The verdict in three sentences
In Montreux, a law firm website built by an agency from the Riviera or Lausanne usually lands between 7 000 and 35 000+ CHF, a freelancer between 3 000 and 9 000 CHF, while Kolonell offers three fixed prices: 2 700, 4 500 and 8 200 CHF. For an English-speaking practice on the Riviera, the real question is the cost of a proper French version and of changes over three years, not just the opening quote. The Premium tier at 8 200 CHF, bilingual EN/FR with a written schedule, covers the most common need of a Montreux firm.
What do Riviera agencies charge for a law firm website?
There is no official rate card. The ranges below are 2026 ballparks, drawn from the public price lists some agencies in French-speaking Switzerland publish, the minimum budgets shown on Clutch.co profiles and the day rates visible on Malt or Upwork. They depend on page count, languages, copywriting and design level. Geneva and Lausanne agencies tend to sit at the top of the range, studios in Vevey and Montreux a little lower.
| Option | 2026 ballpark | Typical timeline | Copywriting | Second language | After launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service agency (Lausanne, Geneva) | 10 000 to 35 000+ CHF | 8 to 16 weeks | Often optional | Often billed separately | Maintenance contract, 120 to 200 CHF per hour |
| Riviera studio (Vevey, Montreux) | 7 000 to 15 000 CHF | 6 to 10 weeks | Varies | Optional | Package or hourly |
| Freelancer | 3 000 to 9 000 CHF | 4 to 10 weeks | Rarely included | Rarely | Depends on availability |
| Kolonell Starter | 2 700 CHF | 3 to 4 weeks | Included, native English or French | One language | 3 months of support included |
| Kolonell Growth | 4 500 CHF | 3 to 4 weeks | Included | One language | 3 months of support included |
| Kolonell Premium | 8 200 CHF | Usually 4 to 6 weeks, written schedule | Included | Bilingual EN/FR included | 3 months of support included |
At Kolonell, the domain is registered in the firm's name and all access is handed over at delivery. Payment is by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. Everything is set out on our international website offer.
What does a Montreux law firm website need?
The Vaud Riviera is home to foreign residents, international companies, non-resident property owners and families with cross-border situations. The site has to speak to them without compromising the firm's discretion.
- English and French at the same level. Machine-translated French is spotted at once by local clients, judges' clerks and referring lawyers; German can be added for clients from the German-speaking cantons.
- One page per practice area: international family law, inheritance, real estate and leases, corporate, litigation. Each page says who it is for, how a first meeting works and in which languages.
- Sober bios: bar admission, working languages, background, publications.
- Discretion: a minimal form, a note that a message does not create a client relationship, no case details requested before a conflict check.
- The nLPD, in force since 1 September 2023: privacy notice, listed processors, cookie information. For clients living in the European Union, the firm also checks whether the GDPR applies to some processing.
- Professional rules: federal rules and those of the Vaud bar govern lawyer advertising; the firm checks them itself before publication. This article is not legal advice.
| Need of a Montreux firm | Starter 2 700 CHF | Growth 4 500 CHF | Premium 8 200 CHF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | Up to 5 | About 10 | Full structure, custom design |
| Practice areas | One shared page | One page per area | One page per area, FAQ per page |
| French version | No | No | Included, native copywriting |
| Bios | Team page | Individual pages | Individual pages with publications |
| Legal updates | No | Blog included | Bilingual blog with categories |
| Appointment requests | Form | Form plus calendar link | Booking flow scoped at kickoff |
| SEO | Technical basics | Basics plus analytics | Deeper SEO setup at launch |
A secure client area or a document upload tool is a custom application, quoted on request. Ongoing search work after launch is also quoted on request.
What is the three-year total, and what traps hide in quotes?
Comparing two quotes on build price alone ignores half the bill. Here is an illustrative scenario, with the same change and hosting assumptions for each option, since Kolonell maintenance after three months is quoted separately.
| Cost over 3 years | Riviera studio | Lausanne agency | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build, first language | 11 000 CHF | 18 000 CHF | 8 200 CHF |
| Second language | 2 500 CHF | 3 500 CHF | Included |
| Hosting, 3 years (assumption) | 1 500 CHF | 1 500 CHF | 1 500 CHF |
| Changes, 8 h a year at 140 CHF (assumption) | 3 360 CHF | 3 360 CHF | 3 360 CHF |
| Support in the first 3 months | Often billed | Often included | Included |
| Indicative total | About 18 360 CHF | About 26 360 CHF | About 13 060 CHF |
The most common red flags in a quote:
- The domain registered in the provider's name.
- Copy "supplied by the client" without saying so clearly.
- A second language announced with no detail on who writes it.
- Hourly changes with no cap or package.
- No written schedule, only a rough delivery date.
- No list of the processors that will handle form data.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example, not a real client. James is a hypothetical English-speaking partner in a three-lawyer firm in Montreux, focused on international family law and real estate. A local studio quotes 14 000 CHF for the English site, 2 500 CHF for French, changes at 140 CHF per hour, about 8 hours a year, and 500 CHF of hosting a year. Over three years: 14 000 + 2 500 + 3 360 + 1 500 = 21 360 CHF.
With Kolonell Premium: 8 200 CHF bilingual, then the same change and hosting assumptions, 4 860 CHF. Total: 13 060 CHF, a gap of about 8 300 CHF, with a written schedule from kickoff and three months of support included.
For international audiences, Kolonell built for instance the trilingual FR/EN/AR site of Orven Properties (orvenproperties.com), an off-plan real-estate advisory in Dubai, with project pages, investor guides and messaging enquiries. The team is based in Senegal (GMT), one to two hours behind Montreux depending on the season, so Google Meet calls fit your hours, with a written update every week. To compare on paper, request a free quote.
FAQ
How much does a law firm website cost in Montreux?
As a 2026 ballpark, expect 7 000 to 15 000 CHF from a Riviera studio and up to 35 000+ CHF from a large agency. Kolonell's fixed prices are 2 700, 4 500 and 8 200 CHF.
Is the French version included?
It is included in the Premium tier at 8 200 CHF, with native French copywriting. Starter and Growth cover one language.
How long does it take?
Starter and Growth are delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. Premium follows a written schedule set at kickoff, usually 4 to 6 weeks.
Can we add German?
Yes, through your translator or quoted on request. As an order of magnitude, plan 1 500 to 2 500 CHF for a mid-sized site.
Who owns the site?
The firm: domain registered in its name and all access handed over at delivery. After the 3 months of included support, maintenance is quoted, with no obligation.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your practice areas, languages and target date, and we will confirm the right tier, often bilingual Premium at 8 200 CHF, and the schedule. 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.
