The honest answer: 1 to 12 weeks, depending on who is building it and how complex the site is. Here is the typical range.
Bindingstone WaaS: 1 to 2 weeks
Our last two launches went live in 10 days and 6 days. We have done this enough that the design, the page architecture, the content shaping, and the launch are a well-rehearsed process. The work that takes the longest is usually waiting for you to confirm copy and approve the design.
Local agency: 4 to 12 weeks
Most local agencies quote 6 to 8 weeks. In practice it is 10 to 12. The site has to go through design rounds, copy rounds, dev rounds, QA, and then revisions. If a designer is sick that week, it stretches.
Custom build with a freelancer: 8 to 16 weeks
One person, balancing your project with two or three others. Quality can be excellent but the timeline rarely is.
DIY on Squarespace: a weekend
You can drag and drop a five-page site over a weekend. Whether that site brings in leads is a different question.
What slows things down
- Indecision on design direction. Pick a vibe and commit.
- Waiting for you to write copy. We write it for you, you approve.
- Custom photography that takes weeks to schedule and shoot.
- Getting access to your existing domain or DNS.
What speeds things up
- Working with someone who has built dozens of contractor sites and knows the page architecture cold.
- Trusting the process on design rather than nitpicking every shade.
- Replying to email within a day, not a week.