How much does a website cost? Comparing scope and quotes

Start with a written scope. For US projects, 234.studio prepares a dollar estimate after reviewing that scope. A business site with service pages and a contact form needs a different budget from a hotel booking interface or an online store with customer pricing.

Start with the task. For a service business, that might mean reading about a job, uploading a photo of the problem and asking for a quote. Write that sequence down.

What changes the price?

Page count helps estimate templates, but it leaves out much of the work on the materials those pages will display and the systems supplying them. Check the content and integrations too. Five service pages with approved copy differ from five page templates that must display hundreds of changing property listings.

Our START real estate project includes property search and agent contacts. That is a different scope from a simple company brochure, even if their navigation menus look similar in size.

Hotel websites add another decision. A link to an existing booking service, an embedded widget and a custom date picker built around an API require different implementation and testing. Who takes payment? Who sends confirmation?

For an example of a direct inquiry path, see Tatres, with accommodation details, a stay form and WhatsApp contact. Nova Hill & SPA presents room types and date selection on its opening screen. Use those examples to compare the features your property needs, while keeping in mind that the descriptions do not disclose what either client paid.

Why we do not convert Polish prices into US quotes

Our Polish offer includes indicative PLN ranges, but a currency conversion would leave out the scope and delivery assumptions that an estimate needs to explain. US customers receive a written dollar quote for their project, including responsibilities and exclusions.

Ask for that detail. Check the written deliverables.

Compare the same scope across proposals

Place two estimates next to each other and check whether both include:

• the same pages, languages and editing tools,
• writing, photography and migration of existing content,
• forms with success messages and failure handling,
• existing URL redirects and technical search setup,
• review rounds, acceptance checks and launch support,
• account ownership and a handover of access.

An estimate should identify what you will supply. If your team is responsible for room photos, product descriptions or legal text, put those materials on the project schedule before agreeing to a launch date.

Separate launch costs from running costs

Hosting, domains, email, software subscriptions and maintenance continue after launch. For a hotel, check booking software and payment charges, while a store may also need paid apps or work on a changing product feed.

Use the website maintenance cost guide to ask about recurring charges. If you are planning sales online, the ecommerce cost guide covers the extra decisions around catalog data and checkout.

Prepare a brief that can be priced

Send your current website, its three most useful customer tasks and the names of systems it must connect to. Send a sample of the content that needs moving and tell us which materials are ready, so we can include preparation work in the estimate.

We can then agree a first version, separate later additions and prepare a quote for custom website development. Review it before development begins.