How much does a contractor website cost?
Written by Isaac Lopez, founder of Sortexs, former Cyber Security Analyst & Software Engineer. Last updated .
A contractor website costs anywhere from $0 on a DIY builder to $10,000 or more for a custom agency build, with most small and mid-sized contractors landing between $1,500 and $6,000 for a professionally built site, plus $50 to $500 a month in ongoing hosting, maintenance and updates [1][2]. The price mostly tracks who builds it and who keeps it running afterward, not just the page count.
Key takeaways
- DIY builders like Wix or Squarespace run roughly $0–$500 a year, but you design, write and maintain the site yourself [1][2].
- A freelancer or small studio typically charges $1,500–$6,000 to build a contractor site, plus $50–$200 a month in upkeep [1].
- A full-service agency build with strategy, copywriting and local SEO structure runs $6,000–$25,000 or more, sometimes with a monthly retainer on top [1][3].
- Done-for-you platforms that bundle the site with lead tools (AI chat, CRM, review automation) tend to fall in the $150–$350 a month range with little or no upfront cost [3].
The short answer, in numbers
$0–$500/yr
DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy) [1][2]
$1,500–$6,000
Freelancer or small studio build, plus $50–$200/mo upkeep [1]
$6,000–$25,000+
Custom agency build with strategy and local SEO [1][3]
What you're actually paying for at each tier
The cheapest tier isn't really free. A DIY builder charges a low monthly plan fee, but every hour you spend writing copy, picking a template and fixing how it looks on a phone is an hour you're not on a job. It also tends to produce a single homepage rather than the per-city, per-service pages that drive organic search traffic.
A freelancer or small studio build gets you a custom-designed site without the agency markup, usually in the $1,500–$6,000 range for five to ten pages [1]. What varies most at this tier is what happens after launch: some freelancers hand you the files and disappear, others include a maintenance retainer.
Agency pricing climbs fast once you add service-area pages, since many agencies price per page: $100 to $500 or more per page for design and copywriting combined, according to one contractor-focused breakdown [4]. Ten service pages at that rate adds $1,000 to $5,000 on top of the base build.
Build cost vs. what runs monthly
Ongoing costs are the line item most quotes leave out.
| Approach | Typical build cost | Ongoing monthly | Who maintains it |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | $0–$500/yr | Included in the plan fee | You |
| Freelancer or small studio | $1,500–$6,000 | $50–$200 | You, or a maintenance retainer |
| Traditional agency | $6,000–$25,000+ | $500–$2,000 retainer, common at this tier | The agency |
| Sortexs | $0 upfront | $297 (or $99 billed annually) | Sortexs |
Domain registration ($12–$25/year), SSL, backups, and content changes after launch often aren't included in a build quote [1]. Ask what happens when you need a new service page or a phone number updated six months in, since that's usually where DIY and freelancer builds get expensive later.
What to ask before you sign a website quote
These questions surface most of the costs that don't make it into the first number you're quoted.
- What's included in the base price, and what gets billed as an add-on later?
- Who owns the site and its content if you cancel or switch providers?
- How are service-area or city pages priced: a flat rate, or per page?
- What do hosting, security and backups cost every month after launch?
- How long do changes take after launch, like updating a phone number or adding a service?
Where a bundled subscription fits
Sortexs is a different shape of pricing: one $297/month subscription ($99/month billed annually, saving up to 70%), with no setup fees and a 30-day free trial on monthly billing. That includes the website build itself, hosting, maintenance, an AI receptionist that answers calls and texts, and a CRM, so there's no separate freelancer invoice, agency retainer or third-party answering service bill to track. After six months on the service, the front-end design and content becomes yours at no charge, or you can buy it out earlier for a $500 one-time fee if you want to leave sooner.
Common questions
How much does a contractor website cost to build?
Most small to mid-sized contractors pay $1,500–$6,000 for a professionally built site from a freelancer or small studio, or $6,000–$25,000+ from a full-service agency. DIY builders run $0–$500 a year but require your own time [1][2].
What's a reasonable monthly cost for a contractor website?
Self-managed hosting and domain costs run roughly $25–$50 a month. Fully managed service, including hosting, backups, security and content updates, typically runs $150–$500 a month depending on how much is included [1].
Is a cheap DIY website good enough for a contractor?
It can work for a brand-new solo operator who just needs a basic online presence to hand out on a business card. It usually can't produce the per-city, per-service pages that drive local search traffic the way a purpose-built site can [4].
Do contractor website costs include ongoing maintenance?
Not usually at the DIY or freelancer tier; check the quote specifically. Agency retainers and bundled subscriptions like Sortexs typically include maintenance in the monthly price.
How much does Sortexs cost?
Sortexs runs $297/month on monthly billing, or $99/month billed annually at $1,188/year. There's a 30-day free trial on monthly billing and no setup fees, and it includes the website, hosting, maintenance, AI receptionist and CRM.
Does a contractor own their website once it's built?
It depends on the provider. Some freelancer and agency builds hand over full ownership at delivery; others keep the site on their own platform. Sortexs hosts and owns the site while you're subscribed, gives clients the front-end design and content free after 6 months of service, or a $500 one-time buyout ends the subscription sooner.
See what's included at $297/month
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