If you’re a local business or service provider thinking, “How much does it cost to build a website?”—you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions we get at Rock City Digital. And honestly, the answer depends on a lot of factors. Websites are not one-size-fits-all. They’re more like houses—you can build a simple, functional space or go all-in with custom features, luxury finishes, and full automation.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to revamp your current site, this guide breaks down the physical and time-related costs of building, owning, and maintaining a website—without the techy jargon or confusing fluff.
Let’s get into it.
Physical Costs: What You Actually Pay For
1. Domain Name (URL)
This is your website’s address (like www.yourbusiness.com), and it’s how people find you online.
- Cost: $10–$40/year
- Most pay around: Around $12/year
💡 Pro Tip: Domains with common keywords or short names might cost more due to demand. Stick with something simple, easy to remember, and aligned with your brand.
2. Website Hosting
Hosting is what keeps your website accessible on the internet. It’s where your site “lives.”
- Common Options:
- Flywheel: $150–$1,150/year
- HostGator: $158–$290/year
- Bluehost, SiteGround, and others fall in a similar range
💡 Pro Tip: Faster, more reliable hosting = better user experience. That’s why we recommend Flywheel for many of our clients. It’s secure, speedy, and backed by solid support.
3. Website Builder or Platform
This is how your website is created—what tools or systems you (or your designer) use to build the site.
| Platform | Price (Annual) |
|---|---|
| Squarespace | $192-$1,180 |
| Wix | $204-$1,908 |
| Shopify | $348-$3,588 |
| Showit | $228-$408 |
| Elementor (WordPress builder) | $60-$99 |
| Divi (WordPress builder) | $89 |
| Beaver Builder | $99-$399 |
💡 Pro Tip: The right builder depends on your goals. Selling products? Shopify. Custom layout for a service-based business? WordPress with a solid builder like Elementor or Divi might be the way to go.
4. Templates
Pre-made templates can help you skip the design phase.
- Cost: $0–$1,000
- Most pay around : $30–$60
💡 Pro Tip: Free templates are tempting but often generic and still require work to set up and personalize. Investing in a paid template gives you more flexibility and polish.
5. Branding Tools and Graphics
If you need custom branding, graphics, or fonts:
- Adobe Creative Cloud: $120–$432/year
- Commercial Fonts: $30–$300
- Canva Pro (great for DIYers): $120/year
💡 Pro Tip: Consistent branding makes your site look more professional and builds trust. Don’t underestimate the power of good visuals.
6. SSL Certificate
This is what keeps your site secure (look for the padlock in the browser bar). Google may block visitors if you don’t have it.
- Usually included with hosting
- If not: $25–$300+/year
7. Functional Plugins
Plugins add functionality—like booking forms, calendars, spam blockers, etc.
- One-time fee + annual license: $0–$6,000+
💡 Pro Tip: Need a directory? A booking calendar? A map? Don’t DIY these with duct tape and wishful thinking. Use trusted plugins—or let us handle the heavy lifting.
8. Accessibility Tools
Making your website accessible isn’t just thoughtful—it’s increasingly expected.
- Cost: $490/year for a basic widget
- Manual accessibility work: Time-intensive and varies
💡 Pro Tip: Accessibility is good business. It opens your site to more users and helps avoid legal pitfalls.
9. Privacy Policies
This is especially important if you collect user data or work in a regulated industry.
- Using a lawyer: A few hundred to several thousand dollars
- Generator tool: Around $110/year
💡 Pro Tip: Don’t just copy/paste from another site or trust a free tool. And no offense, but ChatGPT shouldn’t be writing your privacy policy unless you want to roll the dice on liability.
10. Website Designer or Agency
If you’re looking for something professional, polished, and built specifically for your business (and honestly, we recommend that for most businesses), hiring a website designer or agency is the way to go.
- Cost: $5,000–$30,000+
That price often includes everything you need to get started: website hosting, the platform it’s built on, security (SSL), the tools and plugins that make it work smoothly, and even branding elements like colors, fonts, and custom graphics. It’s all bundled together, so you’re not stuck paying for a bunch of different tools or subscriptions later.
