How Much to Charge for a Website: A 2026 Pricing Guide
How much to charge for a website: real price ranges, a step-by-step way to work out your number, and a worked example you can copy for your next quote.
Every studio owner has stared at a blank quote and wondered if the number is too high, too low, or just a guess wearing a suit. This guide gives you real ranges, a method that works on any platform, and a worked example, so you can land on a number you can defend.
How Much to Charge for a Website: Typical Ranges
Here are the starting ranges we use as rules of thumb. They are not market data, and they move with your location, your niche, and how much strategy you bring. Treat them as a sanity check, not a rate card.
| Project type | Typical scope | Starting range |
|---|---|---|
| Brochure site | 4 to 6 pages, client supplies content | $2,500 to $5,000 |
| Small business marketing site | 8 to 15 pages, custom design, basic SEO setup | $5,000 to $12,000 |
| Online store (Shopify, WooCommerce) | Catalog setup, checkout, shipping and tax rules | $6,000 to $20,000 |
| Custom build (Next.js, Astro, or similar on Vercel) | Custom components, CMS, integrations | $15,000 and up |
For hard data, the Admin Bar WordPress Professionals Survey 2025 (1,233 respondents) found that 38.2% of average website projects were priced at $2,500 to $4,999, and another 22.8% at $1,000 to $2,499. About 29% were $5,000 or more. The survey skews toward WordPress builders, so read it as a snapshot of independent studios, not the whole market.
The platform matters less than people think. A Webflow site and a WordPress site with the same pages, the same design, and the same content work cost about the same to produce. What changes the price is the number of unique page designs, the integrations, and how much of the content you write.
How Much to Charge for a Website as a Beginner
If you are taking your first clients, charge enough that you do not resent the project by week three. A common mistake is pricing at $500 because it feels safe. It is not safe, because a $500 project still takes 40 hours when the client sends feedback in three batches.
A workable beginner approach:
- Start with a target hourly rate you could live with, even if it feels high. $40 to $60 an hour is a reasonable starting point when you have a few sites behind you.
- Quote a fixed fee, not an hourly rate, so the client knows the total.
- Raise your price after every two or three projects, or whenever you win a bid without any pushback.
- Put the scope in writing. A cheap site with an unclear scope is the most expensive kind. See our web design contract template for the terms to include.
Brand new to this? Our guide to starting a web design business covers the rest of the setup.
Hourly, Fixed Fee, or Value Pricing?
Fixed fee wins for most website projects. Here is how the three models compare.
| Model | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly | You bill time spent | Small fixes, unclear work, ongoing help | Clients flinch at open-ended totals, and faster work earns you less |
| Fixed fee | One price for a defined scope | Most website builds | Scope creep if the scope is vague |
| Value-based | Price tied to what the site is worth to the client | Lead generation sites, ecommerce, established niches | Needs you to ask real questions about revenue and goals |
You do not have to pick one forever. Many studios use a fixed fee for the build, hourly for work outside the scope, and a monthly fee for ongoing care.
How to Work Out Your Number in Five Steps
- Set your hourly target. The Admin Bar median of $95 is a useful reference for what working professionals charge. Your own number depends on experience and market. Whatever it is, price every hour of the project at it.
- List every task and estimate hours. Discovery, design, build, content entry, forms and integrations, testing, launch, and project communication. Do not skip communication. It is often a quarter of the job.
- Add a buffer. 15% to 25% covers the revisions and surprises that show up on nearly every project.
- Add hard costs. Premium plugins, themes, stock photos, fonts, hosting setup, and any contractor fees. Mark them up or bill them separately, but never absorb them silently.
- Gut-check against value. If the site will bring the client $100,000 a year in leads, a $6,000 price is easy to justify. If the math gives you $3,000 and the client's whole marketing budget is $2,000, you have a fit problem, not a pricing problem.
