hello@kootenaymade.ca
Castlegar, BC. Serving the Kootenays and beyond.
8 min
Key takeaways
- I price a redesign as a new build, because I rebuild every existing site fresh. My packages run from $2,000 to $6,500, and the Empire starts at $10,000.
- Rebuilding it yourself on Squarespace ran CA$21 to CA$109 a month on yearly billing in September 2026. The bigger cost is your hours.
- A proper move forwards every old address, keeps the old site live until you approve the new one, and keeps the words that earn your rankings.
- Budget for the costs outside the quote: writing time, photos, a month of overlapping bills, and the domain transfer.
- Wix sites cannot be exported, so leaving Wix means a new build on any road.
On this page
How much does a website redesign cost in Canada?
I price a redesign as a new build, because I rebuild the site fresh rather than patch the old one. My builds run from $2,000 for the Trailhead to $6,500 for the Engine, and the Empire starts at $10,000. Redoing it yourself on a builder costs mostly your own hours.
This guide covers one job. You have a website, and you want to replace it. If you are still deciding whether the site needs a new coat of paint or a new foundation, start with the guide to a refresh versus a full rebuild. If this is your first website, what a website should cost in 2026 is the better read.
I read every third-party price below on the official pages on September 23, 2026. All prices are before tax and in Canadian dollars.
What are the three ways to redesign a website?
You can rebuild it yourself on a builder, refresh the template you already have, or have it rebuilt custom. The first two cost mostly time. The third costs more money and moves the site into your name.
- 01
Rebuild it yourself on a builder
You pick a builder, choose a template, and move your words and photos across by hand. Squarespace plans ran from CA$21 to CA$109 a month on yearly billing in September 2026. The cash cost is low. The real cost is your evenings, and the site stays on a platform you rent.
- 02
Refresh the template you already have
You keep the same platform and change the look: a new template, new photos, rewritten pages. The plan bill stays the same. You pay in hours, either yours or someone you hire. The platform limits that made the site feel tired usually stay too.
- 03
Rebuild it custom
A designer builds a new site from scratch and moves your address onto it. It costs more up front and does more. With me, that is $2,000 to $6,500 across my website packages, and the Empire starts at $10,000. The files and the domain end up in your name.
One platform fact changes the math. Wix says a Wix site must run on Wix servers, so it cannot be exported. Leaving Wix means a new site on every road. Your words and photos are what you take with you.
If you hire someone for a template refresh, ask for a fixed price. For a sense of scale, Job Bank puts the median wage for a web designer in British Columbia at $32.69 an hour, from 2023-2024 data. That is what employers pay staff. A freelancer’s rate also has to cover their own software, insurance and unpaid hours.
How do the three redesign roads compare?
The builder and the template refresh are cheaper in cash. The custom rebuild is the only road where the site ends up in your name. Pick the road by what the site has to do for the next five years.
| What is being compared | What you pay | What you hold afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Rebuild it yourself | CA$21 to CA$109 a month on Squarespace, billed yearly (September 2026), plus your hours | Your words and photos. The site itself stays on the platform. |
| Template refresh | The plan you already pay, plus the hours of whoever does the work | The same platform with a new look |
| Custom rebuild with me | $2,000 to $6,500, or from $10,000 for the Empire, paid once | The code, design and content, with the domain in your name |
A redesign is the one moment you can change who owns the website. Most people spend it only on the look.
What does a custom website rebuild cost with me?
The same as a new build. Each package is set by what the site does, and a replacement gets the same package price as a first website. The move itself is included.
- The Trailhead, $2,000
- It has three custom page designs, plus legal and contact pages. It gets the business found by name and in its own town. Typically delivered in 2 to 3 weeks.
- The Trailhead, Full Coverage, $3,200
- Everything in the Trailhead, plus a page for every community the business really serves and 20 guides that answer what customers search. Typically 3 to 4 weeks.
- The Engine, $6,500
- Up to seven custom page designs, Full Coverage, a blog engine, email foundations, analytics, and brand identity. Typically 4 to 5 weeks.
- The Empire, from $10,000
- A site the business runs on: bookings, memberships, portals, payments and an admin area. The final number is set by scope, from 8 weeks.
Delivery times are estimates based on past builds, counted from when I have what I need from you. The Trailhead is $2,000 once, or $500 at signing and 12 payments of $142 ($2,204 total) on Own It Monthly, my 12-month payment plan, and the site is yours at the final payment. The Engine is $6,500 once, or $1,625 at signing and 12 payments of $457 ($7,109 total). The Empire is billed by milestone.
I build from Castlegar for businesses across the Kootenays and anywhere else. Kootenay businesses get 10% off the build. Every package is laid out on my website builds page.
What does replacing an existing website include?
