- DIY builders run about $15 to $50 a month plus your time; freelancers commonly charge $1,000 to $5,000; agencies often start at $5,000.
- Page count, custom design, content and technical setup move the price most.
- Budget for a domain, hosting or a care plan, business email, photos and updates: often $20 to $100 a month after launch.
- Ten to fifteen pages covers most local service businesses; compare quotes on the total cost over three years.
The short answer
A DIY builder costs roughly $15 to $50 per month plus your time. A freelancer commonly charges from about $1,000 to $5,000. A traditional agency often charges $5,000 and up. AI-assisted agencies such as Guerrilla Local start at $500 for a 10 page site because AI removes much of the repetitive drafting work.
These ranges are market patterns rather than quotes, so always ask what is included before you compare prices.
| Who builds it | Upfront cost | Monthly after launch | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | $0 to a few hundred (templates, apps) | About $15 to $50 for the plan | High: days to weeks |
| Freelancer | Commonly $1,000 to $5,000 | Hosting and care, often $20 to $100 | Medium: briefing, feedback, content |
| Traditional agency | Often $5,000 to $25,000+ | Care plans often $50 to $500+ | Medium: meetings and reviews |
| AI-assisted agency (Guerrilla Local) | $500 to $1,000 for 10 to 20 pages | Optional care plan from $29 | Low: one intake form |
What drives the cost
Four things move the price most: the number of pages, the amount of custom design, who writes the content, and what technical work is included.
- Page count: every service, location or practice area is another page to design and write.
- Custom design: templates are cheaper, custom layouts and illustration cost more.
- Content: writing and photography are often the largest hidden cost.
- Technical setup: SEO, schema, analytics, forms and speed work are sometimes extra.
- Features: online booking, payments, client portals or integrations with your scheduling software add cost.
Cost by number of pages
Page count is the easiest way to compare quotes, because each page needs design, copy and SEO. Most local service businesses need a page for each main service and each main town, which is why 10 to 15 pages is typical.
| Site size | Typical use | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| One page | A placeholder or a single-service business | Free to a few hundred dollars; rarely ranks well |
| 5 to 10 pages | A small business with a handful of services | Roughly $500 to $3,000 |
| 10 to 20 pages | Most local service businesses with service and area pages | Roughly $750 to $6,000 |
| 20 to 50+ pages | Multi-location firms, many services or practice areas | Roughly $1,000 to $15,000+ |
Monthly and yearly costs after launch
The build price is only part of the cost. Every website has running costs, and some quotes hide them. Ask for these in writing.
| Cost | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | Often $10 to $25 a year for a .com | Register it in your own name |
| Hosting | A few dollars to $50+ a month | Often bundled into a builder plan or care plan |
| Business email | Often $6 to $15 per user per month | Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 |
| Care plan or maintenance | Roughly $29 to $500 a month | Updates, backups, security, small edits |
| SEO (optional) | Often $300 to $3,000+ a month | Ongoing work to rank and bring in leads |
The real cost of building it yourself
DIY looks cheapest because the plan is only $15 to $50 a month. The hidden cost is your time. Writing ten pages of copy, choosing photos, setting up titles, schema and forms, and testing on phones can easily take 30 to 60 hours for someone doing it the first time. Put a value on an hour of your time, multiply, and compare that with a quote.
DIY also tends to cost more later. Many owners rebuild within a year or two once they realize the site is not bringing in calls, so they pay twice. If you do build it yourself, our guide on how to make a website for a business covers the steps that matter most for getting found.
