How much to charge for a small business website: a set-up fee plus a monthly care fee
Charge a one-time set-up fee and a monthly care fee, each worked out as the hours the job really takes times your hourly rate; our worked example is $150 to set up and $40 a month for care. Published guides put a small business site's monthly upkeep at about $30 to $250 (WebsiteSetup) or $50 to $500 (GoDaddy); with iNterGine the business pays $70 a month in all in that example, the website included.
For you, that is a price an owner can say yes to, and every dollar of your fee is yours: iNterGine takes no cut.
Why price by the hour, then quote a flat fee?
Owners compare one number: what it costs them each month. Working from your hours keeps you paid for your time, and quoting a flat set-up fee and a flat monthly fee keeps it simple for them. There is no technical learning curve on your side: we build the site from your free work order in 2 to 3 business days, so the hours you charge for are hours spent with your customer, and you can take on more customers in the same week.
What does the business pay in total?
| Item | Paid to | When | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set-up fee | You | Once | $150 |
| The website | iNterGine, on the site | Every month | $30 |
| Care fee | You | Every month | $40 |
| The business pays | $150 once, then $70 a month |
The business can subscribe to the website itself, or you pay it and charge one all-in price. Either way, tell them about the $30 a month openly from the start.
How do I work out my set-up fee and my care fee?
Count the hours, then multiply by your rate. Example only, at $30 an hour (pick your own rate: look at what local freelancers charge, and remember it has to cover your phone, travel and taxes):
| Set-up, once per customer | Hours |
|---|---|
| Meeting the owner | 1 |
| Collecting photos, prices, hours and a few sites they like | 1.5 |
| Sending the free work order | 0.5 |
| Showing the finished site and making small changes | 1.5 |
| Hand-over or showing them how to edit | 0.5 |
| 5 hours x $30 = set-up fee | $150 |
Care works the same way: new photos, specials, opening hours, posts, checking messages and answering questions. Example only: 80 minutes a month at $30 an hour is $40 a month. Extras on top, such as a new page, are hours times your rate too.
Is $70 a month in all a fair price for the owner?
| Source | Small business site, per month |
|---|---|
| WebsiteSetup (read 7 Nov 2026) | $30 to $250 |
| GoDaddy (read 7 Nov 2026) | $50 to $500 |
| iNterGine, our worked example | $70 in all (website $30 + your care $40) |
Their ranges cover upkeep that a site on iNterGine already includes, such as hosting, updates and backups. That is why your care fee can be about your customer's content, not about fixing the site.
Where are Wix or WordPress better, or equal?
- A share of the client's spend. Wix and Automattic pay partners a share of what clients spend with them; iNterGine pays none. Your income here is your own fee.
- Owners who want to do it all themselves may be happy on Wix, at about the same monthly price for the website.
- Room to charge for upkeep. A WordPress site needs plugin and security updates, which an agency can bill for; on iNterGine there is nothing to update, so your care fee is for content and service only.
Questions webmasters ask about pricing
Can I charge whatever I like?
Yes. You set your own prices: a set-up fee, a monthly care fee, extras, or nothing at all. What you agree with your customer is between you and them.
Does iNterGine take a share of my fee?
No. iNterGine takes no cut and pays no commission; the only iNterGine price is the website's $360 a year ($30 a month).
Should I hand the site over or keep caring for it?
Offer both. Hand-over: you charge the set-up fee once and show them how to edit. Monthly care: you stay their webmaster and charge every month, which is how one-off sales become steady income.
How much can I really earn?
There is no guaranteed income; it depends on how many customers you find and what you charge. The program's own example: 5 customers on a $40 care plan is $200 a month for as long as they stay.
How do I get paid?
Like any freelancer: make an invoice in the free Invoice Maker, and your customer pays you the way you agreed, by card, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, cash or check.
Where these numbers come from
- The website price, no cut, and "you set your own prices": Program Rules, read 7 November 2026.
- The $150 and $40 example, and "5 customers on care, $200 a month": Your first $150, read 7 November 2026.
- Hours times rate, hand-over or care: the free 7-lesson training and the Toolkit price worksheet. The hours in the set-up table are an example, not a measurement.
- Build time, 2 to 3 business days: the iNterGine home page, read 7 November 2026.
- Market ranges: WebsiteSetup, website maintenance costs and GoDaddy, website maintenance cost, both read 7 November 2026.
More guides: all guides for webmasters, what one client site earns you and costs you in hours, and a website for a fitness studio.