“How much is a website?” is a bit like “how much is a truck?” The honest answer is a range, and the number matters less than what comes with it. Here are the four ways contractors usually end up with a site.
1. Build it yourself
Website builders like Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy, and the site builders included with some field service software, charge a monthly subscription. Templates look fine, and you can be online in a weekend.
The real cost is time. Writing the copy, taking and choosing photos, setting up each service page and learning enough about search to be found usually takes far longer than expected, and the result tends to look like every other template. If you enjoy it and have the evenings, it’s a reasonable start.
2. A freelancer
Freelancers range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. The best ones are a bargain; the worst disappear halfway through. Before hiring, look at sites they’ve built for contractors, ask who will host it and make changes next year, and get the price for the whole year in writing.
3. An agency
Marketing agencies typically charge several thousand dollars to build and then a monthly retainer for hosting, “SEO” and updates. A good agency earns it with strategy, ads management and reporting. For a shop with a few trucks, much of that can be more than you need.
4. A lead-generation or “free website” company
Some companies offer a website for a low setup fee or none, bundled into a monthly contract. Read the terms carefully. Often you don’t own the site or the domain, the contract runs a year or more, and leaving means starting over with nothing.
The four questions that matter more than price
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Do I own the site and the domain? | If not, you’re renting. Every review link and search ranking you build stays with them. |
| What does year two cost? | A cheap build with an expensive monthly fee costs more over three years than a fair build with a small renewal. |
| Who changes things? | Prices change, crews change, you add a service. Find out how fast edits happen and whether they cost extra. |
| Does it connect to my software? | A request form that creates a lead in Jobber or Housecall Pro is worth more than one that sends an email. |
What I charge
I build contractor websites for $1,999 flat. Half ($999.50) reserves your build week, the other half is due when you approve the site. It’s live in seven days, and the first year of hosting and edits is included. After that it’s $300 a year or $30 a month, and you can cancel any time. You own the domain and the site. If the preview isn’t in your hands by day seven, I refund half the build fee and launch the site free.
That isn’t the right fit for everyone. If you want monthly ad management and reporting, an agency is the better call. If you want a fast, good site that you own and that works with the software you already run, that’s what I do.
What should a contractor website quote include?
Whoever you hire, the quote should spell out these items. If one is missing, ask, because each one is a place where a low price grows later.
- The number of pages, and whether service and town pages are included.
- Who writes the words.
- Whether your scheduling software is connected, and which one.
- Search setup: titles, descriptions, structured data, your Google profile link.
- Hosting, the security certificate and backups, and their cost after year one.
- How changes are handled after launch, and what they cost.
- Who owns the domain, the site and the files.
- The timeline, and what happens if it slips.
How to compare the true cost over three years
Add the build fee to three years of monthly or yearly fees, then add the cost of the changes you’ll realistically need. A site that’s cheap to build but expensive every month, or one that charges for every edit, often costs more than a higher build fee with a small renewal. My own math is simple: $1,999 for the build and the first year, then $300 a year after that.
Red flags in website quotes
You don’t own the domain. If the company registers it in their name, leaving gets painful. Long contracts for a small site. A year-long commitment for hosting is a lock-in, not a service. “Guaranteed page one.” Nobody controls Google’s rankings. No examples in your trade. Ask to see sites they’ve built for contractors.