Website Redesign vs Full Rebuild: Cost Breakdown London 2026

The verdict in three sentences

If your site holds up technically but looks tired, a graphic restyle at GBP 5,000-12,000 is enough; if the CMS blocks your team or drags performance down, move to a redesign + CMS at GBP 12,000-25,000. A full rebuild (GBP 20,000-40,000) is only justified by heavy technical debt or a change of model. Either way, a poorly prepared migration can cost 10-30% of organic traffic: the decision is as much SEO as budget.

The three scenarios, priced

In London for 2026, three levels of intervention cover almost every B2B need. The choice hinges on the state of the technical foundation, not just appearance.

What tips you from one scenario to another is the measurable signals below, not the feeling that the site "looks dated".

Decision grid: which signal triggers what

A rational digital lead decides on objective criteria. Here is the grid we use in scoping.

Redesign ROI shows up in conversion: moving from 1.2% to 1.6% on a site generating 200 leads/month is a third more pipeline at flat traffic.

Mini case study

Mark, marketing director of an industrial mid-cap in London, runs a 180-page WordPress site converting at 1.1%. Mobile LCP sits at 3.8 s and every edit goes through an agency. We scope a redesign + CMS at GBP 19,000 over 10 weeks. Target: LCP under 1.5 s and conversion at 1.5%. On 9,000 monthly visits, going from 1.1% to 1.5% lifts leads from 99 to 135 per month, or 36 extra leads. At an estimated GBP 90 commercial cost per lead in equivalent paid acquisition, the monthly saving is around GBP 3,240: the investment pays back in roughly 6 months, SEO gains aside.

FAQ

Does a redesign always cost SEO traffic?

No, if the migration is prepared: an exhaustive 301 redirect map, keeping high-performing URLs, and Search Console monitoring. Botched, a migration can cost 10-30% of organic traffic for 2-4 months. Done right, the loss stays under 5% and recovers in 6-8 weeks.

How long does a full redesign take in London?

Budget 8-11 weeks for a redesign + CMS and 10-14 weeks for a full rebuild, including scoping, design, build, QA and migration. A simple restyle wraps in 4-6 weeks.

Can I keep my WordPress during a redesign?

Yes for a restyle or a redesign + CMS if WordPress still fits. If the slowness comes from the foundation (stacked plugins, heavy theme), a headless rebuild is often more cost-effective over three years than patching the existing setup.

What is the minimum credible B2B redesign budget?

Below GBP 5,000 you are funding a facelift, not a redesign. A serious B2B project with a design system, SEO and performance starts near GBP 12,000 and is justified by a 15-30% conversion gain.

Should I audit before deciding?

Yes: an audit at GBP 1,500-3,500 quantifies technical debt, SEO health and performance, and stops you paying for a rebuild when a restyle would have done. It is the best-spent pound of the project.

Let's scope your project. Tell us your current CMS, page count and conversion target, and we will decide between restyle, redesign + CMS or rebuild. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.