Four things separate a replacement from a first build. The old addresses get forwarded, the old site stays up, the ranking words stay, and the results get watched. Every build is written and tested against WCAG 2.2 AA as well.
- 01Every old address is mapped and forwarded to its new home, so a link from 2019 still lands somewhere useful.
- 02The old site stays live until the new one is built and walked through with you.
- 03Pages that already rank keep the words that earn those rankings.
- 04Search results are watched for the first month after the move.
Google says rankings may move for a while during a site move and settle over time. It also says to keep redirects for generally at least a year. The forwarding list is the part of a redesign that protects the traffic you already earn, so ask any designer to show you theirs.
What costs does a website redesign leave out?
The ones that sit outside the designer’s quote. Each one is small. Together they can add weeks and a few hundred dollars, so list them before you set a budget.
- Writing time. Somebody has to read every page and decide what stays. Budget your own hours for this even when a designer writes the copy.
- New photos. A new design shows up old photos fast.
- Two bills at once. The old plan keeps running until the new site launches, so expect at least one month of overlap.
- Moving the domain. CIRA says a transfer usually costs $10 to $20 CAD, sometimes with a year of registration included (checked September 2026).
- Email on the old platform. If the builder hosts your email, move it before you cancel.
- Forms and bookings. Every form, booking tool, and payment button needs rebuilding and testing on the new site.
- Your review time. Plan an hour or two to click through the new site before it goes live.
How do I compare website redesign quotes?
Ask every designer the same five questions and put the answers side by side. A quote that goes quiet on the forwarding list or on ownership is telling you something.
- Will every old page address be forwarded to a new one? Ask to see the list.
- Does my current site stay live until I have approved the new one?
- Who owns the domain, the files, and the hosting account when the work is done?
- What is the full total, including anything billed monthly after launch?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me before the clock starts?
A low number can be fine when the scope is clear. The red flags in a cheap website quote shows how to tell a lean quote from a vague one.
Sources and further reading
- Squarespace pricing
Read September 23, 2026, prices labelled CA$. Basic CA$21, Core CA$32, Plus CA$46 and Advanced CA$109 a month on yearly billing, or CA$30 to CA$139 month to month.
- Wix Help Center: exporting or embedding your site elsewhere
Read September 23, 2026. Wix states that a Wix site must run on Wix servers, so leaving Wix means building a new site.
- Job Bank: web designer wages in British Columbia
Read September 23, 2026. Median $32.69 an hour, low $19.23, high $55.29, for the 2023-2024 reference period. These are employee wages.
- CIRA: how to transfer domains
Read September 23, 2026. A transfer fee is usually $10 to $20 CAD, and a year of registration sometimes comes with it.
- Google Search Central: site moves with URL changes
Last updated August 20, 2026. Rankings may move for a while during a site move, and Google says to keep redirects for generally at least a year.
- Own It Monthly at Kootenay Made Digital
The 12-payment plan named in this guide, with the pay-once price beside every plan.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to redesign a small business website in Canada?
It depends on the road. Rebuilding it yourself on Squarespace ran CA$21 to CA$109 a month on yearly billing in September 2026, plus your hours. A custom rebuild with me is priced like a new build: $2,000 for the Trailhead, $3,200 for the Trailhead, Full Coverage, $6,500 for the Engine, and from $10,000 for the Empire.
Is a redesign cheaper than a new website?
With me it costs the same, because I rebuild every existing site fresh. What a redesign adds is the move itself. Every old address gets forwarded, the old site stays live until you approve the new one, and I watch search results for the first month. That work is part of the build price.
Will a redesign hurt my Google rankings?
Rankings can move for a few weeks. Google says visibility may fluctuate during a site move and settles over time. Forwarding every old address to its new page, and keeping the words that earn your rankings, protects what you have built. Google says to keep those redirects for generally at least a year.
Can I pay for a website redesign monthly?
Yes, on my website packages. The Trailhead is $2,000 once, or $500 at signing and 12 payments of $142 ($2,204 total) on Own It Monthly. The code, design and content become yours at the final payment. The Empire is billed by milestone and is not on the plan.
How long does a website redesign take?
My estimates from past builds are 2 to 3 weeks for the Trailhead, 3 to 4 weeks for the Trailhead, Full Coverage, 4 to 5 weeks for the Engine, and from 8 weeks for the Empire. The estimate counts from when I have what I need from you. Your old site stays live the whole time.
Related pages
- Trades and contractor websites
- Professional services websites
- Retail and ecommerce websites
- Web design across British Columbia
- Web design in Castlegar
Kootenay Made Digital
I build websites, local presence, and calm AI setups for Kootenay small businesses. Plain language, published prices, and clear work that makes you easier to find and easier to choose.
