How much to charge for a website design?
Most freelance multi-page websites land between $5,000 and $10,000, and the sitemap the client actually sends is usually bigger than the one they described.
A website job is a sitemap, page templates, content that needs to live somewhere the client can edit, and QA across devices. 'Just something simple' rarely stays at one meaning past the first call.
Price more for tight deadlines
Complex projects tend to cost more
Price more if you're more experienced
Website design pricing in detail
Rates by level
| Level | Per project | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | $1,500–3,000 | $20–35 |
| 1 to 3 years | $3,000–6,000 | $35–60 |
| 3 to 7 years | $6,000–12,000 | $60–100 |
| 7+ years | $12,000–25,000 | $100–160 |
Under 1 year, you are pricing pages. At 1 to 3, templates that hold up across pages. At 3 to 7, a site the client can actually run without you. 45% of clients will only pay up to $4,000. Only 20% pay over $8,000.
Why the range will not help you
The range is for a website in the abstract. The client in your inbox has eleven pages, five staff bios, a blog they want to update themselves, and online booking, and they keep calling it simple. That is a different price, and it is not on any chart.
A typical brief, priced
“A boutique dental clinic wants a full site: home, services, about, five doctor bios, a blog they will update themselves, and online booking. They keep saying just something simple, but the sitemap they sent has eleven pages. I quoted $2,500 flat because I didn't want to scare them off.”
| Sitemap and page templates, 4 core types | $1,500 |
| Doctor bio pages, 5 | $750 |
| Blog setup with editable CMS | $900 |
| Booking integration | $600 |
| Responsive QA across devices | $500 |
| Two revision rounds and launch | $750 |
| Total | $5,000 |
You quoted $2,500. Eleven pages and a booking flow price at $5,000. You cut your own rate in half before you started.
What people forget to charge
- CMS training so the client can actually update the blog.
- Bio or profile pages, priced per person, not per page type.
- Booking or scheduling integration.
- Cross-device QA, not just a desktop preview.
- Content migration from whatever they're using now.
- The sitemap that grows from 'simple' to eleven pages.
How to say it to the client
“This is not one price for a website, it's a sitemap. Four page templates, five bio pages, a blog you can run yourself, and a booking flow are four different jobs stacked together. Here is what each piece is, and you can drop any of them.”
FAQ
How many pages counts as a 'full' website?
More than three or four unique templates. Below that, it is closer to a landing page.
Do I charge per page or per template?
Per template. Five bio pages using one layout is one template plus five content fills, not five designs.
What if they say they'll write their own content?
Great, but confirm a deadline for it. A missing content deck is the most common thing that stalls a launch.
Should I include hosting setup?
Only if you're pricing it. Domain, hosting and launch-day fixes are real hours, not a favor.
Is $2,500 ever a fair price for a full site?
For four pages and no CMS, maybe. For eleven pages with booking and a blog, no.