CentriWebHow much a website costs in NZ comes down to what the build includes: how many different page layouts it needs, who writes the words and supplies the photos, which features and connections to other systems it has, and who looks after it once it is live. There is no official price list for web design in New Zealand, so the useful move is to compare quotes line by line, check whether each one includes GST, and work out what the site costs over three years rather than on launch day.
This article explains what moves the price, the costs that are specific to a New Zealand business, and how to read a quote. We do not give price bands, because any band without your scope attached would be a guess.
Why website quotes in New Zealand vary so much
Ask three web designers for “a website” and you can get three prices that look like they are for different products. Often they are. The same word covers:
- a few pages on a template, where you supply every word and photo
- a designed site with copywriting, photography and search basics set up properly
- a site that takes bookings or payments, or sends enquiries straight into a CRM
- a rebuild that moves years of old pages across and keeps their Google rankings
Who you hire changes it too. A freelancer usually costs less per hour but may not be there for support in two years. A studio or agency costs more and should have cover when someone is away. An overseas provider can be cheaper on paper, but time zones, a different currency and unfamiliarity with New Zealand place names, spelling and rules can cost you in your own time.
Quotes also differ in what they leave out. One may include hosting, support and a year of small changes. Another may stop at launch and bill everything after that by the hour. A cheaper quote is often a smaller scope.
What changes how much a website costs in NZ
Page layouts, not page count
Twenty service pages that share one layout take less design work than eight pages that each look different. Ask how many distinct layouts the quote covers, and what it costs to add another one later if your business grows into a new service.
Words and photos
Content is where most projects stall. Writing it yourself makes the build cheaper but slower, and the result depends on what you supply. Paid copywriting and real photos of your work, your team and your premises add cost and usually help more than any design choice.
Features
Each working feature adds design, build and testing time: online booking, payments, quote calculators, member logins, listings, multi-step forms. If a feature starts to look like an app of its own, treat it as custom software and price it separately.
Connections to other systems
Sending enquiries into a CRM, syncing bookings with a calendar or passing payments through to your accounting software saves admin every week. Each connection needs setting up and testing, so it is often the most underestimated line in a quote.
Moving from an old site
If your current site already brings in enquiries from Google, the rebuild should redirect every old page address to its new one. Skipping this can lose search traffic you spent years building.
Te reo Māori and place names
If your site uses te reo Māori, or names towns such as Whangārei or Taupō, check that the build, the fonts and any forms handle macrons correctly. Bilingual pages add translation and layout work, so say so at the start.
Costs that are specific to a New Zealand business
- GST. Inland Revenue says GST is charged at 15%, and a business must register for GST once its turnover reaches $60,000 in 12 months or is expected to. A sole operator under the threshold may not charge GST at all. Check whether each quote says “plus GST” or “including GST” before you compare them.
- Currency. Check which currency each subscription, plugin and tool bills in. Overseas products may not bill in New Zealand dollars, and then the cost moves with the exchange rate.
- Your domain. A .nz or .co.nz address is registered through a registrar and renewed every year. Make sure it is registered in your business’s name, not your designer’s.
- Privacy on forms. Under the Privacy Act 2020, the Privacy Commissioner’s page on principle 3 says that when you collect personal information you must take reasonable steps so the person knows why it is collected and who will receive it. A clear privacy statement linked from every form covers this, and someone has to write it.
- Data sent overseas. If your enquiry forms send details to a CRM or email tool hosted outside New Zealand, principle 12 sets rules on disclosing personal information overseas. Ask your provider where form data goes.
- Newsletter sign-ups. The Department of Internal Affairs says the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 sets obligations for consent, sender identity and unsubscribing. A sign-up form should record consent properly.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Check how each rule applies to your business.
DIY, template and custom websites compared
| Option | What you pay for | Who maintains it | Suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | A monthly subscription and your own time | You, on the builder’s platform | New businesses with a simple site and time to learn | Fees that rise with features, currency, and how hard it is to move away later |
| Template build by a provider | Set-up, content entry and changes to a ready-made design | The provider or you, depending on the agreement | Established businesses that need a solid site without bespoke design | How far the template can change, and who updates the theme and plugins |
| Custom design and build | Design, build, content and testing made for your business | Usually the provider, on a care plan | Businesses where the website brings in a large share of the work, or needs features and connections | Scope that grows during the project, and who owns the design files and code |
The running costs after launch
A website keeps costing money after it goes live. Budget for:
- hosting, and whether backups and security monitoring are included
- domain renewals every year
- plugin, theme or software licences that renew annually
- updates to WordPress or the platform, and someone to test them
- small changes: new staff photos, updated prices, a new service page
- a rebuild or refresh every few years as your business changes
To compare two quotes fairly, add the build fee to 36 months of hosting and support, plus your estimate of changes. A quote with a low build fee and an expensive monthly plan can cost more over three years than the reverse. Our guide to website maintenance and care plans lists what a care plan should cover.
How to compare website quotes in NZ
Ask each provider the same questions, in writing:
- How many page layouts are included, and how many pages?
- Who writes the words and supplies the photos?
- Which features and connections are included, and which are extra?
- Are old pages redirected, and are search basics set up and connected to Google Search Console?
- Is the price plus GST or including GST, and in which currency are any subscriptions billed?
- What does hosting and support cost each month after launch, and what does it include?
- Who owns the domain, the content, the design and the code if we part ways?
The last question matters more than most owners expect. Our guide to who owns your website covers it, and our list of questions to ask a web design agency goes further. Australian businesses can compare with our guide to website costs in Australia.
CentriWeb is a technology studio based in New Zealand. We build websites on WordPress, connect them to the CRM and booking systems behind them, and look after them once they are live, including for builders and construction businesses.