DIY website builder vs. hiring a pro: which is right for a contractor?
Wix and Squarespace are cheap and real. So is the cost of 40 hours you do not have. An honest comparison for plumbers and roofers.
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- pricing
DIY website builder vs. hiring a pro: which is right for a contractor?
Wix and Squarespace are cheap and real. So is the cost of 40 hours you do not have. An honest comparison for plumbers and roofers.
We build websites for a living and we will still tell you: for some contractors, a DIY builder is the right call. The trick is being honest about what each path really costs - because the sticker price is the smallest number in the decision.
What DIY actually costs
The software runs $16–$30 a month. That is the easy part. The real cost is time and quality:
- 20–40 hours to learn the tool, write the copy, source photos, and make it not look like a template. Evenings and weekends, during a season when you are slammed.
- The "good enough" trap. Most DIY contractor sites stall at 70% done. The half-finished site quietly costs you the credibility a finished one would have earned.
- Mobile and speed. DIY builders can be slow and clunky on phones unless you know what to tune - and most homeowners search on a phone.
- SEO basics - page titles, service pages, town targeting - that are easy to skip when you do not know they matter.
If your hourly value is $75 and it takes you 30 hours, you have spent $2,250 of your own time to save on a build - and you may still not have the result that books jobs.
When DIY is the right call
- You genuinely enjoy this kind of work and have the evenings free.
- You are testing whether you even want a web presence and want the cheapest possible start.
- You need a single placeholder page tonight and will upgrade later.
When hiring a pro pays for itself
- Your time is worth more on the truck. Every hour fighting a page builder is an hour not earning or not resting.
- You want it to actually rank. Service pages, town pages, speed, and structure are the difference between a site that sits there and one that brings calls.
- You want it done in days, not "someday." The DIY site that never gets finished is the most expensive option of all.
- You want one number, not ongoing guesswork. A flat fee means you decide once and move on.
The middle path most contractors miss
It is not DIY-cheap or agency-expensive only. A flat-fee specialist build sits in between: professional result, fixed price, fast turnaround, and you own it. We do it for a flat $5,998, first 90 days of hosting free, delivered in about 7 business days. You hand over what makes your business specific - your jobs, your towns, your photos - and skip the 40 hours.
The right answer depends on your time and your goals. If you have hours to spare and just want a presence, DIY. If you want a lead source and your hours belong on the job, hire it out.
<!-- related-reading -->Related reading
- How much should a website cost?
- What to look for when hiring a web designer
- How long does it take to build a site?
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Flat $5,998 design fee. First 90 days of hosting free. Delivered in about 7 business days after payment clears.