If you’ve ever asked a web designer for a quote, you’ll know the range is baffling. One person says £300. An agency says £4,500. A freelancer on Fiverr says £50. How are you supposed to know what’s fair?
Here’s a straightforward breakdown of what things actually cost and why.
The Options and What They’re Worth
DIY Website Builders (£0–£30/month)
Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy’s website builder. You build it yourself using drag-and-drop templates.
The honest truth: For a trade business trying to rank on Google and convert visitors into calls, these platforms underperform. They’re slow on mobile, their SEO tools are basic, and most trade businesses end up with a generic-looking site that doesn’t stand out. They’re better than nothing, but not by much.
If budget is genuinely the barrier, a Wix site is a starting point. Just don’t expect it to do the heavy lifting.
Cheap Freelancers and Overseas Agencies (£50–£300 one-off)
Usually found on Fiverr or Upwork. You’ll get a site built quickly, often on WordPress with a generic theme.
The problem isn’t always the end result , sometimes it looks fine. The problems come later: slow hosting, no ongoing support, a site that’s difficult to update, and no thought given to local SEO or conversion. When something breaks, you’re on your own.
For a trade business, this is often a false economy.
UK-Based Freelancers (£400–£1,500 one-off)
This is the sweet spot for most trade businesses. A good UK freelancer will:
- Build something fast and mobile-first
- Think about local SEO from the start
- Be reachable when you need changes
- Know what a trade customer actually needs from a website
You’re paying for their time, their knowledge, and their continued availability. A well-built site in this range should bring in enough extra work to pay for itself within the first month or two.
Small Agencies (£1,500–£5,000+)
Agencies have higher overheads , project managers, account handlers, multiple developers. For a trade business that needs a 5-page site, you’re largely paying for that infrastructure rather than a better website.
There are exceptions. Some smaller agencies do excellent work and the relationship is worth the extra cost. But be cautious of anyone who can’t show you specific examples of trade or local business websites they’ve built, or who can’t explain what they’re doing for SEO in plain English.
Large Agencies (£5,000–£20,000+)
For a trade business, there is almost never a reason to spend this much. You’re funding their glass office and their pitch decks. Move on.
What Should Be Included
At the minimum, a trade website should include:
- Mobile-first responsive design
- Fast load times (under 2.5 seconds on mobile)
- Your services clearly listed
- Your service area mentioned on-page
- A click-to-call button
- A contact form
- Google Business Profile setup or optimisation
- Basic on-page SEO (title tags, meta descriptions, headings)
Hosting and domain are often separate costs. Expect to pay £10–£20/month for decent UK hosting and £10–£15/year for a .co.uk domain.
Red Flags to Watch For
Monthly retainers with no clear deliverables. Some agencies charge £150–£300/month for “maintenance and SEO” without being specific about what that means. Ask for a breakdown.
Ownership of your domain or hosting. Your domain should be registered in your name. Your hosting account should be yours. If an agency holds these on your behalf, leaving them means potential disruption to your site.
No examples of similar work. Any web designer worth hiring will have a portfolio. If they can’t show you live trade or local business websites, that’s a concern.
Guaranteed first-page Google rankings. Nobody can guarantee this. Anyone who does is either lying or selling you something that won’t last.
The Bottom Line
For most tradespeople, the right answer is a one-off build between £400 and £1,000 with a small monthly hosting fee. That gets you a fast, professional, well-optimised site that generates enquiries.
Spend less and you’ll likely end up rebuilding in 12 months. Spend more and you’re probably paying for overhead that doesn’t benefit you.
Want a straight answer on what your specific site would cost? Drop me a message , no obligation, no sales pitch.