If you're a small business owner getting quotes for a new website, you've probably heard everything from "I'll build it for $100" to "our agency charges $15,000 minimum." Both can be true, and both can be a rip-off. The real question isn't "what does a website cost." It's "what should your website cost, for what you actually need?"

Here's a transparent breakdown, based on what I charge and what the rest of the industry charges in 2026.

The quick answer

For most small businesses, a good custom-built website costs between $750 and $2,500 one-time, plus about $15 to $25 per month for hosting and a domain name. Larger or more complex sites go higher.

My packages (what you get at each level)

Starter

$750

One to three pages, usually Home, About, and Contact. Perfect for a solo operator, trade, or service provider who just needs to show up on Google and look legit.

  • Custom design (not a template)
  • Mobile-responsive
  • Basic on-page SEO
  • Contact form and click-to-call
  • Google Business Profile setup
  • 1 round of revisions

Professional

$1,200

Four to eight pages. Services or menu pages, portfolio or gallery, FAQ. The sweet spot for most restaurants, retail shops, contractors, and professional services.

  • Everything in Starter
  • Advanced SEO with schema markup for rich Google results
  • Image gallery or portfolio
  • Social media integration
  • Google Analytics
  • 2 rounds of revisions

E-Commerce

$2,500

A full online store for businesses that sell products. Features like online booking or a member area can be added and quoted up front.

  • Everything in Professional
  • Product listings and shopping cart
  • Payment setup and inventory management
  • Order notification emails
  • SSL and security hardening
  • 3 rounds of revisions

Already have a site that needs a full overhaul? Redesigns start at $1,500. See every package on the pricing section of my homepage.

Ongoing costs you should expect

This is where a lot of business owners get blindsided. After your site is built, you still need:

  • Domain name: about $12–$20 per year
  • Hosting: $0–$25 per month depending on the provider (I use Netlify, which is free for most small business sites)
  • Email: $6–$12 per user per month if you want something like you@yourbusiness.com through Google Workspace
  • Maintenance: optional, but small content updates and tech support average $50–$150 per change, or you can pay a flat monthly care plan (mine start at $49 a month)

Red flags that signal a bad deal

  • A designer who won't give you a flat price upfront
  • Contracts that lock you into hosting with them (you should always own your domain and hosting)
  • Prices under $200 for a full custom site. It's almost certainly a template with your logo slapped on
  • Prices over $5,000 for a simple 5-page site with no custom functionality
  • No clear timeline or deliverables list

How to get the best deal

Know what you actually need before you ask for a quote. A good designer will help you scope it down, not up. If someone tries to sell you a $3,000 site when a $900 one would do the job, find someone else.

Always ask: "Do I own this when it's done?" The answer should be yes. You own the domain, the files, and the hosting account. Anything else is a leash.

Want a real quote for your specific business?

Tell me a little about what you do and what you want out of a website. I'll send a flat-rate quote. No sales call required, usually same day.

Get my free quote