One of the most common questions we hear is "How much does a website redesign cost?" The answer depends on numerous factors including your site's size, complexity, desired features, and business goals. This guide breaks down website redesign pricing to help you budget appropriately and understand what drives costs.
Website redesign costs vary significantly based on scope and complexity.
Small business websites (10-20 pages) typically cost $15,000-$40,000. Mid-market business sites (30-75 pages) range from $40,000-$100,000. Enterprise websites (100+ pages) with complex integrations cost $100,000-$250,000+.
Large-scale digital platforms can exceed $500,000. These ranges include strategy, design, development, and basic content migration. Additional costs may include custom photography ($3,000-15,000), video production ($5,000-25,000 per video), copywriting ($100-300 per page), and ongoing maintenance (typically 15-20% of build cost annually).
The primary cost drivers for website redesigns include: number of unique page templates (each requires separate design and development), custom functionality and features (calculators, portals, advanced search), third-party integrations (CRM, marketing automation, e-commerce platforms), content migration complexity (thousands of pages require more time), responsive design requirements (desktop, tablet, mobile optimization), photography and video needs, copywriting scope, accessibility compliance level (WCAG AA vs AAA), SEO migration planning, number of stakeholders and revision rounds, and timeline urgency. A 50-page site with basic features costs significantly less than a 50-page site with custom interactive tools and multiple integrations.
Small businesses should budget $15,000-$40,000 for professional website redesigns. This typically includes: discovery and strategy (1-2 weeks), custom homepage design, 3-5 interior page templates, mobile-responsive development, basic SEO optimization, CMS implementation (WordPress or Webflow), contact forms and basic integrations, and 30 days post-launch support. At the lower end ($15,000-25,000), expect template-based designs with limited customization. At the higher end ($30,000-40,000), expect fully custom designs, more page templates, and advanced features like e-commerce, member portals, or custom calculators. Budget an additional $1,500-3,000 annually for hosting, maintenance, security updates, and ongoing support.
A $100,000 website redesign typically includes: comprehensive discovery and strategy phase (3-4 weeks), competitive research and user testing, information architecture and sitemap development, 8-12 unique page templates, fully custom visual design, responsive development for all devices, CMS implementation and training, content migration for 50-100 pages, professional copywriting for key pages, SEO strategy and optimization, accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA), integration with 2-4 third-party systems (CRM, marketing automation, analytics), custom functionality (search, filtering, interactive elements), quality assurance and browser testing, 60-90 days post-launch support, and project management throughout. This level also typically includes more stakeholder involvement, multiple revision rounds, and higher-quality design exploration.
Templates are significantly cheaper initially but may cost more long-term. Premium templates cost $50-200, and template-based website setups range from $2,000-10,000. However, limitations include: restricted customization options, generic design that may not match your brand, difficulty differentiating from competitors using the same template, potential conflicts with required features, and technical debt when you outgrow the template.
Custom designs cost $25,000-100,000+ initially but offer: perfect brand alignment, unique user experiences, scalability for future growth, competitive differentiation, and optimized performance.
For startups and very small businesses, templates are cost-effective.
For growing businesses and enterprises where website drives significant revenue, custom design delivers better ROI.
E-commerce website redesigns cost $40,000-150,000+ depending on complexity. Basic e-commerce sites (10-50 products) cost $40,000-75,000 including: custom design, shopping cart implementation, payment gateway integration, basic product catalog, and mobile optimization.
Mid-sized stores (100-500 products) cost $75,000-125,000 adding: advanced filtering and search, customer account management, inventory management integration, abandoned cart features, and email marketing integration.
Large e-commerce platforms (1,000+ products) cost $125,000-250,000+ including: headless commerce architecture, complex product configurations, multi-location inventory, advanced personalization, subscription management, and ERP integration. Platform choice (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, custom) significantly impacts cost.
Agency rates vary by size, location, and specialization.
Small agencies/studios (5-15 people) typically charge $100-150/hour, offering personalized service and flexibility but limited capacity for large projects.
Mid-sized agencies (20-50 people) charge $150-225/hour, providing diverse expertise, established processes, and ability to handle complex projects.
Large agencies (75+ people) charge $225-350+/hour, offering extensive capabilities, dedicated teams, and enterprise-level project management but potentially less flexibility.
Offshore agencies charge $25-75/hour but may have communication challenges and quality inconsistencies.
