Realistically, £9–£165/mo+VAT. DIY template builders start around £9/mo but you build and manage everything yourself. Managed monthly plans — where someone else builds it, hosts it and handles local SEO — run roughly £40–£99/mo. Scalesites is £45/mo (Scale Start) or £79/mo (Scale Up), £0 upfront, no VAT.
The real UK price range in 2026
Every provider prices differently, so the honest starting point is the full range, not a single headline figure. What separates a £9/mo option from a £99/mo one usually isn't the website itself — it's who keeps working on it after it goes live.
| Type | Typical monthly cost | VAT | Who manages local SEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY template builder | £9–£25/mo | Varies by provider | You do |
| Cheap monthly builder | £24.99–£40/mo | Varies by provider | Rarely included as standard |
| Scalesites (Scale Start / Scale Up) | £45–£79/mo | None | Included from day one |
| Managed agency | £99/mo, then £39/mo | Yes, +VAT | Included |
Sources: providers' own published pricing, checked live 3 August 2026 — see the full breakdown in our website builder comparison.
What actually drives the price
Three things move the number more than anything else: whether the site is DIY or built for you, whether VAT is added on top of the advertised price, and whether there's a minimum term or not.
- DIY vs done-for-you — a template you assemble yourself is always the cheapest option. The moment a person builds, writes and manages it for you, the price reflects that ongoing work.
- VAT on top — some providers quote a price before VAT, which adds 20% at checkout. Always check whether the advertised figure is the real one.
- Contract length — a 12-month minimum term is usually how a provider affords to build and manage a proper site with nothing to pay upfront, rather than charging an upfront build fee instead. Genuinely no-contract options exist too, but the trade-off is usually less included as standard.
What Scalesites charges, and what's in it
Scale Start is £45/mo and Scale Up is £79/mo — £0 upfront, no VAT to add. Both include hosting, SSL, a .co.uk domain, business email, Google Business Profile management, local SEO and review monitoring. Scale Up adds 5 local-area pages, 4 blog posts a month, 4 social posts a month and weekly GBP posts.
| Scale Start £45/mo | Scale Up £79/mo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pages | Up to 10 pages | Everything in Scale Start |
| Hosting, SSL, .co.uk domain, business email | Included | Included |
| Google Business Profile management | Included | Included |
| Local SEO | Included | Included |
| Review monitoring | Included | Included, plus automated review requests |
| Content | — | 4 blog posts/mo, 4 social posts/mo, weekly GBP posts |
Scale Start and Scale Up — see the pricing page for full current detail.
Both plans run on a 12-month minimum term, then continue month-to-month — that's the honest answer, not "no lock-in". The full reasoning is in why a 12-month contract, and why it's fair.
If you want no minimum term at all
The Growth System — £10/day, roughly £300/mo — genuinely has no minimum term and no lock-in. It's built for a different problem though: missed calls and slow follow-up, not the absence of a website itself.
The cheapest quote isn't always the cheapest website
A £9/mo DIY site with nobody managing local SEO or your Google Business Profile is cheap to start and easy to leave unused. Weigh the monthly figure against what's actually included, not the number alone.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tradesman's website cost in the UK?
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Realistically £9–£165/mo+VAT. DIY builders start around £9/mo and you manage everything yourself. Managed plans where someone else builds, hosts and handles local SEO run roughly £40–£99/mo. Scalesites is £45/mo (Scale Start) or £79/mo (Scale Up), £0 upfront, no VAT.
Is a cheap website worth it for a trade business?
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It depends what's included. A cheap DIY site is genuinely fine if you're happy to manage local SEO, your Google Business Profile and updates yourself. If nobody's doing that work, a cheap site that nobody finds isn't cheap — it's unused.
Do trade website prices include VAT?
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Not always — some providers quote a price before VAT and add 20% at checkout. Scalesites' £45/£79 prices have no VAT to add. Always check whether the advertised figure is the real one before comparing.
Why do some trade websites have a minimum contract term?
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A 12-month minimum term is usually what lets a provider build and manage a proper site with £0 upfront, rather than charging an upfront build fee. Scale Start and Scale Up both run this way, then continue month-to-month.
Is there a trade website plan with no minimum term?
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Yes — the Growth System (£10/day, roughly £300/mo) genuinely has no minimum term. It's a different product to Scale Start/Scale Up, built around recovering missed calls and enquiries rather than being the core website.
More insights
- Why a 12-month contract, and why it's fairScale Start and Scale Up run a 12-month minimum term, then month-to-month — not "no lock-in". What that year actually buys, and the one Scalesites plan with no minimum term at all.
- Best website builder for tradesmen (UK)What UK trade website builders actually cost and include in 2026 — checked against each provider's own published pricing, not ranked by who paid for the spot.