Compare your options
Web designer vs agency for a contractor website: what does each cost, and who owns the site?
· 4 min read
On this page
A freelancer usually costs less upfront and an agency brings a team; both mean a build fee plus an optional care plan. Published rates run from $15 to $30 an hour (Upwork freelancer median) to $100 to $149 an hour (US agencies on Clutch). Whoever you hire, put the domain in your own name.
Hiring someone to build your site is often the right move. This page covers what freelancers and agencies charge, how to compare their prices with a monthly plan like ours, and the ownership questions to settle before you pay. For the bigger picture, see does my business need a website?
How much does a web designer or agency charge?
There's no official price list, so these are the best public numbers we found, with who published them. Upwork and Clutch are marketplaces reporting rates from their own listings and reviews. 99creatix is an agency that published its own small study.
Prices and terms checked Oct 17, 2026, on each company's own pages. They change often, so check before you sign up.
| Source | What it says | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Upwork | Median freelance web designer rates of $15 to $30 an hour. CMS sites (like WordPress) $20 to $50+ an hour. About 10 hours for a small project, up to several dozen for a large one | Marketplace data, worldwide |
| Clutch | US web design companies typically charge $100 to $149 an hour. Most projects reviewed on Clutch cost less than $10,000. Builder-based work (Wix, WordPress, Squarespace) $25 to $49 an hour | Marketplace data from reviews |
| 99creatix study | Among providers that publish US prices: basic brochure site median $799 (3 providers), custom small-business site median $7,000 (6 providers, $4,000 to $18,000), WordPress care plan median $89 a month (3 providers) | Vendor-published, small samples |
For a typical trade site of a few pages, that puts a freelancer somewhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and an agency higher. The website cost calculator puts your quotes side by side over one to three years.
What's the 3-year total?
Compare total cost over three years, not the first invoice. Add the build, three years of hosting or care plan, and the domain.
| Line | Freelancer | Agency | makeasite.co Starter, yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | Your quote | Your quote | $0 (no setup fee) |
| Hosting and updates | Your quote × 36 months, or pay as you go | Care plan × 36 months | $290 × 3 = $870 |
| Domain | About $10 to $20 a year | About $10 to $20 a year | About $10 to $20 a year, paid to the registrar in your name |
| Changes | Often billed hourly | Included up to a limit, or billed | Small edits included |
Made-up quote: a $1,500 build plus a $50-a-month care plan is $1,500 + $1,800 = $3,300 over three years, before extra changes. Ask every provider for the same three lines so you can compare like for like.
Who owns the domain and the site?
This is where people get stuck later. A designer who registers your domain in their own account can, in practice, hold your web address hostage if you part ways. ICANN's registrant rules say the registered holder assumes "sole responsibility for the registration and use" of the domain, so the holder should be you.
Our own answer, so you can hold us to it: your domain is registered in your name and goes with you, and we'll send a copy of your content if you ask within 30 days of leaving. Our designs and code stay with us, so the site itself comes down at the end of your paid period. A freelancer who hands over the full site files gives you more to take with you. That's a real advantage.
When is a designer or agency the better call?
- You need a bigger site: many service pages, a project portfolio, financing pages, or an online store.
- You want custom branding (logo, colors, truck wraps) done alongside the site.
- You're going to run ads or ongoing SEO and want one team to own the results.
- You want to own every file and be able to move the whole site to any host.
- You'd rather meet someone local in person.
Higher-ticket trades like roofing, HVAC and remodeling often reach the point where a larger custom site pays for itself. For our plan prices, see makeasite.co pricing. Compare next: Wix vs Squarespace vs GoDaddy or Facebook or Google profile vs a website, or go back to the overview: does my business need a website?
Disclosure: makeasite.co sells done-for-you websites, so we're one of the options on this page, and we've said plainly where something else is the better pick. Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Yelp, Facebook, Meta and Google are trademarks of their owners. makeasite.co isn't affiliated with any of them.
Questions trade pros ask
How much does a web designer charge for a small business website?
It varies widely. Upwork lists median freelance web designer rates of $15 to $30 an hour, with projects from about 10 hours to several dozen. Clutch says most web design projects reviewed on its site cost under $10,000, with US agencies at $100 to $149 an hour.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency for my contractor website?
A freelancer is usually cheaper and fine for a few-page trade site. An agency makes more sense for bigger sites, ongoing SEO or ads work, or when you want a team on call. Either way, get the price, the monthly fee and ownership terms in writing.
Who owns my website if a designer builds it?
Whatever your contract says, so read it. Make sure the domain is registered in your name, you have your own login to the hosting, and the contract says the text and photos are yours. ICANN says the registered domain holder is responsible for the registration.
Is a monthly website plan better than paying upfront?
It's a different trade-off. Paying upfront means a bigger first bill and usually a separate fee for hosting and updates. A monthly plan spreads the cost and includes updates, but you pay as long as you use it. Compare three-year totals.
Sources
- Web Designers on Upwork Cost $15–$30/hr (Upwork) Median hourly rates from historical contracts worldwide; one-page $15–40+, CMS $20–50+, custom $45–75+; 10 hours to several dozen. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Web Design Company Pricing Guide 2026 (Clutch, updated Sep 21, 2026) Based on reviews and agencies listed on Clutch. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Web design prices study 2026 (99creatix, an agency; PDF) Vendor-published, small samples. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- Registrants' Benefits and Responsibilities (ICANN) Checked Oct 17, 2026.
- makeasite.co Terms of Service Plans, cancellation, and what you keep if you leave. Checked Oct 17, 2026.