The quick answer
A focused business website can cost a few thousand dollars. A custom marketing site with content strategy, photography, integrations and migration work can move into the five figures. A web application or operational system can cost considerably more because it is software development rather than a brochure-site project.
Important framing
The ranges below are planning ranges System Current uses to explain scope—not a statistically audited survey of every Vancouver provider. A lower or higher quote can still be appropriate depending on what is actually included.
Useful planning ranges by implementation model
| Implementation model | Typical planning range (CAD) | Usually appropriate when |
|---|---|---|
| DIY / template builder | $0–$1,500 plus your time | The business can supply content, make design decisions and manage the platform itself. |
| Focused freelancer / small implementation | $1,500–$5,000 | A small site has a clear page plan, limited integrations and a straightforward launch. |
| Custom business website | $3,000–$10,000 | The project needs research, custom structure, stronger forms, migration controls, analytics or technical SEO. |
| Content-heavy or agency implementation | $8,000–$25,000+ | There are many services, stakeholders, locations, content requirements, photography or campaign needs. |
| Web application / operational system | $10,000–$50,000+ | The project includes authenticated users, workflow logic, databases, integrations, approvals or custom software behaviour. |
The most useful question is not “What does a five-page website cost?” It is “What work must the site perform, what evidence must it contain, and what systems must it connect to?”
Seven things that change the website budget
- Information architecture: the number of distinct services, audiences, locations and customer paths that need their own useful page structure.
- Content: whether the client supplies finished copy and imagery or the project includes research, writing, editing, photography or illustration.
- Design depth: adapting a proven system is different from developing a custom visual language and interaction system from first principles.
- Lead capture: a simple contact form is different from conditional quote intake, document uploads, booking rules or CRM routing.
- Migration: redirects, old URLs, existing rankings, analytics, domains and platform constraints add work that a brand-new site does not have.
- Integrations: CRM, email, billing, scheduling, inventory, customer portals and other systems add implementation and testing requirements.
- Governance: approvals, accessibility requirements, legal review, multiple departments and security constraints increase coordination and QA.
Budget for what happens after launch
A website is not finished simply because the first version is online. The operating cost depends on the stack and the business, but it is useful to separate recurring platform costs from optional managed services.
| Ongoing item | What to clarify |
|---|---|
| Domain | Who owns it, renewal cost, DNS access and recovery contact. |
| Hosting | Included traffic, backups, uptime expectations, deployment process and whether the client can move providers. |
| Email / forms | Where enquiries are delivered, sender-domain setup, spam handling, retries and any usage-based fees. |
| Maintenance | Security updates, dependency updates, content changes, monitoring and response expectations. |
| Analytics / SEO | Whether measurement, Search Console, reporting, local presence and content work are one-time or ongoing. |
| Third-party software | Booking, CRM, chat, maps, payments, databases, SMS and other subscriptions that are not the website itself. |
Compare quotes by scope, ownership and evidence—not by page count alone
- Ask for the exact page and content scope, including what is supplied by you versus produced by the provider.
- Confirm who owns the domain, source code, design assets, analytics property and third-party accounts after launch.
- Ask how redirects, metadata, sitemap, forms, analytics and conversion events are handled during migration.
- Confirm whether mobile QA, browser testing, accessibility review and post-launch fixes are included.
- Understand what happens when you need a new service page, location page, integration or workflow six months later.
- Treat guaranteed rankings, guaranteed leads and invented performance claims as warning signs rather than deliverables.
Choose the smallest implementation that can support the next real business objective
A local business with five clear services and a reliable enquiry path may not need an elaborate software project. A company receiving complex requests, drawings, forms and follow-up across several inboxes may outgrow a simple marketing site quickly.
System Current starts by identifying the useful boundary: the public website, the enquiry path behind it, and the operating systems that genuinely need to connect. That keeps a website project from becoming an expensive technology exercise while leaving room to extend it when the business has a validated need.
Before you request a quote
Run the free Website & Enquiry Checker, write down the business outcome you want to improve, and separate “must have at launch” from “useful later.” That produces better proposals than asking providers to price an undefined redesign.