What you get at different price points
Price ranges overlap, but the work included usually changes in predictable steps.
| Budget | What it usually buys | What is usually missing |
|---|---|---|
| Under $500 | A template site, often one to five pages, often built by you | Separate service pages, copywriting, SEO setup |
| $500 to $1,500 | A 10 to 20 page site; with AI-assisted agencies, copy, schema and basic SEO included | Fully custom design and illustration |
| $1,500 to $5,000 | Freelancer or small studio site with more design input | Often SEO depth, speed work or ongoing support |
| $5,000 to $25,000+ | Agency site with strategy, custom design, photography and integrations | Usually nothing missing, but long timelines |
Website cost by industry
The trade itself does not change the price much; the number of services, locations and features does. These are typical needs we see by industry.
| Industry | Typical page needs | Common extras |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing, HVAC, electrical | Home, 6 to 10 service pages, area pages, emergency contact | Click-to-call, booking or financing forms |
| Roofing and remodeling | Service pages, project gallery, area pages | Before-and-after galleries, financing |
| Law firms | Practice area pages, attorney bios, office or city pages | Intake forms, results with disclaimers |
| Dental and medical | Service pages, team, insurance, new-patient info | Online booking, patient forms |
| Cleaning and lawn care | Service pages, area pages, pricing or quote page | Instant quote forms, recurring booking |
Costs people forget
Plan for photos (your own or stock), copywriting if the builder does not include it, extra revision rounds, paid plugins or apps, and the cost of your own time. A site that is cheap to build but expensive to change can cost more over three years than a flat-priced one with support included.
Maintenance is the cost most often skipped. Our guides to what website maintenance includes and website maintenance cost explain what you actually need to pay for.
What a local business actually needs
Most plumbers, roofers, dentists and lawyers need a home page, one page per main service, an about page, a contact page and a few location pages. Ten to fifteen pages covers the majority of local service businesses. A logo and basic branding help too; see how much a logo costs.
You usually do not need custom animations, a members area or an online store to win local calls. Spend the budget on clear service pages, real photos, fast loading and reviews instead.
Is a cheap website worth it?
It can be, if the scope is clear and the basics are done right. A low price is a problem when it means a single page, no SEO setup, slow loading, no ownership of your domain, or a monthly fee you cannot leave. It is fine when the provider uses templates and AI to cut repetitive work but still delivers separate service pages, schema, fast loading and a site you own.
Judge any quote on what you get and what it costs over three years, not the launch price alone.
Website cost vs the cost of getting found
A website is the foundation, but it does not bring in calls on its own. Most businesses also invest in local SEO or ads to get traffic to it. If you are weighing that next step, see how much local SEO costs, whether SEO is worth it and SEO vs PPC.
How to compare quotes
Ask each provider for the same list so you can compare like with like. Our own packages are listed on our website design pricing page so you can compare them against any quote.
- How many pages, and is copywriting included?
- How many revision rounds?
- Who owns the site, the domain and the hosting account?
- What SEO is included: titles, schema, Search Console, Google Business Profile?
- How long until launch?
- What are the monthly costs, and can you leave without losing the site?
Frequently asked questions
Is $500 enough for a real business website?
It can be, if the scope is clear. A 10 page template-based site with AI-written copy, forms, mobile layout and basic SEO is a realistic scope at that price. Custom features, large catalogs and bespoke design cost more.
Are there ongoing costs after the website is built?
Usually yes: a domain, hosting or a care plan, business email and optional SEO. Together these often come to roughly $20 to $100 a month for a small business before SEO. Ask for these costs in writing before you buy.
How much does a 10 page website cost?
A 10 page small business website commonly costs from about $500 to $5,000 depending on who builds it, whether copywriting is included and how custom the design is. Guerrilla Local's Launch plan is $500 for up to 10 pages, live in 48 hours.
How much does it cost monthly to own a website?
For a small business, often $20 to $100 a month: hosting or a builder plan, a domain spread over the year, business email and basic maintenance. Ongoing SEO or ads are extra and usually the larger cost if you choose them.
Can I run a website for free?
Some builders have free plans, but they usually show the builder's branding, use their subdomain instead of your own .com and limit features. For a business, a free site rarely looks trustworthy enough to win calls, so budget at least for your own domain and a paid plan.
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