The question "how much does a website cost" doesn't really have an answer, and asking it directly usually produces a number disconnected from what will actually happen on the project. A more useful version of the question is: what are the components a quote is built from, and why do two quotes for what looks like the same brief land so far apart.
What a quote is actually made of
Underneath any single number sit several separate line items, whether or not the quote shows them separately: design (working out what each page looks like and how it should behave), development (building the pages, the forms, the integrations that make them function), content (writing or adapting the words on every page, sourcing or producing images), project management (someone coordinating the above so it arrives as one working site instead of disconnected pieces), and revisions (the rounds of feedback and change between a first draft and something a client is ready to publish). A quote that names these separately is usually more trustworthy than one that presents a single figure, because it shows what was actually estimated rather than what was guessed.
What actually drives the number up
Custom functionality costs more than assembling existing, tested components — a booking system built from scratch is a different project from one using an established tool. The number of distinct page templates matters more than the number of pages, since ten pages built from two templates cost far less than ten pages that are all different. Integrations with other systems — a CRM, a payment processor, an inventory system — add real engineering time that has nothing to do with how the site looks. And the volume of original content needed, rather than adapted from what already exists, is often the single most underestimated cost on a brief.
Why identical briefs return wildly different quotes
Two quotes for the same brief usually differ not because one supplier is dishonest and the other isn't, but because each is quietly assuming something different about scope. One assumes the client will supply final copy and images; another assumes they'll need to produce both. One assumes two rounds of revisions; another assumes unlimited rounds until approval. One assumes a template-based build; another assumes a fully custom one because the brief didn't specify which was expected. None of these assumptions are stated in most quotes — they're just built into the number.
What to ask for instead of a single figure
Ask for the quote broken down by the components above, ask explicitly what's included in revisions and what counts as a change request outside scope, and ask who is responsible for producing the content — this alone resolves a large share of the gap between quotes. A detailed, itemised quote that's slightly higher is usually a better sign than a lower one with no breakdown, because it means less is left to be discovered mid-project.
Knowing where the money actually goes is part of treating a website as a system that has to keep working, not a one-off purchase judged on price alone. Our web team itemises every quote for exactly this reason, so a client is agreeing to a scope, not just a number.
