There is no secret formula to decide the website cost or “redesign” cost for home inspectors. It’s the same when you ask “How long does it take to build a website?”
You could call and ask for a proposal from multiple freelancers/marketing firms, but the prices will vary. You get what you pay for … sometimes.
Unfortunately, the old phrase, “you get what you pay for”, doesn’t really fit the website design space. I have been building websites for over 20 years and have found that the prices for a website are based on “what the market will bear”.
But there is a lot of gray space in that phrase.
Because we are going to be building our own website, I am not going to cover the cost of website designers or anything else you won’t need.
Note: Most website designers will charge a base of at least $1,500 & I personally start at $2,000 for a professional home inspector website. So if you are starting on a budget, making your own website is a good route if done properly.
When building a website, you will have a few costs that are the same regardless of the site.
The Website Cost Breakdown
How Much Is A Domain Name?
Domain Name Cost: $25/year
The first thing you will have to pay for is a domain. (.com, .net, .org, etc.)
This is what people type into the “address bar” to go to your website. Think of this as your online address.
With HostYak, you can get a (.com) domain for $12.99 and privacy registration & protection will cost you $9.99. Both of these will rebill annually at the same price.
Taxes and fees will change from state to state but to make it easy we’ll round up to $25
Go through the Home Inspector Domain Guide.
How Much Is An SSL Certificate?
The second item you will need is an SSL Certification. The SSL Certification is how you get the padlock in the address bar letting your website visitors know their personal information is secure.
This is normally $50 per year but with the recommended hosting package we’ll be using with Cloudways Hosting, they’re giving you the SSL for FREE!
How Much Is Website Hosting?
Website Hosting Cost: $26/month
The next thing you need is hosting. This is basically rented storage, for your website files and content. The recommended package we are using to build a website is with Cloudways. Follow along with the website hosting guide to get everything set up properly.
When you chose a hosting company, it’s always best to make sure it is tested for not only reliability but also speed. I technically own a hosting company myself. It’s called “HostYak” & I still use them for EVERY domain that I register but after months of research & testing with about 20 different hosting companies, I found Cloudways to be untouchable unless you know how to custom code a server, have hundreds of dollars to spend on hosting alone or build your own server for your website in your garage.
Building A Website With A WordPress Page Builder
The last “must-have” cost associated with this website training is the page builder. The WordPress page builder I use on every website I do and have for years is Elementor Pro.
For a single website license, your cost is $50/year
So how much does it cost to make a website?
Upfront, your cost will be approximately $100 for everything you need regardless if you are building the site yourself or having a professional design your website.
Your monthly website cost, your hosting & security will be $26 per month.
Your domain, privacy registration fee, SSL certification, and page builder license will renew every year on the anniversary of signing up. This will be around $25 for the domain, & $50 for the page builder.
That makes your yearly cost approximately $375.
So, your cost for your website will be a little over $1 per day!
Now, if you are planning on building your own website for your home inspection business, we have good news!
Save Time With The Ultimate Home Inspector Website Template.
In the next post, we’re going to talk about using a website template for home inspectors to save a ton of time. So technically, we’re going to cover the cost of the home inspector website template as well. So if you plan on taking advantage of the ultimate home inspector website template … you can get it for $495. From time to time I will run specials including $200 OFF & sometimes more. Check out the main page, there may be a sale going on.
How much does it cost to make a website? About $375 per year! (Not counting the cost of the home inspector website template.)
Total Website Cost To DIY: About $600 to get started with the template and then $375/year.
If you would like to pay for home inspector website design, then this conversation gets tricky.
Any time that you want to compare pricing with design firms, or freelance website designers, you want to make sure that you compare “Apples to Apples”.
For example, a basic brochure website with the fundamental pages (Home, About, Services, Contact, etc) that ranges from 7-10 pages with most companies can range from a few hundred dollars up to $1700 and sometimes even higher depending on what company & who you ask.
When it comes to a professional home inspector website design, you shouldn’t put limits on it. If you think about the fundamental pages and legal pages you need for a website, that’s already 7-10 pages, and that isn’t including pages to sell your ancillary services like Mold Testing, Radon Testing, Sewer Scope, and don’t forget your two main services, Pre-Listing Home Inspections, and Pre-Purchase Home Inspections.
Full home inspector website design packages for everything you need could run into the thousands depending on who builds your website. And keep in mind, that is before you start getting to any written content on your website. There are many other additional costs that can add up, but with the “Home Inspector Website Design Services” from Inspector Branding, you can get a professional 25+ page website with written content, images, and more for close to the cost that the “Other Guys” charge for limited websites.
If you are looking for a home inspector website builder, we’re here for you.
Now that we have the answer, we can talk about time.
How Long Does It Take To Build A Website? Click Here For The Answer!
