The short answer
It depends mostly on who builds it. These ranges come from the prices Ottawa designers, freelancers and agencies publish on their own sites and on directory listings. We checked them in September 2026. We don't name anyone, and prices change, so treat them as ranges, not quotes.
| Who builds it | Up-front cost | Every month |
|---|---|---|
| You, on a DIY builder | $0 to start, plus your own time | A plan fee, often a few hundred dollars a year |
| Solo designer or freelancer | About $300 for a one-page site, up to $2,500 or more for a small business site | Hosting and upkeep, or an all-in monthly plan |
| Small agency | About $2,000 to $4,000 for a business site, $5,000 and up for bigger ones | Hosting from about $500 a year |
| Larger agency | Many won't take a project under $5,000 to $10,000 | Usually a care plan on top |
Some Ottawa shops skip the up-front fee and charge a monthly price that covers the site, hosting and changes. The ones we found ranged from about $175 to $550 a month, and some ask for a 12-month contract.
What changes the price
Two sites can look alike and still be priced thousands of dollars apart. These are the things that move the number most:
- Number of pages. A one-page site costs far less than one with a page for every service.
- Who writes the words. If the designer writes your text, that's real work and it shows up in the price.
- Booking, payments or an online store. Anything that takes bookings or money adds setup and testing.
- Photos. Your own photos cost nothing. A photographer or a lot of stock photos does.
- Getting found on Google. Some designers set up your Google Business Profile and Search Console as part of the build. Others charge for it separately or don't do it.
- Changes after launch. Ask how changes are handled. Some include small edits, others bill by the hour.
Costs people forget
The build is only part of it. Plan for these too:
- Your domain name (yourbusiness.ca). Usually about $15 to $30 a year. Make sure it's registered in your name.
- Email at your domain (you@yourbusiness.ca). Services like Google Workspace charge per mailbox, every month.
- Hosting and upkeep. Someone has to keep the site online and secure. Ask what the monthly fee covers.
- Booking software. If you take appointments, tools like Acuity have their own subscription.
DIY builder or hire someone?
A DIY builder can be fine if you have the time, you enjoy it, and you only need a simple page with your hours and phone number. Plenty of businesses start that way.
It's worth hiring someone when you'd rather spend your time on paying work, when you want the site to bring in calls and quote requests, or when you've tried a builder and the result doesn't look like your business. A good designer will also set the site up so Google can find it, which most DIY sites skip.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- Who owns the domain? It should be registered in your name, not the designer's.
- Can I take my site with me if I leave? Find out before you sign, not after.
- What does the monthly fee include, and is there a contract? Hosting only, or changes too? Month to month, or 12 months?
- Who writes the text and who supplies the photos?
- Will I see the design before I pay?
- How do I ask for changes later, and what do they cost?
How we do it at Site Me
We build a working demo of your site first, with your business name, logo and colours, and you see it before you pay anything. If you don't like it, you don't pay. Your domain stays in your name.
Get a Free Demo →See real examples
Here are sites we've built for small businesses, with what each one needed: