Web design agency pricing varies a lot, and "a lot" is doing real work in that sentence. A complete website build can run anywhere from $3,000 to $75,000 depending on scope, agency experience, and where they're based. Small business sites usually land between $3,000 and $10,000. Mid-sized sites with custom features tend to run $10,000 to $35,000. Enterprise builds with complex integrations and e-commerce routinely push past $50,000.

Hourly rates follow a similar pattern. Smaller boutique agencies typically charge $75 to $150 per hour. Mid-tier shops bill at $150 to $250. Large agencies with specialized teams can charge $250 to $500 or more per hour, and honestly, sometimes that's worth it if they've built exactly what you need before.

Most agencies use project-based pricing, meaning you get a fixed quote tied to a defined scope: discovery, design, development, testing, and launch. This is generally the easiest model to budget around because surprises are supposed to be contractually off the table. Whether that holds in practice depends entirely on how clearly you both define the scope upfront.

Retainer agreements are common for ongoing work like maintenance, updates, and iterative improvements. Monthly retainers typically run $500 to $5,000 depending on what's covered.

Beyond the base build price, costs can climb quickly. Page count, custom photography or illustrations, content writing, SEO setup, CRM integrations, payment gateways, and post-launch support all add up. Domain registration, hosting, and premium plugin licenses are often billed separately too, so watch for those line items in any proposal.

Get itemized quotes from at least three agencies before committing. A detailed breakdown tells you far more than a single total number. If an agency is vague about what's included or won't put timelines and deliverables in writing, that's worth taking seriously before you sign anything.