The verdict in three sentences
A Dublin CIO faces two options: redesign on the existing base (20,000 to 40,000 EUR) or rebuild from scratch (45,000 to 90,000 EUR). The choice is not a gut call but rests on tech debt measured by a prior audit (3,000-6,000 EUR) and on the cost of inaction (10 to 25% of leads lost per year on an ageing site). A site on a healthy base gets redesigned; a site riddled with tech debt gets rebuilt, or you pay twice.
Redesign or rebuild: 2026 costs
Here are the ranges for a corporate site in Dublin (20-40 pages, CMS, multilingual).
| Scenario | 2026 cost (EUR) | Timeline | When to choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redesign (healthy base) | 20,000 - 40,000 | 6-10 wks | Modern CMS, clean code |
| Full rebuild | 45,000 - 90,000 | 10-18 wks | Heavy tech debt |
| Prior audit | 3,000 - 6,000 | 1-2 wks | Always, before deciding |
The prior audit is the best investment: for 3,000-6,000 EUR it stops you redesigning a doomed site or rebuilding a salvageable one.
The hidden cost of inaction
Keeping a slow, dated site is not free. Here is the 2026 costed impact of an ageing corporate site.
| Symptom | Business impact | Order of magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| LCP > 3.5 s | High mobile bounce | -10 to -25% leads |
| Dated design | Loss of credibility | Longer sales cycle |
| Obsolete CMS | Security flaws | Breach risk |
| Non-responsive | Lost mobile traffic | -30 to -50% mobile |
On a site generating 60 leads/month, losing 15% means 9 leads/month, over 100 a year: on B2B cycles that often justifies the redesign investment on its own.
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Mini case study
Declan, CIO of a Dublin group (construction, 3 subsidiaries), hesitates between redesign (24,000 EUR estimated) and rebuild (58,000 EUR). He first commissions an audit at 4,500 EUR.
Audit verdict: recent Sanity CMS, ageing front-end but 70% salvageable. A redesign plus front-end optimisation is possible for 27,000 EUR instead of rebuilding at 58,000. Saving: 31,000 EUR. The site goes from a 3.8 s LCP to 1.4 s, recovering the 15% of lost leads. On 60 leads/month, ROI is reached in under 14 months. The 4,500 EUR audit avoided a needless 31,000 EUR spend.
FAQ
How do I know if my site is redesignable or needs rebuilding? A prior audit at 3,000-6,000 EUR settles it: it measures tech debt, code and CMS quality. Below 30-40% debt, a redesign is enough; above, a rebuild is cheaper mid-term.
What do redesign vs rebuild cost? In 2026 in Dublin, 20,000-40,000 EUR for a redesign on a healthy base, 45,000-90,000 EUR for a full rebuild. The gap justifies the prior audit.
What is the cost of doing nothing? A dated site loses 10 to 25% of leads/year and lengthens the sales cycle. That opportunity cost often exceeds the redesign price in the first year.
How fast does a redesign pay back? ROI on a corporate redesign is generally 12 to 24 months in 2026, via conversion uplift and lower maintenance costs.
Can you redesign without downtime? Yes, with a staging environment and a controlled cutover. That is the 2026 norm for a corporate site: no visible outage for your visitors.
Let's scope your project. Start with a prior audit: we measure your tech debt and tell you redesign or rebuild, with the numbers. Detailed quote within 48 h. 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.
