How to separate website build costs from running costs

A fixed website price is easier to assess when you separate the project fee from the cost of keeping the site online. Compare the same period and scope for each proposal, rather than comparing the headline number alone.

Put costs into three groups

The build fee covers agreed design and development. Running costs may include domain renewal, hosting, business email and third-party tools. Future changes include new pages, updated features or an optional maintenance arrangement. Ask which items are included, who pays them and who owns each account.

Make an illustrative first-year calculation

Suppose a proposal has a £699 build fee, a £15 domain renewal and £60 of hosting for the year. The illustrative total is £774 before any applicable taxes or extras. These renewal figures are examples, not live provider prices or promises about this website's package. A quote using monthly hosting should be converted to the same annual period before comparison.

Check the exclusions

• Does the price include the agreed page count and all required functionality?
• Who writes the content and supplies licensed photographs?
• How many feedback rounds are included?
• Is deployment included, and to which compatible hosting account?
• Are migration, redirects and email setup part of the scope?
• What happens when a third-party subscription expires?

Ask what happens after delivery

A source handover is different from ongoing editing support. A maintenance fee may cover updates and monitoring while excluding content changes. Request a short list of included tasks and a way to approve additional work before it is billed. Keep renewal dates and cancellation conditions in the handover notes.

Compare the total against the result

An inexpensive quote that omits a required booking flow is not equivalent to one that includes it. An expensive quote may also contain features you do not need. Mark each requirement as included, excluded or unclear. Resolve the unclear rows in writing before payment.

Our standard package is £699 GBP for an agreed scope; domains, recurring services and approved extras are considered separately. The final quote confirms the payable amount and any applicable taxes. Use that written scope as the basis for your decision.

Practical guidance with illustrative examples. Read our editorial standards or send a correction.