How I price a website.
And why it's not a guess.
Published August 2026 · 6 min read
Most web design quotes are either a vague range that moves once you sign, or an hourly rate that rewards whoever works slowest. Neither tells you what you're paying for. Here's exactly how I build a number, what it includes, and what it deliberately leaves out.
What a vague quote is usually hiding
These aren't hypothetical risks. They're patterns pulled from audited web design quotes, and they're exactly what a written proposal with a fixed price is built to close off.
Most quotes skip a written scope
Over half of audited web design quotes never spell out exact pages, features, or what counts as included. That gap is exactly where scope creep and surprise invoices come from. Mine starts with a written scope before any number gets attached to it.
(ZenWeb)Some vendors hold your domain hostage
Close to half of flagged vendors register the domain, hosting, or CMS admin account under their own name instead of the client's. Every account for your site gets created under your name, from the first day, no exceptions.
(ZenWeb)Cheap quotes usually hide the real cost
Bargain builds often leave out copywriting, mobile styling, or basic security, then bill for them later as add-ons. My proposal covers what the site needs to launch properly, not a stripped demo waiting for upsells.
(ZenWeb)Hourly billing rewards the wrong thing
Bill by the hour and a developer who finishes faster earns less for the same result. A fixed price flips that: my incentive is to build it right and move on, not stretch the clock.
From a call to a written proposal
Six steps, same order, every time. No project skips a step just because it's small.
A short call, not a sales pitch
We talk through what you need: pages, features, timeline, and what you already have ready to go. No script, no pressure to decide on the call.
Research comes before a number
For a rebuild, that means going through your current site and flagging what's working against you, not just what looks outdated. For a new site, it means understanding your positioning and who the site needs to convince. Nothing gets priced before this happens.
Complexity decides the number, not guesswork
A static page and a custom booking system aren't priced the same way. Logins, payments, dashboards, and custom integrations take real engineering time, and the price reflects that instead of hiding it in an hourly rate.
You get a written proposal, not just a number
A real document: what's wrong with the current site and why it matters (for rebuilds), the exact page-by-page structure of the new one, what I need from you to hit the timeline, and one clear investment figure at the top. Not a spreadsheet of line items, a document you could hand to a business partner.
The price is fixed once the proposal is accepted
No hourly meter, no invoice creep for staying inside what we agreed on. If something changes after that, we talk about it before it gets billed.
What's excluded is spelled out too
Domain registration, ongoing hosting, premium plugin licenses, content you're supplying yourself: listed in the proposal itself, not discovered after launch.
Curious how this compares to agency pricing structures? See what changes between a freelancer and an agency.
Written proposal vs. a range vs. hourly billing
All three are common in web design. Only one of them puts the risk on the vendor instead of on you.
| What matters to you | My Written Proposal | "Starting At" Range | Hourly Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Know the total cost before work starts | Yes | No | No |
| Scope is written down, not implied | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Price stays fixed once scope is agreed | Yes | No | Meter keeps running |
| Can trim scope to fit your budget | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Faster work costs you less, not more | Yes | Sometimes | Slower costs more |
Common questions
What people usually ask once they're looking at an actual proposal, not just browsing.
What's your pricing?+
Why don't you just give me a price without a call?+
Do you ever charge by the hour?+
What's not included in the price?+
What happens if I want to add something after the proposal?+
Why do you send a proposal instead of just a price?+
What's in the proposal?+
What am I getting beyond just the build?+
Want a number that isn't a guess?
Book a short call and I'll send a written proposal with exactly what's included and one clear number. No vague ranges, no hourly meter running in the background.