Web design pricing is all over the map. You can find a freelancer on Upwork for a few hundred dollars or spend six figures with a large downtown Seattle agency. As a business owner, you need to understand what you are paying for and how your agency partner structures its fees. This determines the relationship, the process, and the final product.
At DoodleWeb, we have seen it all. We have worked with clients who have been burned by opaque pricing, and we have refined our own model to be as fair and effective as possible. Here is a breakdown of the common pricing models you will encounter and a look at how we approach them.
Fixed-Price Projects
A fixed-price or project-based fee is the most straightforward model. The agency quotes a single price for a very specific, agreed-upon scope of work. For example, a five-page WordPress site with a blog and contact form for a Tacoma-based law firm might be quoted at a flat rate.
This model is popular because it provides predictability. You know exactly how much the project will cost from the outset. However, its greatest strength is also its weakness. The model is rigid. If you want to add a feature halfway through, that requires a new scope of work and a separate "change order" fee. This can feel punitive and slow down the project.
From the agency side, we must build a significant buffer into fixed-price projects to account for potential "scope creep". If we quote too low and the project requires more work than anticipated, we lose money. This means the initial fixed price is almost always higher than the actual cost would be in a more flexible model.
Hourly Rates
Charging by the hour, often called "time and materials," is the most transparent model. You pay for the exact amount of time the agency spends on your project. This is great for projects where the scope is not clearly defined or is expected to evolve.
We use hourly rates for ongoing support, maintenance, and smaller tasks after a main project is complete. It would be impractical to create a fixed-price proposal every time a Bellevue-based client wants to update a photo or add a new staff member to their "About Us" page.
The downside for clients is the lack of predictability. An open-ended hourly arrangement can lead to a surprise invoice that is much higher than you anticipated. It requires a high degree of trust in the agency's efficiency and honesty. We always use time-tracking software and provide detailed reports, but we understand why clients are hesitant to write a blank check.
Value-Based Pricing
This is the most complex and least common model. Value-based pricing ties the project cost to the perceived value it will deliver to the client's business. An eCommerce site for a local coffee roaster that is projected to generate $500,000 in its first year might command a higher price than a simple brochure site for a nonprofit, even if the work required is identical.
In theory, this model aligns the agency and the client. The agency is incentivized to create something that genuinely grows the business. In practice, it is difficult to quantify "value" upfront, and it can feel like you are being penalized for being successful. We believe in delivering value, but we prefer to let our work speak for itself rather than bake it into a complex pricing formula.
"The best pricing model is a partnership. It should be transparent, flexible, and fair to both the client and the agency. It builds a foundation of trust that allows for great work."
Our Hybrid Model: The Best of Both Worlds
We have found that a hybrid model works best for our clients in the Puget Sound region. We combine the predictability of fixed-price projects with the flexibility of hourly rates.
We start with a detailed discovery and strategy phase. This is a small, fixed-price engagement where we work with you to define the project goals, user personas, technical requirements, and a detailed scope of work. It is like creating an architectural blueprint before building a house. This initial phase, often based out of our Pioneer Square office, ensures we both have a crystal-clear understanding of the project.
Once the blueprint is approved, we provide a fixed-price proposal for the main design and development phases. Because the scope is so well-defined, our buffer for scope creep is much smaller, resulting in a fairer price for you. We build websites for a variety of businesses, from industrial suppliers near the Port of Tacoma to tech startups in Bellevue.
For anything outside that fixed scope, such as adding a new online booking system mid-project, we provide a separate, smaller fixed-price quote for that feature. There are no surprise hourly charges. After launch, we transition to an hourly model for ongoing support and maintenance, with a pre-agreed monthly cap to ensure you never get an unexpected bill.
This hybrid approach provides the predictability you need to manage your budget while giving us the flexibility to adapt to your needs. It creates a partnership, not just a transaction.
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Seattle agency · Seattle, WA
A full-service digital agency working in WordPress, Drupal, Shopify, Webflow, React, and React Native. We partner with universities, nonprofits, governments, and growing brands to ship sites that hold up after launch.