Worked Example: An 8 Page Small Business Site
This is an example with made-up numbers to show the method. Your hours will differ.
| Task | Hours |
|---|---|
| Discovery and sitemap | 4 |
| Design (home, inner page, mobile) | 16 |
| Build (WordPress, Webflow, or code) | 24 |
| Content entry and image prep | 8 |
| Forms, SEO basics, and QA | 6 |
| Launch and DNS | 3 |
| Project communication | 8 |
| Total | 69 |
At $95 an hour, 69 hours is $6,555. Add a 20% buffer and you get $7,866. Round it to $7,900, plus any hard costs.
If you are building on Shopify, swap the build line for catalog and checkout setup. If you are shipping custom code on Vercel, the build line gets bigger and the design handoff gets tighter. The method does not change.
What to Include So the Price Holds Up
A number alone does not win the job. Say what the number covers.
- The pages and features included, listed by name.
- Rounds of revisions (two is common).
- Who writes the content and who supplies the images.
- What happens after launch: hosting, updates, and a care plan if the client wants one.
- What costs extra, and how you price it.
Most of this lives in your proposal. If you want a ready outline, use our web design proposal template.
Mistakes That Make You Undercharge
- Copying a competitor's price without knowing their scope.
- Quoting hours you hope it takes instead of hours it usually takes.
- Leaving out project management and communication time.
- Giving unlimited revisions to win the job.
- Discounting when a client says "that's a lot" instead of reducing the scope.
- Skipping a deposit.
If a client pushes back on price, cut scope before you cut price.
Payment Terms and Ongoing Revenue
Collect a deposit before you start. 50% up front and 50% at launch is the classic split. Larger projects work well with three payments: deposit, design approval, and launch. Our web design invoice template shows how to word each one.
The build is only the first payment. Sites need updates, backups, and monitoring, and clients would rather pay a studio than figure it out themselves. A monthly plan turns a one-time project into steady income. We cover pricing for that in our guide to WordPress care plans, and the same idea applies to a Webflow or Next.js site. Ask for it at the same time as the build quote, not six months later.
- Price the scope, not the hours.
- Write down what is included and what is not.
- Take a deposit before work starts.
- Offer a monthly plan at the time of the quote.
- Raise your price every few projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I charge for making a website?
Most small business websites are priced between $2,500 and $10,000, depending on the number of pages, custom design, and integrations. Work out hours at your hourly rate, add a 15% to 25% buffer, then add hard costs. The Admin Bar 2025 survey found most projects fall between $1,000 and $5,000, which is where many solo builders sit.
How much to charge for web design per hour?
The Admin Bar 2025 survey of web professionals reported a median hourly rate of $95 and an average of $96.36. Beginners often start at $40 to $60 an hour and raise their rate as they build a portfolio. Even when you quote a fixed fee, calculate it from an hourly rate so you know the project pays.
How much to charge for a website as a beginner?
How much to charge for a website as a beginner comes down to a fixed fee of $1,500 to $3,000 for a simple five-page site, based on a target of $40 to $60 an hour. Do not drop below what the hours cost you. Take a 50% deposit, put the scope in writing, and raise your price after each couple of projects.
Should I charge hourly or a flat fee for a website?
Charge a flat fee for the build and hourly for work outside the scope. Flat fees give the client a clear total and reward you for working efficiently. Hourly billing suits small fixes and vague requests. Many studios also add a monthly fee for hosting, updates, and support after launch.
How do I explain my price to a client who says it's too high?
Walk back through the scope, not the number. Show what is included and what each part is for, then offer to reduce scope to hit their budget. Avoid discounting the same scope, because it teaches the client your first price was padded. If the budget and the need do not match, it is fine to pass.
How much should I charge for a website redesign versus a new site?
A redesign is often priced like a new site, because the work is similar. Content migration, redirects for existing URLs, and SEO preservation can add hours, so add a line for them. Audit the current site first and quote after you have seen what needs to move.