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Website Design Cost Calculator

Updated · By the CalculatorDash editorial team · How we check our maths

Quick answer

A small business website is usually priced from the number of pages, the design level and the features it needs. A five-page custom site with a CMS commonly costs a few thousand dollars from a freelancer and more from an agency; e-commerce, copywriting and integrations add to the price.

Website project estimate

$
$

Project price

$3,177–$3,883

Deposit (50%)
$1,765
Estimated timeline
5

Weeks, assuming prompt client feedback.

Suggested care plan
$88

Per month: hosting, updates, backups and small edits.

How this calculator works

Web designers and agencies usually build quotes from a base fee for discovery, setup and launch, a per-page rate scaled by how custom the design is, and line items for features. This calculator follows that structure so the estimate is easy to explain to a client.

E-commerce is the biggest single jump: product pages, checkout, payments, shipping and tax rules all need design and testing. Copywriting and SEO setup are often underpriced; listing them separately makes the value visible.

The formula

Build
pages × price per page × design multiplier
Features
CMS +15% of build, store +60% of build plus four page-equivalents, copy +40% per page, SEO +15% per page
Project price
(setup fee + build + features) × 1.25 if rushed

Worked example

Six custom pages at $350 is $2,100 of build. A CMS adds $315 and SEO setup $315. With an $800 setup fee the project is $3,530, quoted as roughly $3,200–$3,900, with a 50% deposit of $1,765.

Tips

  1. 01Always take a deposit before starting design work.
  2. 02Put revision rounds in the proposal; unlimited revisions are where projects lose money.
  3. 03Offer a monthly care plan at launch. It turns one-off projects into recurring revenue.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I charge for a website?

Price from your hourly rate and the hours a project takes, then sanity-check against local market rates. Many freelancers charge per page plus feature line items, as this calculator does.

Why does e-commerce cost so much more?

Stores need product templates, a cart and checkout, payment and shipping setup, tax configuration and much more testing than a brochure site.

How long does a website take to build?

A simple five-to-ten page site often takes three to six weeks, depending mostly on how quickly the client supplies content and feedback.

Should I charge for website maintenance?

Yes. A monthly care plan covering hosting, updates, backups and small edits is standard and gives you predictable income.