How much does a contractor website actually cost?
You've probably seen website prices all over the map. Some guy on Fiverr says $200. An agency downtown quotes $15,000. What the hell is the difference?
Let's break it down so you know what you're actually paying for. I'll tell you what I charge too, so you can see where I fit.
The price ranges (and what you get)
$0 - $200: DIY / Template
This is the "do it yourself with Wix or Squarespace" zone. Or paying someone on Fiverr to slap together a template.
What you get: A website that looks like a website. Basic template, your logo, some text, contact info.
The problem: It looks like everyone else. It won't rank on Google. It probably looks a bit cheap. You'll spend hours fighting with the website builder.
Good for: Testing if you even want a website. Not much else.
$200 - $700: Custom, Kept Simple
This is where you get someone who actually knows what they're doing, but keeps it lean.
What you get: Custom design (not a template), mobile-friendly, basic SEO, contact forms, a professional look.
The tradeoff: Fewer pages, fewer bells and whistles, no account manager to call. But it works and it looks good.
Good for: Most contractors who want to look professional without spending a fortune.
Full disclosure: this is where I sit. My builds are $199, $399, and $699. I can charge this because I don't have an office, a sales team, or a marketing budget to cover — I'm an ironworker who builds these after shift.
$2,000 - $5,000: Mid-Range
More pages, more features, more polish.
What you get: Everything above, plus more pages, better SEO, possibly a blog, photo galleries, more customization.
Good for: Contractors who want to really invest in their online presence and compete harder.
$5,000+: Agency / Premium
This is what the big marketing agencies charge.
What you get: The full treatment. Strategy, branding, copywriting, ongoing SEO, fancy features.
The reality: A lot of this is overhead. You're paying for their office, their account managers, their fancy presentations. The actual website isn't ten times better than a $700 one.
Good for: Larger companies with marketing budgets. Overkill for most local contractors.
What about monthly costs?
This is where people get confused. There are two parts:
1. Hosting ($10-50/month typical)
Your website needs to live somewhere. That's hosting. It's like renting space for your website to exist on the internet.
2. Maintenance (optional, $50-200/month)
Someone to make updates, fix things if they break, keep everything running. Some people bundle this into their hosting fee.
How I do it: the build is a one-time cost and you own the site outright. Monthly care is optional — $50/month covers hosting, security, backups, updates, and small text or photo changes, so you never have to think about it. Want to host it yourself and skip the monthly fee? That's fine too. I'll hand over the files.
What should YOU spend?
Here's my honest advice for contractors in Victoria and Vancouver Island:
If you're just starting out: $200-400. Get something professional up. Three pages that load fast and make it easy to call you will beat most of what's out there. You can always add to it later.
If you're established and want more leads: $400-700. Spend it on the things that turn a visitor into a phone call — a gallery of your actual work, reviews from real customers, and a click-to-call button on every page.
If you're booking out months in advance: Maybe you don't need to spend anything right now. You're already winning.
What I'd tell you not to do: don't spend $5,000 with an agency because the presentation was slick. And don't spend $0 on a template, then wonder why you look like everyone else.
The real math
Stop thinking about the cost of the website. Think about the cost of NOT having one.
If your average job is $5,000, and a website brings in just ONE extra job, it paid for itself several times over.
If it brings in one job a month? That's $60,000 a year from a few hundred dollars, one time.
The question isn't "can I afford a website?" It's "can I afford to keep losing jobs to competitors who have one?"
Want to see what your money gets you?
No forms. No sales calls. Text me your business name and I'll reply with ideas and a free homepage mockup. Then you can decide if it's worth it.
Text (250) 885-2670 →