Website Redesign Cost in Australia: What Drives the Price
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What a website redesign costs depends mostly on how much of the old site you keep. A visual refresh on a site that already works can be a modest, scoped job. Replacing a small brochure site usually costs about the same as building a new one, which an independent Australian guide puts at roughly $2,000 to $6,000. Rebuilding a larger custom site, with integrations and data to move, can run well into five figures. For a like-for-like comparison, compare website quotes against the same scope and deliverables.
This guide explains the three types of redesign, what pushes the price up, and the costs that are easy to miss.
Refresh, rebuild or restart?
Australian cost guide What's The Damage describes three ways to approach a redesign, and the price difference between them is large.
Approach | What it means | Indicative cost (AUD) |
Refresh (reskin) | New look on a site whose structure and platform still work | Usually scoped by the hour; the guide lists $120 to $300 an hour for scoped design and build work |
Rebuild | Keeps your content and page addresses but replaces the code underneath | $15,000 to $60,000 for ageing custom-built sites |
Restart | A fresh custom build from a clean sheet | $10,000 to $30,000 |
Source: What's The Damage, website redesign cost (Melbourne), updated October 2026. These bands describe custom-built sites. A small service business on a template or website builder is usually closer to the cost of a new small business site, which the same publisher's web design cost guide lists at about $2,000 to $6,000.
Treat all of these as market estimates, not quotes.
What drives the price of a redesign
The same "redesign" can mean very different amounts of work. The main cost drivers are:
How much content needs rewriting. If your services, prices or areas have changed, the words need work, not just the layout. Copywriting is often underestimated.
The number of pages and page layouts. Every new layout needs design and build time.
Moving to a new platform. Moving from an old WordPress theme to another platform means rebuilding pages, not copying them.
Integrations. Booking systems, CRMs, payment tools and job management software have to be reconnected and tested. The guide lists integration work at $5,000 to $25,000 on larger custom rebuilds.
Keeping the old site running during the switch. A site that takes bookings or orders may need a careful changeover.
Protecting your Google visibility. Changing page addresses needs redirects and checks (see below).
The cost that is easy to miss: protecting your Google rankings
If your page addresses (URLs) change during a redesign, Google needs to be told where each old page has moved. Google's guidance for site moves is to set up permanent redirects from each old URL to its new equivalent (Google Search Central). Without them, pages that brought enquiries can drop out of search results and old links lead to error pages.
Ask any provider:
Will you keep my existing page addresses where possible?
Will you map every old URL to a new one and set up redirects?
Will you check Google Search Console after launch for errors?
If the answer to all three is no, the cheaper quote may cost you enquiries.
Signs a refresh is enough
The site loads quickly and works well on phones
You can edit text and photos yourself without trouble
Your services and service areas haven't changed much
The problem is mainly that it looks dated
Signs you need a rebuild
The site is slow because of how it was built, not just large images
Small text changes need a developer
It doesn't work properly on mobile
Your services, areas or customers have changed and the structure no longer fits
The platform or theme is no longer supported or updated
How to get comparable redesign quotes
Send every provider the same brief:
Your current website address
What is working (pages that bring enquiries) and what isn't
Pages to keep, remove and add
Who will write or update the content
Features to keep, such as booking or quote forms
Your budget range and preferred launch date
Then ask each provider for a written scope that includes redirects, content, revisions and what happens after launch.
Next step
If your site needs more than a new coat of paint, Morphic designs and rebuilds websites for small businesses and sends a fixed quote after a short call. Request a fixed quote or see examples of Morphic's work.
Related services: website design and development in St Albans and website maintenance in Deer Park.
Related reading: How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in Australia? (2026 Melbourne Guide) and Signs Your Business Website Needs a Redesign.
Key Takeaways
Most of a redesign's cost depends on how much of the old site you keep: a refresh, a rebuild or a fresh start.
An Australian guide updated in October 2026 puts rebuilds of ageing custom sites at $15,000 to $60,000 and fresh custom builds at $10,000 to $30,000.
Small brochure sites usually cost about the same to replace as a new small business site.
If page addresses change, Google recommends permanent redirects from each old URL to its new one.
Ask every provider for a written scope that includes content, redirects and support after launch.
Emon Datta
Founder, Morphic Agency
Morphic Agency is a Melbourne-based UX design agency. We've shipped 50+ products across 15+ countries.
