Redesigns should be scoped and priced separately from new builds, because the unknowns are different. A new build starts from nothing. A redesign starts from someone else's decisions — old content, old code, and a client who may not remember why any of it was set up that way. Default to a flat fee by scope for most redesigns, switch to day-rate pricing when the client can't tell you what's changing, and use phased pricing (a paid audit, then a build quote) when the site is too messy to scope from the outside. Here's how to pick between them and write the number so it holds.
Why redesign pricing is harder than new-build pricing
A new website has a blank slate. Everyone agrees on that. A redesign has history, and history is where quotes go wrong.
The three unknowns — content debt, tech debt, decision-makers
Before you can price a redesign, you need to know three things you can't see from the current site alone:
- Content debt — how much existing content is reusable versus needs to be rewritten, cut, or restructured. A 40-page site with outdated copy on every page is a different job than a 40-page site with clean copy that just needs a new layout.
- Tech debt — what platform it's on, whether the CMS is current, whether there are plugins or custom code nobody documented. A WordPress site on an old theme with twelve unused plugins takes longer to redesign than a clean Webflow site, even if the visible page count is identical.
- Decision-makers — how many people can say no. A solo owner who approves things over one email thread is a different client than a five-person committee that needs consensus at every round.
You can't know all three from a client's first message. That's why the audit step below matters before you name a number.
Three ways to price a redesign, and when each works
Flat fee by scope (default choice)
For most redesigns — a brochure site, a small business site, a Shopify theme refresh — quote a flat fee once you've defined the page count, the platform, and the number of revision rounds. Flat fees are easier for clients to approve internally, and they protect your time because the scope is written down. For a typical 5–10 page brochure site redesign, freelance rates commonly land in the $2,500–$6,000 range depending on region and how much content work is included. A Shopify redesign — new theme, product page work, no new app builds — typically runs $3,000–$8,000. A larger site rebuild (15–30 pages, some custom functionality, a content migration) often runs $6,000–$15,000. These are ranges, not promises — your market, your experience level, and the client's actual mess all move the number.
Day-rate or hourly (when the redesign is open-ended)
If the client can't answer "what pages are changing" or the site's problems are structural (bad information architecture, unclear goals, no analytics to work from), don't flat-fee it. Quote a day rate or hourly rate with a not-to-exceed ceiling for the first phase. This protects you from a scope that keeps expanding as you find more problems.
Phased pricing (audit phase, then build phase)
For messy or large redesigns, split the engagement in two: a paid discovery/audit phase (often $500–$1,500, delivered as a short report with recommendations), followed by a separate flat-fee or day-rate quote for the build once you actually know what you're dealing with. This is the safest method when you genuinely cannot scope the work from outside.
What to audit before you name a number
Page count and content migration
Count real pages, not sections. Decide out loud, in writing, whether copywriting and content migration are included or billed separately — this is one of the most common places quotes fall apart mid-project.
Platform/CMS constraints
Check what the site runs on before you quote. A platform migration (say, Squarespace to Webflow) adds real hours that a like-for-like redesign doesn't.
Number of stakeholders who can say no
Ask directly: "Who else needs to approve this before we move forward?" More approvers means more revision rounds, even when nobody intends it that way. Price accordingly or cap rounds explicitly.
How to write the price into the proposal so it holds
Anchoring with a range, then narrowing to one number
In early conversations, give a range based on the redesign types above ("redesigns like this typically run $4,000–$7,000"), then narrow to a single number in the written proposal once you've audited the site. A range that never narrows reads as indecision; a single number with no range attached invites "can you do it for less."
What to exclude explicitly
List exclusions in the proposal itself, not just in your head. Common ones: content writing, stock photography and licensing, third-party app or plugin fees, ongoing hosting, and post-launch changes beyond the agreed revision rounds. Naming exclusions in writing is what stops "just one more thing" from becoming free work.
A short example price block
Here's copy-paste proposal language you can adapt today:
PROJECT: Website Redesign — [Client Name]
SCOPE: Redesign of up to 8 existing pages on [platform],
including new visual design, mobile layout, and one
content migration pass. Copywriting not included.
Design and build (flat fee): $4,800
Content migration (existing copy): $600
Two rounds of revisions included
TOTAL: $5,400
Additional revision rounds: $150/round
Excludes: new copywriting, stock photography licensing,
third-party app fees, ongoing maintenance after launch.
Adjust the numbers to your market and experience, but keep the structure: one line for the core work, one line for anything content-related, a stated revision limit, and a plain list of exclusions.
FAQ
Should I charge more for a redesign than a new site? Not automatically. Some redesigns are simpler than a new build because the content and information architecture already exist. Price based on what you audited, not a blanket rule that redesigns cost more.
What if the client wants an hourly not-to-exceed number? That's reasonable for an open-ended redesign. Quote your hourly rate with a stated ceiling for phase one, and make clear in writing what happens if you hit the ceiling before the work is done — usually a check-in and a decision to extend or stop.
How do I handle a client who says "just give me a ballpark"? Give a range tied to a scope assumption, out loud or in an email: "For a redesign of your current 6-page site with no platform change, that typically runs $3,500–$5,500 — I'll confirm the exact number after a quick audit." This keeps the ballpark honest instead of a guess you'll regret quoting.
If you want a proposal template built for this — with the price block, exclusions, and revision terms already structured — that's exactly what The Web Design Proposal Kit is for.
Pricing a redesign well is mostly about writing down what's included, what's not, and how many rounds you'll do — before the client asks. The Web Design Proposal Kit ($29) gives you that structure ready to fill in, so you're not rebuilding a proposal from scratch every time a redesign inquiry lands in your inbox.