If you've just started a trades business, or you're finally getting round to sorting a proper website, the first question is always the same: what's this going to cost me?
The honest answer is anywhere from nothing to several thousand pounds. That's not much help on its own, so here's what you actually get at each price point, what the ongoing costs look like, and how to tell if you're being ripped off.
The short answer
For most UK trades businesses, a proper website that actually brings in enquiries costs somewhere between £400 and £1,500 to build, plus a small monthly fee for hosting and upkeep. Anything much cheaper usually means you're doing the work yourself. Anything much more expensive is usually aimed at bigger companies with bigger needs.
Option 1: DIY website builders
Typical cost: £10 to £30 a month
Wix, Squarespace and the like let you build a site yourself from a template. On paper it's the cheapest route.
- The good: low upfront cost, you're in control
- The bad: it takes far longer than you think, they all end up looking the same, and most tradesmen never get round to finishing it properly
The real cost here is your time. Every evening spent dragging boxes around a template is an evening not quoting, invoicing or resting. And a half-finished site with placeholder text does more harm than having no site at all.
Option 2: A mate or a freelancer
Typical cost: £200 to £1,000
Plenty of trades businesses get their first site from a mate who's "good with computers" or a freelancer found online. Sometimes this works out well. Often it doesn't.
The common problems:
- The site gets built, then nobody touches it again for five years
- You don't own the domain, or don't know the login
- It's slow, doesn't work properly on phones, or isn't set up for Google at all
- When something breaks, they've moved on
If you go this route, make sure the domain is registered in your name and you have every login written down somewhere safe.
Option 3: A trades-focused web designer or small agency
Typical cost: £400 to £1,500, plus around £10 to £50 a month
This is where most established trades businesses end up. You get a site built around your services and your area, set up properly for Google, and someone who looks after it once it's live.
For a sole trader or small firm, this is usually the sweet spot. You're paying for something that actually works, without paying for features you'll never use.
Option 4: Larger agencies
Typical cost: £2,000 to £10,000+
Big agencies do great work, but most small trades businesses don't need what they're paying for here. Unless you've got multiple branches, a large team, or something unusual like online booking across several services, it's usually overkill.
The ongoing costs nobody mentions
Whatever route you take, a website isn't a one-off cost. Budget for:
- Domain name: roughly £10 to £20 a year for a .co.uk
- Hosting: anywhere from a few pounds to £30 a month
- Business email: a few pounds a month per address
- Updates and changes: new photos, new services, price changes
A lot of web designers bundle hosting, updates and support into one monthly fee. That's usually the easiest option, as long as it's clear what's included.
What you should actually be getting
Price matters less than what's included. Whatever you pay, a trades website should have:
- A clear list of what you do and the areas you cover
- Real photos of your work, not stock images
- Your phone number visible on every page, and tappable on mobile
- A simple contact form that actually reaches you
- Fast loading on phones, since that's where most of your customers are searching
- Basic Google setup, so you can be found for your trade in your area
- The domain registered in your name
If a quote doesn't cover these, it doesn't matter how cheap it is.
Red flags to watch for
- They won't tell you who owns the domain
- Long contracts you can't get out of
- "SEO packages" with promises like guaranteed first place on Google
- No examples of other trades sites they've built
- Monthly fees with no clear explanation of what you get
So what should you spend?
If you're just starting out, you don't need the most expensive option. You need a site that looks professional, shows your work, and makes it easy for people to get in touch. For most trades businesses that's a few hundred pounds upfront and a small monthly fee, not thousands.
The bigger cost is not having one. Most people check a business online before they pick up the phone, and if there's nothing there, or what's there looks unfinished, they'll ring the next one on the list.
At Novellum we build websites for UK trades and construction businesses, and we'll tell you straight what you need and what you don't. If you want a price for yours, get in touch.