How much does a tradesperson’s website cost?

Two website quotes can look miles apart and still tell you very little. One might charge for the build, then leave hosting and updates to you. Another might spread the work across a monthly service and include tools beyond the website.

The useful question is: what will I pay, what work does that cover, and what can a customer do when it is finished? This guide gives you a way to compare the answers. For the wider picture, explore our guides for trades.

Start with the job your website needs to do

Before asking for a price, describe the business you actually run. A sole trader taking domestic repair enquiries needs different information from a team quoting large commercial contracts. Neither needs pages added just to make a proposal sound substantial.

Write down your main services, the places you genuinely cover, examples of your work and how you want someone to contact you. Decide who will supply photos and whether the copy needs writing. If you already have a domain, website or Business Profile, say so: access and existing content affect the work involved.

A sensible starting brief might be: “I’m a roofer covering these towns. I need customers to see the repairs I handle, look at real projects and call or send job details from their phone.” That is much easier to price than “I need a professional website”.

Use the Roof-Tech website walkthrough to see how a roofing business presents its services. The IQ Plumbing project notes give a different trade example. Treat them as ways to discuss your own brief, rather than a page count to copy.

Separate the build from running the site

Ask every supplier to break the quote into the same three groups. If an item is included, have that stated. If it is optional, ask what it costs and when you would need it.

Scroll sideways to see all columns.

Domain registration and hosting are different things. The domain is the address customers use; hosting serves the website. A provider may arrange both, but you should still know which account holds the domain, who renews it and how you regain access if needed.

“Updates included” also needs explaining. It might mean technical maintenance, changes to your opening hours, or a fixed allowance for new content. Those are different commitments. A written example helps: ask whether adding a new service page, changing a phone number or replacing project photos is included.

Do the same for forms. A form that displays a success message needs a working destination behind it. Agree where enquiries arrive and test that you can actually receive and reply to one. This is a practical acceptance check, not an optional extra to discover after launch.

Compare the full cost over the same period

Use the quote comparison calculator above with the figures you have been given. The calculation is:

Setup + monthly cost × number of months + annual extras × number of years.

An invented example makes the distinction clearer. A £1,200 build plus £35 per month, with no annual extras, totals £1,620 over 12 months and £2,040 over 24 months. Those numbers illustrate the arithmetic; they are not a claim about what the market normally charges.

UKTL’s current package is £197 per month, with no setup fee and no website fee. At that rate, 12 months totals £2,364 and 24 months totals £4,728. No VAT is added at present. The months in this comparison are a budgeting period: our package has no contract and you can cancel anytime. Read the current pricing and service details before deciding.

The example upfront quote is cheaper on those figures. That does not tell you whether it includes the same work. UKTL’s package covers a website and connected business tools; a website-only build may be all you need if your other systems already work well. Price the missing items only when they are useful to your business, rather than assuming every tool is essential.

Use the same VAT basis for each quote and check how annual renewals are charged. If a supplier gives an introductory price, ask for the later price too. A low first invoice is not the same as a clear ongoing cost.

Check what you own and what leaving involves

Ask about the domain, content, photos, website files and any software accounts separately. “You own your website” should lead to an understandable explanation of what you can take away and who does the transfer.

Useful questions include:

• Is the domain registered for my business, and can I access or transfer it?
• Can I reuse the text and images, and are any stock assets subject to a licence?
• What happens to the live website if I cancel the monthly service?
• Can another provider host or maintain it, and what format is supplied?
• Which connected services stop when the subscription ends?
• Are there transfer charges, notice periods or work I need someone else to do?

UKTL’s offer includes keeping your website when you leave. Connected subscription tools are a separate part of the setup, so discuss the practical handover for your business before starting. Do not assume that keeping a website means every third-party service continues indefinitely.

Make a simple access list for your own records. Losing track of who controls a domain or business email can be a bigger inconvenience than the original design decision.

Ask what “SEO included” actually means

A website can be built so search engines can access its pages, understand the services and follow sensible links. That is a foundation. It does not promise a particular Google position or a set number of enquiries.

Ask what specific work the quote covers: useful service information, page titles, mobile usability, local business details, a sitemap and checks after launch. If the provider mentions ongoing SEO, ask what they will review, what they will change and how they will report progress.

Your Google Business Profile is another part of local discovery. Its owner account and verification need checking separately from the website. Our Google Maps guide for trades explains the profile, genuine coverage, reviews and how to judge enquiries alongside clicks.

Avoid judging SEO by a single search on your own phone. Results vary by search and location, and a new site needs time and actual search data before anyone can assess its contribution.

Budget for the enquiry after the visit

A good site gives someone a clear next step. Your business still needs a way to handle it when you are on a roof, under a sink or driving between jobs.

Check whether you need a shared inbox, a quote form, a business phone or a callback process. Some businesses can handle this with tools they already use. Others benefit from having the website and follow-up connected. The point is to identify a real gap before paying for more software.

Our missed calls guide for trades includes reply drafts and a simple weekly enquiry check. Work through that process when comparing a website-only service with a broader package. Count the cost of the parts you will actually use, and agree who will set them up.

What to check before signing off the launch

Open the finished website on your own phone. Choose a service as if you were a customer, find your coverage and try the contact route. Make sure the business name, number and hours are right.

Send one clearly labelled test enquiry and confirm it reaches the correct inbox or phone. Check that the person handling enquiries knows what to do next. Ask the supplier to fix any broken links, unreadable text or misleading service information before you sign it off.

Finally, confirm where you request future changes and who owns the next action. A live website and a usable enquiry process are related, but one does not establish the other.

Frequently asked questions

Is a monthly website always more expensive?

It depends on the period, upfront charge and ongoing costs. Compare like-for-like totals and included work. The calculator shows the arithmetic without assuming either model wins.

Is a free website completely free to run?

A zero build fee can sit inside a paid service. Read the ongoing price, scope and leaving terms. UKTL has no website or setup fee within its £197/month package; the whole service is not a zero-cost subscription.

Do I need a large website to get started?

You need enough useful information for your services and customers. Agree the structure around real questions, work examples and contact routes. Page count alone is a poor measure of usefulness.

Where can I see what UKTL includes?

Read the websites for trades service, the full package and pricing. Then bring your existing setup and questions to a call so we can discuss the work that is relevant to you.

For a practical next step, read Trades quote form fields: what to ask first and what to leave for later.