Tradesman website costs vary enormously -- from £0 if you DIY it on a free platform, to £5,000+ if you hire an agency. Most tradesmen sit somewhere in the middle, confused about what they're actually getting for their money.
This guide breaks down the real costs, what you get at each price point, and how to think about value rather than just price.
The Honest Breakdown of Tradesman Website Costs
DIY Website Builder (Wix, Squarespace, etc.) — £10–30/month
You build it yourself using templates. Monthly fee covers hosting. Looks decent. The cost is your time -- probably 20-40 hours to get something presentable.
The SEO problem: these platforms are not built for the local SEO strategy that actually gets tradesmen ranking. You'll end up with a 5-10 page site that looks fine and ranks for nothing.
Freelance Web Designer — £500–£2,000 one-off
A freelancer builds you a website, typically 5-15 pages. You pay upfront. The quality varies enormously. Some freelancers are excellent. Many don't understand local SEO and will give you a brochure with your logo on it.
There's usually a separate monthly hosting fee (£20-50/month). Updates cost extra. If the freelancer disappears, you're left managing something you don't understand.
Web Design Agency — £1,500–£5,000+ one-off
More pages, usually better quality, often better project management. SEO may or may not be included -- check specifically. Most agencies charge extra for SEO as an ongoing monthly service.
The same limitation applies: most agencies don't build local SEO sites around the way customers search for tradesmen. They build brochure sites. A £3,000 brochure site is still a brochure.
Tradesman-Specific Local Website — priced after a free area check
This is the model we use. Small local sites built around what your customers search for (job plus town), each with its own tracked phone number that rings you. We check your area first, free, and send the price after that.
The Real Cost Question: Cost Per Enquiry
The price of a website is less important than the cost per enquiry it generates. A £3,000 website that brings in zero enquiries costs infinitely more per lead than a cheaper site that brings in new customers.
The metric that matters is: how much does each new customer from Google cost you? Divide what you pay for the site by the new customers it brings in.
Compare that to Checkatrade at £60-80 per shared lead (which you then have to win against 3-4 other tradesmen).
Hidden Costs to Watch Out For
- Hosting fees: Often not included in a one-off build price. Ask explicitly.
- Domain name: Usually £10-15/year. Sometimes included, sometimes not.
- SSL certificate: Should be free (Let's Encrypt). If someone quotes you for this, walk away.
- Updates: Some agencies charge per-update after launch. Clarify this before signing.
- SEO as a separate service: If SEO isn't included in the build, it'll be quoted separately -- often £200-500/month.
- Content writing: If the agency doesn't write the page content, you'll need to, or pay for a copywriter.
What Our Websites for Tradesmen Include
Our websites for tradesmen are built like this:
- Small local sites built around what your customers search for (job plus town)
- Its own tracked phone number that rings you
- Content written for you
- Mobile-first, fast-loading design
- A free area check first, with the price sent after that
Is a Cheaper Website Always Worse?
No. Price and quality are not directly correlated in web design. A £5,000 agency website built with 10 pages and no local SEO strategy is genuinely worse for a tradesman than a local site built around the jobs and towns your customers actually search for.
The question isn't 'how much did it cost?' It's 'does it rank on Google and bring in enquiries?' That's the only metric that matters.
Tradesman Website Costs
Free Area Check First
Local websites for UK tradesmen, each with its own tracked phone number. Price sent after the check.
Check if your area qualifies →