How Much Does It Cost to Hire Someone to Build a WordPress Website?

WordPress runs a large share of the web, so there is no shortage of people offering to build one. That is exactly what makes quotes hard to compare: "a WordPress website" can mean a customized theme for $1,500 or a custom build for $15,000.

This guide is about the build. What a WordPress site costs every year afterwards, in hosting, licenses and renewals, is covered in The real cost of a WordPress website.

Key takeaways

• A basic WordPress site on an existing theme costs about $1,000 to $3,000 to have built.
• Most small and mid-size business sites cost $2,500 to $12,000; highly custom builds start around $15,000.
• Freelancers typically charge $500 to $5,000 per project, agencies $3,000 and up.
• WordPress is free. The work, theme, plugins and hosting are not.
• After launch, WordPress needs regular updates, and no build quote includes them.

What it costs

By who builds it: freelancers usually quote $500 to $5,000 for a project, agencies from about $3,000 into six figures. By the hour, experienced freelance WordPress developers charge about $50 to $250, with offshore rates starting around $20. How agency quotes are put together and what they add up to over five years: Web design agency cost.

What the quote should include

• Theme or page builder, with the license in your name, not the developer's.
• The plugins you need for forms, SEO, backups and security, and who pays their renewals.
• Hosting set up properly. WordPress itself recommends a current PHP version (PHP 8.3 or greater) and HTTPS. Bargain hosting on outdated software is a cost you pay later.
• Mobile layouts and SEO basics: clean titles, descriptions and a sitemap.
• A handover, so you can edit text yourself.

Often missing: the copy itself ($100 to $300 per page from a copywriter) and anything after launch. If you have visitors from the EU or UK, add a cookie consent tool that really blocks tracking until people agree.

What comes after launch

The part few quotes mention: WordPress core, your theme and every plugin get regular updates, and someone has to apply and test them. A typical WordPress business site costs a few hundred dollars in its first year for hosting, domain, a premium theme and plugins, before anyone is paid to maintain it.

• What technical maintenance costs: What website maintenance really costs.
• What a care plan with content updates costs: Website care plans.
• Why WordPress so often feels like work: Why WordPress feels like work.

Freelancer or agency?

• Freelancer: cheaper and often faster, fine for a straightforward business site. The risk: if they move on, your site has nobody looking after it. Keep the domain, hosting and every license in your own name.
• Agency: more expensive, with cover, project management and usually a maintenance offer. Worth it for custom functionality or larger projects.

Before you hire either, run through Questions to ask a web designer.

Already on WordPress?

Then you may not need a rebuild. If your content is right and only the look and technology have aged, a redesign is usually cheaper: Website redesign cost. To leave WordPress without losing content or rankings: Migrate WordPress to a static site.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

You can have a WordPress site built on almost any budget, from around $1,000 to well past $10,000. The build is only the start. Budget for maintenance from day one, and make sure every license and account is in your name.