The honest answer: $2,000 to $8,000 for most small businesses
Search this question and you will get answers ranging from free to six figures, because "a website" covers everything from a one-page template to a custom application. Here is what the market actually charges in 2026, and what you get at each level.
Under $1,000: a template with your logo on it
At this level you are buying a theme someone configured, or a DIY builder subscription plus a weekend of your own time. It will look acceptable. What you generally do not get is copy written for your business, working local search setup, accessibility compliance, or anyone accountable when the contact form silently stops delivering.
This is a reasonable choice if you need a placeholder and your customers find you entirely by referral. It is a poor choice if you expect the site to bring you work.
$1,500 to $3,000: a real custom site, small scope
This is the band where you get a site designed around your business rather than a theme: five or so pages, your own copy, mobile-first build, local search markup, and forms that actually deliver. Most independent shops and small studios sit here for a straightforward service business.
If a quote in this range includes accessibility compliance and a written report, that is unusual and worth paying attention to. An estimated 94.8% of websites currently fail WCAG standards, so most vendors at any price are not doing that work.
$4,000 to $8,000: the mainstream agency price
Multiple independent surveys and vertical benchmarks converge here for a small business site. Dental practices are typically quoted $4,000 to $8,000. A solo attorney runs $4,000 to $6,000. A mid-sized firm, $8,000 to $12,000.
At this level you should expect more pages, real content strategy, integrations with your booking system or CRM, and a project manager. You should also expect it to take six to twelve weeks, because that is how agencies at this price are staffed.
$10,000 and up: you are buying a team, not a website
Above this, you are usually paying for account management, a formal discovery process, brand strategy work, and custom application development. Sometimes that is exactly right. Often, for a business that mainly needs to be found and contacted, it is buying process rather than outcome.
What actually drives the number
- Page count, but less than you think. Pages six through twelve are much cheaper than pages one through five, because the design system already exists.
- Who writes the copy. If you write it, the project is cheaper and usually slower. Most quotes exclude copy and most clients underestimate it.
- Integrations. Booking with real availability logic is genuinely 20 to 60 hours of work. This is where quotes diverge most.
- Accessibility. Doing WCAG 2.2 AA properly costs real hours. Skipping it is why some quotes look cheap.
- Billing model. Hourly billing transfers all schedule risk to you. A fixed price transfers it to the vendor, which is why fixed-price vendors scope more carefully up front.
The questions that protect you
Regardless of price, ask these before you pay a deposit:
- Do I own the domain, the content and the site outright when this is finished?
- Is the price fixed, and what specifically triggers a change order?
- Will this meet WCAG 2.2 AA, and will I get the report?
- What happens to my existing search rankings when the old site is replaced?
- Can I see the finished site before I pay the balance?
That last question is the one most vendors cannot say yes to, and it is the one that tells you the most.
What we charge, for comparison
We publish our prices rather than quote per deal: $2,450 for a five-page custom site in five business days, $4,450 for eight to twelve pages with a custom tool built for your trade, $7,450 for multi-location. WCAG 2.2 AA is included at every tier, not sold as an extra.
And you see a working preview of your actual site before you pay anything. If you do not like it, you owe nothing.