Strategy
What Actually Drives the Cost of a Custom Website
By the Coast Creative team6 min read
Ask five studios to quote the same website and you'll get five very different numbers. That's not because someone's lying — it's because 'a website' can mean anything from a five-page brochure to a booking platform. Here's what actually moves the number, so you can compare quotes on substance instead of sticker shock.
1. Page count is the smallest factor
People assume price scales with pages. It barely does. Ten pages using three layouts costs little more than five pages using three layouts. What costs money is the number of distinct designs — each unique layout is designed, built, and tested. Ask a studio how many unique templates the quote includes, not how many pages.
2. Features are the biggest factor
Booking systems, property search, member accounts, e-commerce, calculators — every interactive feature is a small piece of software. One serious feature can cost more than the rest of the site combined. If your budget is tight, launch with the site and add features in phases; a good studio will architect for that from day one.
3. Content: who's writing it?
Copy, photography, and imagery either come from you or get created for the project. 'We'll just reuse what we have' works when what you have is strong. When it isn't, content creation joins the scope — and it's often the difference between a site that looks custom and one that just is custom.
4. Custom design vs. themed design
A themed build customizes an existing template: faster, cheaper, and it shows. A custom build starts from a blank page around your business. Both are legitimate — but they're different products, and quotes that look far apart are often quoting different products. Make sure you know which one you're comparing.
5. Who does the work
A senior designer's hours cost more than a junior's, and agencies with big teams carry big overhead. What matters is who actually touches your project. Ask directly: who designs this, who builds it, and who do I talk to? The answer explains a lot of pricing.
6. What happens after launch
Hosting, maintenance, updates, and support are either included, offered as a plan, or left entirely to you. A low build quote with expensive mandatory maintenance can cost more over two years than a higher quote with fair terms. Always compare the two-year cost, not the invoice.
The one rule that protects you
Get a fixed quote in writing, tied to a written scope, before any work starts. Hourly, open-ended website projects are where budgets go to die. A studio confident in its process will tell you the full number up front — ours does, and any studio worth hiring will too.