Quotes for the same website can come back far apart. Usually none of them is wrong. They describe different projects that share a name, “a custom website”, and rarely make the difference visible. Here’s a way to line them up.
We build WordPress sites through our WordPress development service, so weigh that. Every fact below about WordPress, Google Search, Core Web Vitals, WCAG and domains was checked against the official pages in October 2026.
Short answer: Don’t compare totals. Put every quote against the same variables: build approach, platform, pages, revisions, content, SEO and redirects, performance and accessibility targets, hosting, support, ownership and pricing model. Ask about anything a quote doesn’t mention. Silence in a quote is not inclusion. Then compare the cost of the outcome over the life of the site, not the price at signature.
What the Official Sources Say
As of October 2026, from WordPress.org, Google Search Central, web.dev, W3C and ICANN:
| Topic | What the source says |
|---|---|
| WordPress license | GPLv2 or later; plugins and themes inherit the GPL |
| WordPress hosting | PHP 8.3+, MariaDB 10.11+ or MySQL 8.0+, and HTTPS recommended |
| WordPress updates | Minor and security updates apply automatically on most sites |
| Redesigns | Map old URLs to new ones; use permanent redirects such as 301 or 308 |
| Core Web Vitals | Good: LCP within 2.5 s, INP 200 ms or less, CLS 0.1 or less |
| PageSpeed Insights | Field data from real Chrome users; lab data from Lighthouse |
| WCAG 2.2 | W3C Recommendation; three levels: A, AA and AAA |
| Domains | The registrant holds sole responsibility for the domain |
Sources: WordPress license, requirements, updating, Google site moves, Core Web Vitals, PageSpeed Insights, WCAG 2.2, ICANN.
Why the Numbers Vary So Much
A low quote and a high quote are rarely different prices for the same service. They price different scopes, standards and splits of risk. The main variables:
Build approach. A page builder (Elementor, Divi), a purchased theme restyled for you, or a theme coded for your design. Each has a different production time, set of dependencies and maintenance load.
Who does the work. Seniority, in-house or subcontracted, and how many people touch the project all change the cost, and often the output.
Project management. Some quotes include discovery, UX research, strategy and account management. Others price the build only.
What’s included. Hosting, domain, copywriting, photography, SEO setup, redirects, performance work, accessibility testing and support appear in some quotes and not others.
Who bears the risk. A fixed-price quote puts overruns on the agency, within the agreed scope. A time-and-materials quote puts them on you. The price reflects that.
Build a Normalized Comparison Table
Put each quote (A, B and C below) against the same variables before you decide. Better still, send every bidder the same brief and ask them to price it under the same headings.
| Variable | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total price | |||
| Build approach | |||
| CMS platform | |||
| Pages and templates | |||
| Revision rounds | |||
| Content writing? | |||
| SEO and redirects? | |||
| Performance target? | |||
| Accessibility level? | |||
| Hosting? How long? | |||
| Support after launch | |||
| What you own | |||
| Fixed or hourly? | |||
| Who does the work? | |||
| Timeline |
Fill in only what each quote says in writing. Ask about every blank, then add the cost of whatever is missing, so each column describes the same finished site.
Reading the Build Approach
This has the most long-term consequence, and it’s often the least visible part of a quote.
Page builder builds (Elementor, Divi, WPBakery, Beaver Builder) are quick to produce and let you change layouts visually. Your whole site then depends on that plugin. Whether it costs you speed depends on the setup, so ask how speed will be measured.
Template-based builds start from a purchased theme with custom styling. They’re quick to launch and sometimes sold as “custom design”. Ask which theme it is.
Hand-coded custom builds start from your design, with a theme written for the project. They take longer, and leave fewer third-party pieces to keep updated.
All three are legitimate. The problem is a quote that doesn’t say which you’re buying. Ask: “Is this a hand-coded theme, a purchased theme or a page builder?”
On licensing: WordPress is released under the GPLv2 or later, and WordPress.org’s position is that plugins and themes inherit the GPL (source). Paid plugins and themes may come with accounts for updates and support, so ask whose name each will be in.
