A website redesign costs more when it includes new content, distinct page layouts, editable content systems, integrations and a careful migration. Page count alone cannot describe that work. Compare a written scope, the launch responsibilities and the ongoing costs before comparing the final number.
GCI’s published starting points: standard builds are $249 per page with a four-page minimum of $996. CMS/content work is $1,997–$4,996; custom functionality starts at $4,997 and can exceed $9,999. Migration and additional work need a written scope. Use the website cost calculator.
What changes the price of a redesign?
Start with the job the website must do. A five-page site with finished copy and a straightforward inquiry form is a different project from five pages with new positioning, an appointment system and content that staff must edit. A useful estimate makes those differences visible.
| Work | What to define | What increases the scope |
|---|---|---|
| Page structure | Pages and distinct layouts | Several types of service, location or resource page |
| Content | Who supplies and approves words and images | Interviews, rewriting, photography and missing source material |
| Design | Existing identity and required assets | New visual direction, original assets and additional review rounds |
| Editing | Fields staff need to change | Approvals, permissions, previews and complex content relationships |
| Connections | The exact form, booking or business-system action | Custom data exchange, accounts, payments and failure handling |
| Migration | Old URLs, files and useful content to preserve | Many old addresses, inconsistent content and platform restrictions |
| Launch | Testing, access, handover and follow-up | Multiple systems, stakeholders and unusual launch constraints |
Reusable layouts can reduce repeated design work, but each page still needs accurate content and review. Ask whether a proposal counts unique templates, populated pages, or both. A long list of pages is not automatically a complicated build; a short list is not automatically simple.
Three example scopes to compare
These are illustrative planning scenarios, not client projects or binding quotes. The price references below use GCI’s published prices effective October 9, 2026; they are not market-wide averages.
01 / Focused refresh
Keep the structure. Improve the experience.
Five existing pages, an approved identity, supplied copy and images, a standard inquiry form and the same public URLs. Define responsive design, accessibility checks, metadata, form testing and handover.
Build reference: $1,245 for five standard pages with supplied content and shared layouts. This is the new-build reference, not a complete redesign quote: migration and any editing require review. Review the five-page calculator example.
Clarify first: does “supplied copy” mean final approved text, or text that still needs editing? Who makes future changes?
02 / Service-site rebuild
Make a broader offer easier to understand.
Several service pages, shared layouts, rewritten content, staff editing and a move from an older platform. Include a content inventory, CMS fields, URL mapping, redirect tests and a documented publishing process.
Package reference: $1,997–$4,996 for an agreed CMS/content scope. Page fees are not added on top. Confirm migration, copy, and integrations before agreeing the final price. Review the CMS calculator example.
Clarify first: which pages already attract relevant visitors, and which information must be collected before writing begins?
03 / Connected platform
Add a business process to the website.
A public website plus member access, customer records, booking or custom workflows. Scope permissions, data ownership, system limits, support and failure recovery individually.
Package reference: $4,997–$9,999+. The upper figure is open-ended, not a cap. Hosting, vendor subscriptions, and application care are individually scoped.
Clarify first: is an existing service sufficient, or is custom software necessary? This scope needs discovery before a credible quote.
Separate the build from the cost of keeping it running
Ask for four lines: the one-time project fee, required monthly services, annual renewals and optional ongoing support. A domain renewal is not a monthly hosting fee. A care arrangement is not automatically included in either. Name the account owner and what happens if you change providers.
A first-year planning total is the one-time fee plus twelve months of required services and any annual charges due in that year. Add optional support separately. If taxes, usage charges, premium assets or third-party subscriptions are unknown, keep them visible as exclusions instead of quietly treating them as free.
For an integration, ask whether charges change with usage, contacts, orders or staff accounts. For ongoing support, ask what the arrangement actually covers: content edits, technical maintenance, monitoring, response expectations or new features. These are different commitments.
A known-cost example: the five-page standard-build reference is $1,245. Eligible Basic Hosting is $17.77/month, or $213.24 for twelve monthly payments. The known build-and-hosting subtotal is $1,458.24. This excludes redesign/migration work, domains, taxes, care, paid subscriptions, and usage charges; it is not a complete first-year quote.
Basic Hosting supports one eligible straightforward static site with platform-provided SSL. Content edits, proactive monitoring, managed recovery, CMS/application maintenance, and SEO are separate. CMS, commerce, accounts, integrations, and custom applications need a hosting review. See hosting scope and calculator details.
How to compare two website redesign proposals
- Match the deliverables. Put pages, templates, copy, images, editing and integrations side by side. Mark an omitted item as unknown, not included.
- Name the responsibilities. Identify who supplies content, approves changes, controls accounts and tests the live inquiry path.
- Check migration work. Include useful old URLs and files, redirects, internal links and launch monitoring. Use the website redesign SEO checklist.
- Agree how changes are handled. Specify the review points and what happens when the requested scope grows.
- Define completion. A screenshot is not a working inquiry form. Ask for a tested live site and usable handover information.
- Compare ongoing costs separately. The lower build price may leave more work, administration or subscriptions with your team.
What to prepare before asking for an estimate
Bring your current website address, the main action visitors should take, the pages you expect to need, a sample of the content available and any system the website must connect to. Note who will edit it and any date that genuinely affects the project. “Not sure” is a useful answer when it identifies a discovery task.
Do not send passwords or private customer records in an initial inquiry. Describe the connection you need; access can be arranged when the scope requires it.
Common questions about redesign costs
Can I get a price from the number of pages?
Page count is a starting input, not a complete scope. Content readiness, layout variety, editing needs, integrations and migration work can change the effort considerably. A useful estimate states what it assumes about each.
Is technical SEO included?
GCI’s website service includes technical search foundations in its scope: page structure, metadata, canonicals, sitemap, structured data and performance work. An ongoing content or local-search campaign is a separate commitment. The written proposal should state the boundary.
Does a redesign guarantee more visitors?
No. A clearer, technically sound site can make useful content easier to discover and use, but demand, competition, reputation and ongoing work still matter. Define the baseline and what will be measured rather than accepting a traffic promise.
How does GCI price a project?
Use the GCI website cost calculator to see our published per-page and package prices. We confirm the deliverables in a written fixed quote before building. The scenarios in this guide illustrate scope differences; hosting, domains, integrations and support are identified separately.