happy to
handle.

Guide / comparison

Compare what is included before comparing the total.

Two websites with the same page count can need very different work. A useful budget starts with content, functionality, risk and the costs that continue after launch.

Guidance by Happy to Handle. Updated . Added or revised the decision artifacts and local worksheets described in this guide.

01 / Guide / comparison

Count unique work, not just URLs

Ten pages based on one approved structure are different from ten distinct applications. Original interviews, product data, custom layouts and uncertain content can add work without adding URLs. Ask who supplies each input and what acceptance test is included.

Content-ready refresh
Existing facts and assets are supplied, and the work focuses on a bounded set of improvements.
New service-business site
Page planning, original copy and a reliable inquiry path may each need explicit production and review.
Integration-led rebuild
Data mapping, legacy behavior, migration rehearsal and failure recovery can dominate the effort.

02 / Guide / comparison

Understand the depth of a connection

Link or embed
A visitor moves to an external system or views its supported presentation. Ownership and accessibility still need review.
Supported connector
A defined provider connection may reduce custom code, but permissions, plan limits and failure behavior still matter.
Custom two-way integration
Field ownership, conflicts, authorization, duplicates, retries and maintenance need an explicit design.

API and system integrations

03 / Guide / comparison

Read the revision and change-control terms

A useful quote identifies the stage being reviewed, one consolidated response from an authorized approver and what happens when the approved scope changes. A change to an offer or system is different from correcting an agreed implementation defect.

Scope and pricing

04 / Guide / comparison

Include the cost of preserving a live site

Inventory URLs, content, media, forms and connections before moving. Ask who maps destinations, verifies redirects, rehearses launch and handles rollback. A lower build total may omit work you still need someone to do.

Website redesign or refresh?

05 / Guide / comparison

Make an ownership-cost ledger

One-time
Planning, implementation, migration, setup and handover: ask exactly which deliverables are included.
Recurring
Domain, hosting, software licenses and agreed support: record renewal cadence and account owner.
Usage-dependent
Ad media, messaging, API or other provider usage: state assumptions and who authorizes spending.

Choosing website support that fits

06 / Guide / comparison

Compare the same scope on both sides

Record the deliverable, supplied input, acceptance test, one-time fee, recurring cost, vendor renewal and exit arrangement. Leave unknown prices blank instead of inserting a market range that might not match the job.

A blank comparison sheet

Compare three quotes using the same deliverable, input, check, fee and renewal columns. Prices stay blank until supplied by the relevant provider.

Download blank comparison CSV

07 / Guide / comparison

Use the scope discussion to close the gaps

Take the unknowns into a scoped quote conversation. Happy to Handle’s scope page explains the purchase arrangements; it does not publish an unapproved price list.

If a different decision is blocking you: Choose another question in this topic

Scope and pricing