If you've searched "website cost for tradesman UK" and got answers ranging from £15 a month to £5,000 up front, you're not imagining it — the range really is that wide. Here's what's actually driving the price, so you can tell a fair quote from an overpriced one.
Around £10-£25/month. Cheapest on paper, but you're doing the design, copywriting and photo editing yourself — realistically 15-30 hours for a first attempt. Fine if you enjoy that kind of thing; a real cost if your time is better spent on paying jobs.
Typically £300-£900 as a one-off. You get a built site, but usually no ongoing support — if it breaks, or you want a page added six months later, you're often back to square one finding someone (or paying again).
£1,500-£5,000+ up front, sometimes with a separate monthly hosting/maintenance fee on top. You get a proper custom build, but the price reflects agency overheads more than the complexity of a typical trade site (most trade sites are 5-8 pages: home, services, about, portfolio, contact).
Usually a modest deposit (often around £200) to kick off the build, then £39-£150/month, on a 12-month minimum term. You get ongoing hosting, updates and support baked into the monthly fee — closer to how you'd budget for van insurance or tools than a one-off capital cost. This is the model we use, and it tends to suit trades better than a big upfront agency bill.
Whatever route you go, ask: is the price genuinely all-in, or will hosting/domain/updates be extra later? Do you own the site, or are you locked into that provider forever? And can you actually see examples of real trade sites they've built — not just a generic portfolio?
We've built example sites for plumbers, electricians, roofers, builders, landscapers, painters and carpenters — have a look before you decide what you need.
View Example Sites