Chicago-based agencies like Clique Studios typically fall in the $150-225/hour range, balancing expertise, quality, and value.
Remember: total project cost matters more than hourly rate—a faster, more experienced team at higher rates often delivers better value than a slower team at lower rates.
Most professional website redesigns use fixed-price contracts for predictable budgeting, though each model has advantages.
Fixed-price works best when: scope is well-defined, timeline is set, budget is firm, and you want cost certainty. Agencies quote based on estimated hours with contingency buffer.
Hourly pricing works for: evolving scope, phased approaches, ongoing relationships, or when requirements are unclear. Hourly rates provide flexibility but risk cost overruns.
At Clique Studios, we typically propose fixed-price for core deliverables with hourly options for additional requests or scope changes.
Hybrid approaches work well—fixed-price for design and development, hourly for content migration or additional features decided during the project.
Strategic cost reduction approaches include: clearly defining scope before starting (avoiding expensive mid-project changes), preparing content in advance (agencies charge $100-300/page for writing), using stock photography instead of custom ($3,000-15,000 savings), limiting unique page templates (each template costs $3,000-8,000), making decisions quickly (delayed feedback adds project management costs), choosing appropriate platform (WordPress often cheaper than custom builds), phasing the project (launch essentials now, enhancements later), providing examples and references (reduces design exploration time), having single decision-maker (avoiding conflicting feedback), and considering rapid impact projects (focused scope, shorter timeline, 40-60% cost reduction).
However, avoid: choosing cheapest vendor (quality suffers), skipping strategy phase (leads to costly mistakes), eliminating mobile optimization (poor user experience), and cutting accessibility compliance (legal risk).
Standard website redesign payment terms include: 30-50% deposit at contract signing, 25-30% at design approval, 20-30% at development completion, and 10-20% final payment at launch. For example, on a $100,000 project: $30,000 deposit, $30,000 at design approval, $25,000 at development completion, and $15,000 at launch.
Larger projects may have more milestones aligned with specific deliverables. Some agencies offer monthly payment plans for ongoing work or retainer relationships. Payment terms protect both parties—deposits ensure agency commitment while final payments ensure client satisfaction. Most agencies require payment via ACH, wire transfer, or check (credit cards often incur 3% processing fees). Clarify payment terms, late fees, and change order pricing in your contract.
Website redesigns are generally tax-deductible business expenses, but treatment varies.
Website costs can be: immediately deductible (if under IRS tangible property safe harbor threshold, currently $2,500 per item or invoice), capitalized and amortized over 3 years (for costs exceeding threshold), or treated as startup costs if launching new business (up to $5,000 immediately deductible, remainder amortized over 15 years).
Maintenance, hosting, and minor updates are typically fully deductible in the year incurred.
Major redesigns creating new functionality or extending site lifespan may need amortization.
Consult your CPA or tax advisor for specific guidance based on your business structure and total costs. Save all invoices and documentation clearly describing business purpose.
Build a business case demonstrating ROI through: current website performance data (bounce rates, conversion rates, lost opportunities), competitive analysis (how your site compares to competitors), revenue impact calculations (if 2% conversion improvement = $X revenue), cost of inaction (sales lost to poor mobile experience, SEO penalties), customer feedback (user testing revealing frustration points), brand perception (outdated site suggests outdated company), recruitment impact (candidates judge company by website quality), operational efficiency (poor CMS costing staff time), and total cost of ownership (old site's ongoing maintenance costs).
Quantify wherever possible: "Our bounce rate of 68% vs. industry average 45% suggests we're losing 23% of potential customers. With 50,000 annual visitors, that's 11,500 lost opportunities."
Frame redesign as investment, not expense, with measurable success metrics.
Essential pricing questions for agencies include:
What's included in your quoted price? (clarify scope, revisions, support),
What's NOT included? (photography, copywriting, third-party licenses),
How do you handle scope changes and additional requests?,
What are your payment terms and schedule?,
Do you require a deposit, and is it refundable?,
What happens if the project goes over budget?,
Are there additional costs for revisions beyond X rounds?,
What's included in post-launch support?,
What are ongoing costs after launch? (hosting, maintenance, updates),
Do you offer payment plans or financing?,
What's your policy on project delays caused by client?, and
Can you provide a detailed cost breakdown by phase?
Compare proposals carefully—lowest price often omits essential services that other agencies include. Focus on value and deliverables, not just bottom line.