There is no single price for a remodeler’s website, and anyone quoting one before they’ve spoken to you is guessing. What matters is what drives the cost, so you can compare quotes fairly. This guide covers that, plus the questions worth asking before you commit.
What changes the price
Most of the cost comes from a handful of decisions.
- How many pages you need, and how many of those are individual project pages
- Whether the design is built for you or adapted from a template
- Who writes the copy, and who finds and prepares the photos
- How much the site has to do, such as inquiry forms, follow-up emails or connections to the tools you already use
- Whether search structure (a page for each service and area) is set up from the start
- Whether someone looks after the site after launch
The three usual ways to get a site
Do it yourself on a website builder. This has the lowest upfront cost and the most work for you. It can be fine for a simple site, but the design, the writing and the setup are all on you, and builder templates often look like everyone else’s.
A template customized by a freelancer or agency. A middle route that is quicker and cheaper than a fully custom design. The result depends heavily on how much care goes into the content and project pages.
A custom design built around your business. It costs more and takes longer, and it can be shaped around your projects, your customers and how you want inquiries to arrive. It makes most sense when the quality of your work is what you sell.
Ongoing costs people forget
A website isn’t a one-time purchase. There is hosting, there is keeping content current as you finish projects, and there is checking that forms and links still work. Ask whether these are included, optional or extra, and what they cost per month.
Questions to ask any provider
Whatever the quote, these questions make quotes comparable.
- What exactly is included, page by page?
- Who writes the copy and who supplies the photos?
- Do I own the site and everything on it, and can I take it elsewhere?
- How long will it take, and what do you need from me to keep to that?
- What happens after launch, and what does it cost each month?
- Is the price fixed, or can it grow as we go?
How I price it
I agree a fixed fee after a first call, once I understand your business and what the site needs to do, so you know the number before any work begins. The first step, a review of your current site and how inquiries reach you, is free. If you want me to look after the site afterwards, website management starts from $197 a month and covers hosting, small monthly updates and regular checks.
That is how I work. Whoever you choose, the questions above will help you compare fairly.