The short answer
| Approach | Typical build cost | Ongoing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY site builder | $0 – $1,500 | $25 – $50/mo | A brand-new solo operator who needs to exist online this week |
| Freelancer / small studio | $1,500 – $6,000 | $50 – $200/mo | An established contractor replacing an outdated site |
| Custom agency build | $6,000 – $25,000+ | $150 – $500/mo | Companies competing for larger jobs where the site is a primary lead source |
| Multi-location / large custom | $25,000 – $50,000+ | $500+/mo | Regional builders with many service areas or divisions |
These are market ranges across the industry, not our prices — every studio scopes differently, and we quote after a call rather than publishing packages. Published figures across 2026 pricing guides cluster tightly around these bands.
What actually drives the price
Two quotes for 'a contractor website' can differ by a factor of ten and both be honest. The variables below account for nearly all of it.
Page count and service-area structure
A five-page brochure site and a thirty-page site with a page per service and per city are entirely different builds. The second costs several times more and is also the version that generates organic leads, because there is something for each search to land on. If a quote seems low, check how many pages it includes.
Who writes the copy
This is the single most common hidden cost. Many quotes assume you supply finished text for every page. Contractors almost never do — the project then stalls for months on the client side. Written copy typically adds $100–$400 per page when it's not bundled, and it's worth confirming before you sign anything.
Photography and video
Your own project photography is the highest-return line item on a contractor site and the one most often skipped. A half-day photographer runs a few hundred to around $1,500 in most markets. If that's out of scope, a disciplined phone-photo routine on your own jobs is a genuine substitute — far better than stock.
Template versus designed from scratch
A licensed template with your logo and colours dropped in is fast and cheap, and it looks like the other four contractors in your county using the same one. A custom design costs more because someone is making decisions specific to your trade, your photography, and the job size you're chasing.
Whether SEO is built in or bolted on
Sites built with search structure from the start — clean URLs, real service pages, local schema, fast mobile performance — cost more up front and less later. Retrofitting search structure onto a finished site frequently costs more than doing it correctly the first time.
The ongoing costs nobody mentions in the quote
- Domain registration: roughly $12–$25 per year.
- Hosting: $10–$50/month self-managed; usually bundled in a managed plan.
- SSL certificate: free on modern hosting — you should not be charged for this.
- Maintenance, updates, and backups: $50–$200/month, or your problem if self-managed.
- Content updates and new project galleries: either your time or an hourly rate.
- Form and booking tools, call tracking, and email: often $20–$100/month combined.
How to tell whether a quote is fair
- 01Count the pages. Divide the quote by the page count. Under about $200 a page usually means a template with filler text.
- 02Ask who writes the copy. If the answer is you, add the cost — or the delay — back into the quote.
- 03Ask what happens after launch. A build with no plan for updates becomes stale within a year.
- 04Ask to see three live sites they built for contractors. Live URLs, not screenshots or mockups.
- 05Ask what the site is structured to rank for. If nobody mentions service or city pages, search wasn't part of the plan.
- 06Confirm ownership, hosting, and domain control in writing before any money moves.
Is a more expensive site actually worth it?
It depends entirely on your average job value, which is why blanket advice is useless. Work it out yourself: if your average job nets $8,000 in profit and a better site brings two extra jobs a year, a $10,000 build pays for itself in year one and compounds after. If you're doing $400 service calls, a $10,000 site is very hard to justify and the money is better spent on your Google Business Profile and reviews.
The honest version: spend what one or two won jobs are worth, and insist the site is built to be found — not just to look finished.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a contractor website cost per month?
- Self-managed, expect $25–$50 per month for hosting and domain. Fully managed — hosting, backups, security, updates, and content changes handled for you — typically runs $150–$500 per month in 2026, depending on how much ongoing work is included.
- Why do custom websites cost so much more than templates?
- You're paying for decisions, not pixels. A custom build includes research into what your buyers search for, a structure designed to rank for it, copy written for your trade, and a layout built around your actual photography. A template gives you a finished-looking shell and leaves every one of those decisions to you.
- How much does a website redesign cost?
- Usually 70–100% of a new build, because the design, copy, and structure are being redone regardless. The savings come from already having photography, brand assets, and content — which can cut a few thousand off the total if they're in good shape.
- Can I build a contractor website myself?
- Yes, and for a brand-new solo operator that's often the right call. The realistic trade-off is 20 to 40 hours of your time and a site that looks like a site builder made it. If you're bidding against companies with real online presence for large jobs, that gap shows.