What Fixed-Price vs. Hourly Means for You
Three pricing models cover most quotes:
- Fixed price: a defined scope for a defined price. Changes go through an agreed change process.
- Hourly or time-and-materials: estimated hours times a rate. The invoice reflects actual hours, so it can exceed the estimate.
- Retainer: a recurring fee for a set amount of time or work each month, better suited to ongoing work than a one-off build.
None is better in general. The risk sits in a different place. Fixed price suits a scope you can define up front. Hourly suits work where the scope is genuinely unclear.
Either way, check how the number was built. For hourly, ask for hours per stage and what happens when a stage runs over. For fixed price, ask what counts as a change and how changes are priced.
How to Evaluate Agency Track Record
Quotes come with portfolios. Portfolios deserve scrutiny.
- Test the live sites with PageSpeed Insights. Field data comes from real Chrome users; the score comes from a simulated Lighthouse test (source). Small sites may lack field data.
- Check field data against the Core Web Vitals thresholds, measured at the 75th percentile of page loads (source).
- Look for sites similar in complexity to yours, not the most impressive ones.
- Ask whether the examples are recent, and whether the people who built them will build yours.
You can also run your own site (or your shortlisted agencies’ recent portfolio sites) through Honest to get a baseline technical read before your conversations.
The Questions That Separate Good Quotes from Padded Ones
Ask every agency before you shortlist:
- Is this hand-coded, a purchased theme or a page builder?
- Who will actually build it, and are they in-house?
- What performance target is in scope, and how is it measured?
- Which accessibility level? WCAG 2.2 defines A, AA and AAA (source), so a quote can name one.
- If URLs change, who builds the redirect map? Google recommends mapping old URLs to new ones with server-side permanent redirects (source).
- What do I own at the end: code, content, design files, accounts and domain?
- What isn’t in this quote that a site like mine will need?
The last question is often the most useful. A good agency tells you up front what the quote doesn’t cover.
On domains, ICANN says you’re entitled to review your Registration Agreement at any time, and the registrant assumes sole responsibility for the domain’s registration and use (source). Make sure the registrant is you, in an account you control.
What “Cheap” Actually Costs
Price at signature is not total cost of ownership. A site keeps costing after launch. Add these to each column:
- Hosting fit. WordPress recommends PHP 8.3 or greater, MariaDB 10.11 or greater or MySQL 8.0 or greater, and HTTPS (source).
- Updates. Since WordPress 3.7, most sites apply minor and security updates automatically, and WordPress.org advises a backup before updating (source). Ask who handles the rest after launch.
- Dependencies. Every plugin and third-party service can change, raise its price or stop being maintained.
- Redirects. Google says 301 and other permanent redirects don’t cause a loss in PageRank (source). A quote without a redirect plan leaves that work to you.
The question isn’t which quote is cheapest, but which gives the lowest total cost for the outcome you need.
We don’t sell fixed packages. We scope each project and price that scope. For larger builds, see how we handle custom WordPress development, or get in touch to talk a quote through.
Related Posts
- How to evaluate a web design proposal: what a proposal leaves out
- How agencies structure their pricing models: fixed, hourly and retainer
- Why agencies charge for maintenance plans: costs after launch
- Website ownership explained: code, content and domain
Frequently Asked Questions
How many quotes should I get for a web design project?
Three is enough for most projects. More only helps if every bidder prices the same brief under the same headings.
Is the cheapest quote always a bad choice?
No. It’s fine when its scope matches what you need. Check what’s behind it: a narrower scope, a different build approach, risk moved to you, or extras later.
Can I negotiate web design quotes?
Yes. Scope, payment terms, timeline and deliverables are negotiable. Often worth more than a lower price: written performance and accessibility targets, clear ownership and a defined change process.
What does it mean when a quote has “subject to change” language?
The price isn’t fixed. Ask exactly what would trigger a change and how it would be priced, and get the answer in writing.
Should I choose the agency I liked most in meetings?
It matters, but so do track record, build standards and contract terms. The person in the sales meeting may not build your site.
What should a web design quote include?
Scope, build approach and platform, revision rounds, what you supply, exclusions, performance and accessibility targets, a redirect plan for redesigns, hosting, support, payment schedule and what you own, including the domain.