Businesses describe "a website" in many different ways — from a one-page refresh to a multi-page platform with bookings, AI chat, and a CMS. The work behind each is completely different, and the budget conversation has to start with scope, not tier.
Here's what actually drives the scope, timeline, and cost of a website project.
What Drives Timeline
The shortest projects are template-based refreshes: refreshed copy, faster load times, mobile optimization, and a clean visual update on an existing site. Usually 1 to 2 weeks.
The longest are fully custom designs with multiple page templates, headless CMS, AI chat, integrations into booking or CRM systems, and conversion-tuned landing pages. Typically 4 to 8 weeks.
Most of the work in between is a custom design built around an actual workflow, a CMS the owner can update without us, and one or two integrations that matter — booking, lead capture, payments. That work tends to run 2 to 4 weeks.
What Drives Cost
Five things move the price meaningfully.
Number of unique page templates. A landing page, a service page, a blog index, and a contact page is four templates. A site that needs ten unique layouts costs roughly twice as much to design and build as a site that reuses three templates across twenty pages.
Custom vs. template design. Picking a Webflow or WordPress theme and adjusting it is fast. A bespoke design built around your brand and workflow is more work — and usually worth it for businesses where the website is the front door.
Integrations. Connecting to a booking system, a CRM, a payment processor, an email platform, or a custom backend each adds real engineering work. Two integrations is a small ask. Six is a substantial project.
Performance and accessibility targets. Page-speed under two seconds on slower connections, WCAG accessibility compliance, and Core Web Vitals tuning take real work — not a checkbox in a theme.
Content production. Copywriting, photography, video, and brand assets often aren't in the build budget. If you have them, the project is faster. If you don't, plan for it separately.
What to Evaluate Before You Commit
Three questions matter more than the quote itself.
Who owns the code and content when the project ends? If the answer is anything other than "you do, no strings", that's a problem. You should walk away with the source code, the design files, the CMS access, and the right to maintain the site without the original builder.
What does post-launch look like? Websites need updates, content changes, plugin maintenance, and security patches. Get a clear answer about whether ongoing support is included, available separately, or not offered at all.
Is the proposal fixed-price or hourly? Hourly is fine for small ongoing work, but a brand-new website should have a fixed quote tied to a defined scope. Open-ended hourly engagements rarely come in on budget.
When AI Features Actually Help
You don't need a new website to add AI features. Chatbots trained on your content, automated lead routing, smart contact forms, and email follow-up sequences can be added to existing sites on most platforms. Whether that's the right move depends on your traffic and the friction your visitors hit before booking — not on whether AI is trending.
If you want to talk through what your site actually needs, call us at (778) 401-6551. We'll give you a straight scope and a straight quote.