Start by deciding the level of change
The biggest single factor is how much is changing. A refresh tidies the existing mark. A reposition changes the strategy and messaging while keeping the name. A full rebrand changes the name or mark and everything that carries it. See refresh, reposition or rebrand for how to choose.
What drives the cost of the brand work
- Strategy and research. How many owners, staff and clients are consulted, and how much competitor review is needed.
- Naming. Creating and checking a new name adds work, including business name and trade mark checks and legal advice.
- Number of brands. A group with related companies or divisions needs a brand structure, not just one identity.
- Identity scope. A mark and colour palette, or a full system with guidelines, templates and photography direction.
- Documents and website. Whether the capability statement, tender templates and website are rewritten and redesigned as part of the job.
- Approvals. The number of decision makers and review rounds.
What drives the cost of rollout
For construction companies, rollout is often a larger cost than the design itself. Budget separately for:
- Vehicle and plant signwriting
- Office, yard and site signage, including hoardings and fences
- Uniforms and PPE
- Printed stationery, forms and site documents
- Website changes, email signatures and digital profiles
- Registrations, domains and any listings that carry the name
Many companies stage this: digital and documents first, then signage, then vehicles and uniforms as they are replaced.
What drives the timeline
- Availability of decision makers. Owners on site or tendering can slow reviews more than the design work.
- Naming and legal checks. These take time and should be finished before design is locked.
- Content. Gathering project information, photographs and credentials for the website and capability statement.
- Supplier lead times. Signwriters, uniform suppliers and printers work to their own schedules.
- Business timing. Launching around a major tender, a new financial year or a fleet replacement can make sense.
Illustrative example
A made-up scenario to show how scope builds up. It is not ORYX client work and does not indicate a price or duration.
A commercial builder keeps its name but needs to move from small fitouts toward larger commercial projects. The scope is a reposition: a strategy workshop, new messaging, a refreshed identity system, a rewritten capability statement, a website remodel and new site hoarding artwork. Vehicles are re-signed as leases renew. Because the name stays, there are no naming or trade mark costs, and the rollout is staged.
Illustrative scope comparison
The table shows what is usually in and out at each level of change. It is a planning aid, not a package: every ORYX engagement is scoped individually, and your own suppliers quote the physical items.
| Item | Refresh | Reposition | Full rebrand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy workshop and positioning | Rarely | Usually | Usually |
| Naming and name checks | No | No | Usually |
| Logo and mark | Tidy of the existing mark | Existing mark kept, system rebuilt | New mark |
| Colour, type and layout rules | Locked and documented | Usually | Usually |
| Messaging and key messages | Rarely | Usually | Usually |
| Brand guide and templates | One-page brand sheet | Usually | Usually |
| Capability statement rewrite | Sometimes | Usually | Usually |
| Website changes | Styling only | Remodel or rebuild | Rebuild |
| Signage, vehicle and uniform artwork | Sometimes | Sometimes | Usually |
| Item | Refresh | Reposition | Full rebrand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle and plant signwriting | Rarely | Sometimes, staged | Usually, staged |
| Office, yard and site signage | Rarely | Sometimes | Usually |
| Uniforms and PPE | Rarely | As replaced | Usually, as replaced |
| Printed stationery and site documents | As reprinted | Usually | Usually |
| Registrations, domains and listings | No | No | Usually |
Blank scope and rollout worksheet
Fill this in before you ask for proposals, so every agency quotes the same job and every supplier item has an owner. Print it or download the text version. Nothing is submitted to ORYX.
Rebrand scope and rollout worksheet
Company [name] · Prepared by [name] on [date] · Level of change: [refresh / reposition / full rebrand]
A. The problem we are solving
[in one or two sentences: what buyers misunderstand or what no longer works]
B. Agency scope
| Item | In scope? | Depends on | Owner (our side) | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy and positioning | [yes / no] | [workshop date, people available] | [name] | [name] |
| Naming and name checks | [yes / no] | [business name and trade mark search, legal advice] | [name] | [name] |
| Identity system | [yes / no] | [positioning signed off] | [name] | [name] |
| Brand guide and templates | [yes / no] | [identity signed off] | [name] | [name] |
| Capability statement and tender template | [yes / no] | [project content and permissions gathered] | [name] | [name] |
| Website | [remodel / rebuild / styling / no] | [content, photography, hosting access] | [name] | [name] |
| Signage, vehicle and uniform artwork | [yes / no] | [supplier templates and measurements] | [name] | [name] |
C. Physical rollout (your suppliers quote these)
| Item | Quantity | Supplier | Stage | Target date | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles and plant | [number] | [signwriter] | [1 / 2 / 3] | [date] | [name] |
| Office and yard signage | [number] | [supplier] | [stage] | [date] | [name] |
| Site signage and hoardings | [number] | [supplier] | [stage] | [date] | [name] |
| Uniforms and PPE | [number of staff] | [supplier] | [stage] | [date] | [name] |
| Stationery and site documents | [items] | [printer] | [stage] | [date] | [name] |
| Email signatures and digital profiles | [accounts] | [internal] | [stage] | [date] | [name] |
| Registrations, domains and listings | [list] | [internal / adviser] | [stage] | [date] | [name] |
D. Decisions and approvals
| Single point of feedback | [name] |
|---|---|
| Final approver for each stage | [strategy] · [identity] · [rollout] |
| Business timing to work around | [tenders, financial year, fleet renewals, events] |
| Asset list complete? | [yes / no, where it is kept] |
Proposal comparison checklist
Put each proposal against the same questions. A cheaper proposal with fewer inclusions is not cheaper once the missing items are added.
Proposal comparison checklist
| Question | Proposal A | Proposal B | Proposal C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is the problem we are solving restated correctly? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Is every deliverable listed, with file formats? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| How many concepts and review rounds are included? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Is the price fixed for the written scope? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| What is extra, and how is extra work priced? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Who does the work, and who do we deal with? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| How are naming checks and legal advice handled? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Do we own the final files and the name? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Are physical rollout costs separated from agency work? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| What do they need from us, and by when? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Is the timeline tied to our approvals and supplier lead times? | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
How to keep a rebrand under control
- Agree the problem you are solving before agreeing the deliverables
- Get a written scope that lists every deliverable and every review point
- Nominate one person to collect feedback and approve each stage
- Build an asset list early, so nothing carrying the old brand is missed
- Plan the physical rollout and budget for it separately
Questions to ask any agency
- What exactly is included, and what is extra?
- How many concepts and review rounds are included?
- What files will we receive, in which formats?
- Who will we actually work with?
- How do you handle naming checks and legal advice?
How ORYX prices it
Every ORYX engagement is fixed scope at a fixed price, agreed in writing before work starts. We work from a rate card and send it on request after a call. See our branding service and our approach to construction marketing, or book a call with our team.
Common questions
Why do agencies not publish rebrand prices?
The scope varies too much. A refresh for one company and a full rebrand for a group with a fleet are different jobs. Ask for a written scope and price for your situation.
Do we have to replace everything at once?
No. Many construction companies roll out in stages, starting with digital material and documents and replacing signage, vehicles and uniforms over time.
Can we keep our name and still rebrand?
Yes. A reposition or refresh keeps the name and changes the strategy, message or identity around it, which avoids naming costs and keeps recognition.