How much does it cost to rebuild a website versus redesign it?

A website rebuild typically costs $15,000 to $75,000+ because it starts from a new technical foundation (new architecture, new codebase, new CMS), while a redesign updates the visual and functional layers on the existing infrastructure and ranges from $3,000 to $75,000. The overlap zone between $15,000 and $75,000 is where scope determines which category the project actually falls into.

Rebuilds are warranted when the existing CMS is outdated, performance is fundamentally constrained by technical debt, security vulnerabilities are structural, or a major rebrand requires capabilities the current platform cannot support. Redesigns make sense when the backend and CMS function well but the visual layer, navigation, UX, or mobile experience need significant improvement. The critical risk is scope creep: redesigns frequently morph into rebuilds when design changes require rewriting underlying code. Teams should define the boundary clearly before starting. If the project requires a CMS migration, new architecture, or extensive code refactoring, it is a rebuild regardless of what the statement of work calls it.