What should be optional in a website proposal?

In this template: Copywriting ($1,200.00 USD), Extra pages ($600.00 USD per page), Care plan ($150.00 USD per month). Optional lines sit next to the base price with a switch, so clients choose them without a follow-up email.

Pricing guide for web designers and studios

How much to charge for a website

Updated October 23, 2026. Example prices in US dollars from the website template.

Example starting total$5,700.00 USD

Short answer: Price website as one fixed line (design and build at $4,500.00 USD) with a starting total of $5,700.00 USD, then 3 optional lines (copywriting, extra pages, care plan) the client can switch on, and a quantity the client sets within your limits. Set your own numbers; the structure is what gets accepted.

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Below: the price lines from our website quote, what is fixed, what the client can switch on, and how to show it so the client accepts instead of haggling.

The example pricing

Line	Example price	How it is sold
Design and buildFive pages, responsive, launched on your domain	$4,500.00 USD	Included
CopywritingAll page copy written and edited	$1,200.00 USD	Optional, on by default
Extra pagesBeyond the five included	$600.00 USD per page	Optional, off by defaultClient picks 1 to 10
Care planUpdates, backups and support	$150.00 USD per month	Optional, off by default

Starting total with the defaults on: $5,700.00 USD, before the client chooses among 3 optional lines, with 1 quantity the client sets within your limits. Example prices in US dollars; the template works in 16 currencies and every number is yours to change.

How to present it

The core templates cover the projects most freelancers sell: a fixed-scope build, a retainer, a shoot, a consulting engagement. Each one prices the defined work as one line and everything negotiable as an option the client can switch on.

Fixed price for the thing you can define, recurring for the thing that continues, and countable options for whatever clients tend to add. That structure survives almost any trade.

Whatever you charge, the client should be able to see the total change as they choose. A total that responds is a total that gets accepted.

What drives the price of a website

Factor	Why it changes the price
Pages and templates	Each unique layout is design and build work; repeated pages are cheaper
Content	Who writes and supplies the words and images, and when
Functionality	Forms, booking, shop, logins, integrations: each is its own piece of work
Platform	A site builder, a CMS or custom code changes both the build and the upkeep
After launch	Hosting, updates, backups and small changes

How to quote it

Fix the price for a defined set of pages and features, and let the client add extra pages by the number and features as optional lines. Put a care plan next to the build as a monthly option: it is often where most of the year's income from a site comes from. Write who supplies content and by when, because late content is what delays most launches.

Questions people ask

How much should I charge for a website?: Price website as one fixed line (design and build at $4,500.00 USD) with a starting total of $5,700.00 USD, then 3 optional lines (copywriting, extra pages, care plan) the client can switch on, and a quantity the client sets within your limits. Set your own numbers; the structure is what gets accepted.
What should be optional in a website proposal?: In this template: Copywriting ($1,200.00 USD), Extra pages ($600.00 USD per page), Care plan ($150.00 USD per month). Optional lines sit next to the base price with a switch, so clients choose them without a follow-up email.
How do I present website pricing so it gets accepted?: The core templates cover the projects most freelancers sell: a fixed-scope build, a retainer, a shoot, a consulting engagement. Each one prices the defined work as one line and everything negotiable as an option the client can switch on.

Why this structure gets accepted

One fixed line the client can say yes to. Design and build is priced as a whole, so the conversation is about the result, not the hours.
Options on the page, not in follow-up emails. Copywriting, Extra pages, Care plan sit next to the base price with a switch. People choose what they can see.
The total moves as they choose. On a Quote and Sign page the client toggles lines and sets quantities, watches the total update, and signs with their name. What they chose becomes part of the signed record.

Put it in front of a client

Open this pricing as a real quote, change the words and numbers, and send the link. Your client reads it on a phone or laptop, picks the extras, and taps Accept. You both get the signed PDF.