💡 Pro Tip: A bigger price tag doesn’t always mean better results. What really matters is the process, how well they communicate, and the support you get along the way. Ask about all three before you commit.
The Hidden Cost: Your Time
Building your own website might seem like the cheaper option—but there’s one big cost people often overlook: your time.
DIY projects can take up way more hours than expected, especially if you’re learning as you go. And for most business owners, that time could be better spent serving clients, growing your business, or, honestly, just taking a break.
This is the big one that sneaks up on people. It feels doable at first—until you’re ten hours in, watching tutorials and trying to figure out why a button won’t work.
Here’s what goes into it:
- Research: Studying competitors and industry best practices
- Planning: Structuring pages, figuring out features
- Copywriting: Writing clear, effective content
- Designing: Making it look good and function well
- Revisions: Tweaking layouts, fixing bugs, polishing details
Even for a professional team like ours, the home page alone takes 15–20 hours. Interior pages take 1–5 hours each, and extras like blogs, calendars, and unique features add more time.
Let’s say you’re a business owner who bills at $100/hour. If you spend 60 hours building your site, that’s $6,000 in opportunity cost—not counting the frustration of troubleshooting tech issues.
💡 Pro Tip: A common mistake we see? Spending weeks tweaking a site instead of generating leads. Your time is valuable—spend it growing your business, not stuck in design limbo.
Maintenance & Updates
A website isn’t a “set it and forget it” situation. Tech changes. Plugins break. Content needs updating. Without maintenance, your site becomes outdated—or worse, insecure.
- Typical industry rate: $50–$250/hour (usually with a 1-hour minimum)
- At Rock City Digital: Flat $199/month – that includes unlimited website updates, security checks, plugin fixes—basically, all the behind-the-scenes stuff that keeps your site running smoothly and safely. Plus, we include your website hosting and SSL certificate, so you’re covered from all angles.
No surprise fees. No tech headaches. Just peace of mind, all in one monthly price.
💡 Pro Tip: Budget for maintenance from day one. Sites without upkeep fall apart fast.
So, What Should You Expect to Spend?
Let’s break down a reasonable budget for a small-to-medium service-based business:
| Item | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Domain | $12/year |
| Hosting | $150-$500/year |
| Website Builder | $100-$400/year |
| Template (optional) | $30-$100/year |
| Designer/Agency | $5,000-$10,000 |
| Plugins | $0-$1,000 |
| SSL | Often included |
| Maintenance | $199/month (or DIY) |
| Total (First Year) | $6,000-$12,000 |
👉 Important note: These numbers are just ballpark estimates. Your actual cost could be lower or higher depending on what you want your site to do.
If you need more custom functionality—like booking systems, custom forms, e-commerce capabilities, or industry-specific integrations—those features can drive the price up. But if you’re going the simple route or tackling things yourself, your upfront spend might be less (though it may cost you more in time and long-term performance).
Think of your website like a tool—the more it can do for you, the more you’ll likely need to invest upfront to do it right.
Here’s the good news: When you hire Rock City Digital to build your site, your first year includes everything—website hosting, security (SSL), essential tools and plugins, your site builder, and maintenance. It’s all wrapped into the project cost, which helps make the investment more manageable for small to medium-sized businesses.
Why Work with Rock City Digital?
We’ve seen business owners overwhelmed by too many options, unclear timelines, and bad experiences. That’s why we keep things straightforward:
- Collaborative process that keeps you in the loop (without making you do the heavy lifting)
- Transparent pricing with no surprise fees
- Efficient timelines so you’re not waiting months to go live
- Ongoing support with our Website Care Plan—no nickel-and-diming here
We build websites that work—sites that look great, run fast, and help your business grow.
Ready to Build a Website That Actually Works for You?
If you’re tired of guessing your way through website costs—or you’ve had a not-so-great experience trying to DIY—let’s talk. Whether you’re just getting started or ready to level up, Rock City Digital is here to help.
