 |
| 6. Launch and monitoring | Approve go-live | Redirects live, Search Console checks | Launch plus 6 weeks |
The clock for the 3 to 4 weeks starts when phase 2 is done. Studios that skip phase 2 are the ones whose launch slips.
Which risks should you plan for?
| Risk | Typical cause | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Loss of search traffic | Project URLs renamed without redirects | URL inventory, 301 map covering 100% of indexed URLs, Search Console checks for 6 weeks |
| Image weight | 15 to 25 MB originals uploaded as is | WebP or AVIF, responsive sizes, lazy loading, target under 2 MB per page |
| Photo credits and client permission | Photographer licence limited to print, private homes identifiable | Written licence per photographer, credit line, written client consent, no street addresses |
| Enquiry forms | New form not connected to the studio inbox | Test 10 submissions before launch, minimum fields, privacy notice under BC PIPA, separate CASL consent for newsletters |
| Wrong professional titles | Copy that calls the team architects | Never describe the studio as architects: the title is protected in British Columbia and regulated by AIBC; use Registered Interior Designer only if staff hold it through the professional association |
| Downtime | DNS switch at a busy hour | Lower DNS TTL 48 hours before, switch in a low-traffic window, usually under 1 hour of disruption |
What stays on quote: client portals for selections and approvals, CRM integration, product sourcing catalogues, embedded scheduling tools beyond a simple link and any custom application. Each is a separate line, so you can compare it across providers. This is not legal advice.
Questions to ask any provider
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- Will you deliver a written 301 redirect map before launch, and who checks Search Console afterwards?
- What is the maximum page weight for a project page on mobile?
- How do you handle photo credits and alt text for each image?
- Which integrations are included, and which are quoted separately?
- Who owns the domain, the hosting account and the design files at the end?
- What happens after the support period, and at what cost?
When a local Vancouver agency is the better choice
Be honest about your needs. If you want in-person brand workshops in your studio, a full visual identity created from scratch, an art director on site during photo shoots or a retained marketing team that meets you monthly in Yaletown, a local agency at CAD 30,000 or more is often the right call. A remote studio with a fixed grid fits best when your brand is settled and the job is a fast, clean rebuild of the website itself.
Mini case study
*Illustrative example, fictional studio.* Hollis & Fern Interiors is a six-person studio in Kitsilano moving from residential renovations toward boutique retail and hospitality. A small local studio quoted CAD 24,000 (about USD 17,500) over 12 weeks. The studio chooses Kolonell Growth at USD 4,900 and pays a local photographer, a third-party cost, CAD 3,000 (about USD 2,200) to reshoot four projects. Total outlay: 4,900 + 2,200 = about USD 7,100, roughly USD 10,400 less than the local quote, with launch four weeks after the photos arrive. If they later want a Chinese version, they move to Premium at USD 8,900, with languages set in the quote.
FAQ
Will our website be offline during the switch?
Normally for less than 1 hour, often not at all. Lowering the DNS TTL 48 hours ahead and switching in the evening keeps disruption minimal.
Will we lose our Google rankings?
A fluctuation of 2 to 6 weeks is common after any redesign. With a 301 map covering every indexed URL and weekly Search Console checks, most studios recover their positions within that window.
Can we add Chinese later?
Yes. The Premium tier at USD 8,900 is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote; a native reviewer, if you want one, is a third-party cost.
Who owns the project photos?
Usually the photographer keeps copyright and grants you a licence. Get 1 written licence per photographer that covers web use before any image goes live.
What happens after the 3 months of support?
You keep full ownership of the site. Ongoing maintenance and hosting after those 3 months are on quote, so you can also hand the site to your own team.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many projects you want to migrate, your target budget between USD 2,900 and 8,900 and your preferred launch month. 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.
