How much does a website cost in Québec: what drives the price

In short

“How much does a website cost?” is as broad a question as “how much does a house cost?”. The word website covers anything from a single introduction page to a bilingual online store tied to inventory. Price depends mostly on four things: how much content, which features, the level of design and who provides the copy and photos.

This guide deliberately gives no amounts: they vary between providers and change over time. Instead, it gives you the questions that help you understand a quote and compare two offers on the same basis. For our own packages, see the Pricing page or the calculator.

The main types of projects

What changes the price

1. Number of pages and templates

One general “Services” page costs less than ten detailed pages, one per service. But those detailed pages are often the ones that bring visitors from Google. Also distinguish pages from templates: ten service pages built on the same layout take less work than ten entirely different pages.

2. Design: theme or custom

A purchased theme, adapted, cuts design time, at the cost of a site that looks like others. Custom design starts from your business: more work up front, a more distinctive result.

3. Content: copy and photos

This is the most underestimated item. If you provide finished copy and good photos, the bill goes down. If the agency writes the copy or organizes a photo shoot, that is real work that should appear in the quote. Late content is also the leading cause of projects that drag on.

4. Bilingual sites

In Québec, many businesses want a site in French and English. Design and code are reused, but every text must be translated, reviewed, integrated and tested, and the site must tell Google which version to show to whom (hreflang tags).

5. Features

Online booking, detailed quote forms, payment, member areas, links to management software: each feature adds development, testing and sometimes a subscription to an outside service.

6. Search (SEO) and accessibility

The basics (titles, descriptions, structured data, speed, mobile version) should be part of any site. Local pages, search-focused copywriting and monthly follow-up are separate services. The same goes for accessibility: a site that works with a keyboard and screen readers takes rigour.

7. Replacing an existing site

Replacing a live site means moving the useful content and redirecting every old address to its new one, so you don’t lose the rankings you’ve earned.

The costs that come back every year

The build is paid once; other costs come back. Ask for them in writing:

• Domain name: yearly renewal. Make sure it is registered in your name.
• Hosting: the server that makes the site available. Check what is included: backups, monitoring, HTTPS certificate.
• Business email: often billed per mailbox, per month.
• Maintenance: security updates (essential for WordPress and its plugins), fixes, small changes.
• Licences and outside services: paid themes or plugins, booking tools, store platforms, email sending.

To compare offers, add the build to three years of recurring costs: that is the 3-year total cost.

Comparing two quotes

Two quotes can only be compared if they describe the same thing. Ask each provider:

1. How many pages, and which ones, are included?
2. Who writes the copy and provides the photos?
3. Will the site be in one or two languages?
4. Who owns the domain name, the content and the code?
5. What exactly does the monthly fee cover? What does a change outside it cost?
6. What is the timeline, and what happens if content arrives late?
7. Do the form and the privacy policy comply with Québec’s Law 25?
8. If you switch providers, can you leave with your files?

Warning signs

• The domain is registered in the provider’s name. You may not be able to leave with your web address.
• No written quote, or one with no list of pages or features.
• “Guaranteed first place on Google”. Google itself states that no one can guarantee a ranking.
• A long mandatory contract with no way to get your site back at the end.
• No mention of privacy even though the site collects information through a form. See our Law 25 checklist.

Lowering the bill without cutting what matters

• Prepare your content: a list of your services, the questions customers ask, a few good photos.
• Start small: the pages that earn money first, the rest in a second phase.
• Choose features that serve your sales: one useful booking form beats three gadgets.
• Batch change requests instead of sending them one at a time.