Typical cost ranges
There is no single price for a website, but home service businesses usually fall into one of four buckets. These are common market ranges in the US, not quotes from any specific company.
- DIY website builders such as Wix, Squarespace or GoDaddy: about $20 to $50 a month, plus apps and your own time.
- Freelancers: often $1,000 to $5,000 upfront. Hosting, updates and SEO are usually extra or not included.
- Marketing agencies: commonly $3,000 to $15,000 or more upfront, plus monthly care and hosting fees.
- Done-for-you subscriptions: a smaller setup fee and a monthly plan that covers hosting, updates and content. At SitesThatBook that is $349 setup and $99 a month.
The costs people forget
The build price is only part of the bill. Before you compare quotes, check who pays for these:
- Hosting and SSL, which keep your site online and secure.
- Updates, such as new services, prices, photos and seasonal offers.
- SEO setup, including page titles, headings, schema markup and a sitemap.
- Ongoing content, such as blog posts that help you rank for more searches.
- Your time. Ten hours fighting a website builder is ten hours you are not on a job.
What actually affects the price
Three things move the number more than anything else: the number of pages, who writes the copy, and whether SEO is part of the job. A 5-page site with copy written for your trade and proper SEO setup will usually beat a 30-page site with thin, generic pages.
For most plumbers, HVAC companies, roofers and electricians, five strong pages cover what a homeowner needs to decide: home, services, about, reviews and contact. You can see what that looks like on our plumber websites and HVAC websites pages.
What a good site is worth
Think about your average job value. If a water heater install or AC replacement is worth a few thousand dollars, one extra booked job a month covers almost any reasonable website budget many times over. The right question is not how cheap the site is. It is how many calls it brings in.
How to choose
- Ask what is included every month, not just upfront.
- Check that the copy will be written for your trade and service area.
- Make sure you own your domain.
- Look at live sites the builder has made for other home service businesses.
- Avoid long contracts unless the value is clear.
If you want a professional site without the agency price, see our pricing or fill the onboarding form and go live in 48 hours.