How much does a website cost for a trades business in Canada?

A website for a trades business in Canada can cost anything from about $170 a year if you build it yourself to $8,000 or more from an agency. Here's what you get at each level, what it costs to keep running, and how to choose without overpaying.

The short answer

• Build it yourself: about $170 to $340 a year for a website builder plan, plus your evenings.
• Freelancer or small studio: anywhere from a few hundred dollars to about $5,000 for a simple site.
• Agency: roughly $3,000 to $8,000 for a small business site, and some start around $6,500.

On top of the build, budget for running costs: about $20 a year for your domain name, and hosting that ranges from about $6 to $100 a month. If you pay someone to host, secure and update the site for you, Canadian agencies typically charge $50 to $200 a month.

Option 1: Build it yourself

Builders like Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy are the cheapest way to get online, and some include hosting in the price. The catch is time. Most trades owners already work long days, and a site built at 10 p.m. after a full day on the tools often ends up slow, missing a click-to-call button, or never quite finished.

It's a reasonable choice if you're just starting out, you're comfortable on a computer, and you mostly need a place to send people from your Facebook page or Kijiji ad.

Option 2: A freelancer or small studio

This is where most small trades businesses land, and it has the widest price range. A few hundred dollars might get you a one-page template with your logo dropped in. A few thousand should get you a proper site with a page for each service, real photos, and someone who understands how homeowners search.

Because the range is so wide, compare what's included, not just the price. Two quotes for "a website" can describe very different things.

Option 3: An agency

Agencies add more planning, design and testing, which is why they cost more. That makes sense for a big company with lots of pages and people to sign off. For most trades businesses, it's more process than you need. A plumber with three vans rarely needs a $10,000 website to get the phone ringing.

Costs that come after launch

• Domain name: about $20 a year for a .ca or .com. Make sure it's registered in your name.
• Hosting: the service that keeps your site online. It's often cheap in the first year and goes up when it renews.
• Security and updates: someone has to keep the site patched and the security certificate current, or your site can show browser warnings.
• Changes: new services, new photos, new towns. Find out what an edit costs before you need one.

What a trades website actually needs

You don't need a big site. Most trades businesses do well with about five pages: a home page, a page for each main service, the areas you cover, a short about page, and a contact page. Every page should work on a phone, have your number one tap away, and show real photos of your work.

For the details, see what every trades website needs on the first screen.

Questions to ask before you pay anyone

1. Who owns the domain and the site? It should be you. If you leave, you should be able to take it with you.
2. Is hosting included, and what does it cost after year one?
3. How many pages, and does each service get its own page?
4. How long until it's live? A simple trades site shouldn't take months.
5. What do changes cost after launch?
6. Is it built for phones first? Most of your visitors will be on one.

Where we fit

Our Starter website is $900 one-time for up to 5 pages, built mobile-first with click-to-call and a page for each service, usually live in about two weeks. Hosting isn't included in Starter. Our Growth plan includes the website plus hosting, security, updates and 2 hours of edits a month, along with review requests and social posts. See our websites or full pricing.

Sources

• GoDaddy Canada: How much does it cost to build a website in Canada? (April 2026)
• Impeka: Web design pricing in Canada (March 2026)

The short versionFor most trades businesses, a simple five-page site built for phones is enough. Expect to pay from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars up front, plus about $20 a year for your domain and some form of hosting. Get ownership and running costs in writing before you start.