The short answer
Most tradie websites in Australia cost somewhere between about $1,000 and $3,000 to build once, or roughly $99 to $499 a month on a plan. A bigger site with more pages costs more. With once-off builds, hosting is often a small monthly extra.
| How you pay | Typical published price | Who usually owns the site |
|---|---|---|
| Once-off build | $990 to $2,990 for a small site; $995 to $6,000 for 6 to 12 pages | You, once it’s paid for |
| Monthly plan | $99 to $499 a month with no setup fee; $199 a month on a 12-month plan; $599 setup plus $99 a month | Often the seller, while you keep paying |
| Do it yourself | A website builder’s monthly fee, plus your time | You, but you do all the work |
Paying once for the build
You pay for the site up front, often half to start and half at launch, and it’s yours. Hosting is usually extra: one seller lists $19 to $34 a month. It costs more on day one, but there’s no contract to get out of, and the site keeps working for you after it’s paid for.
A monthly plan
Low or no upfront cost, which helps when you’re starting out. Add up the total over two or three years, though, and check what happens if you stop paying. With some plans you never own the site or even the domain. One Australian seller describes tradies who paid $350 to $450 a month for 18 months and still didn’t own their site.
Building it yourself
Website builders charge a monthly fee and leave the work to you: the words, the photos, the layout, and making it work well on a phone. It’s fine if you enjoy it and have the time. Most tradies would rather be on the tools.
Compared with buying leads
Lead platforms such as hipages charge $139 to $649 a month plus GST, and the leads stop when you stop paying. A website you own, set up for your suburbs, keeps bringing in calls once it’s paid for.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the domain registered in my name?
- Do I own the site and its files, and can I take them if I leave?
- Is there a minimum contract, and what does leaving cost?
- What’s included each month, and what costs extra?
- Will I get the price in writing before any work starts?
- Can I see a site you’ve built working on a phone?
