If you've asked around, you've probably heard numbers from a few hundred dollars to over ten thousand. Both can be honest answers. Here's what drives the price and what to watch for.
The Three Ways Local Businesses Get a Website
1. Do it yourself with a website builder. Monthly plans are cheap, and you can launch in a weekend. The real cost is your time — and the fact that most DIY sites never get updated after launch.
2. Hire a freelancer. Prices vary widely. You can get a good site, but ask who will host it, update it, and fix it when something breaks a year from now.
3. Hire a local web company. Around Southeast Texas, published quotes we've seen run from about $500 for a basic site to well over $10,000 for complex custom builds. Most small-business sites land somewhere between $1,500 and $5,000.
What Actually Changes the Price
- Number of pages. A five-page site costs less than a fifteen-page site with a page for every service and town.
- Who writes the content. If you supply the words and photos, it costs less.
- Features. Online stores, booking systems, and custom integrations add cost.
- Ongoing care. Hosting, security, backups, and updates are either included in a monthly plan or billed separately.
The Cost Most Quotes Leave Out
A website isn't a one-time purchase. Security certificates renew, software needs patching, links break, and your hours change. Ask every company you talk to: What does it cost per month after launch, and what does that include? If the answer is "nothing," ask who fixes it when it breaks.
What 409 Custom Software Charges for Websites
We publish our prices: Starter is $499 plus $50/month, Growth is $699 plus $99/month, and Authority is $999 plus $199/month. A care plan is required with every build, and every plan includes hosting, security, backups, and monthly edit time. See the full breakdown on our Pricing page.
