Professional Service Cost Guides Australia 2026

Professional services we price

Findability — SEO: what agencies charge to rank a business on Google; AI SEO: AI-driven search visibility programs.

Site design & build — Web Design: new-site and redesign projects; Web Development: custom web builds and applications; AI Websites: AI-built sites with human polish.

CMS platforms — WordPress: WordPress builds and migrations; Webflow: Webflow design-and-build projects; Squarespace: Squarespace setups and refreshes; Wix: Wix builds for local businesses; Drupal: enterprise Drupal builds; Sanity: headless CMS builds on Sanity.

Ecommerce platforms — Shopify: Shopify store builds and migrations; WooCommerce: WooCommerce stores on WordPress; Magento: enterprise Magento and Adobe Commerce builds; BigCommerce: BigCommerce store builds.

Service costs at a glance

Service	Typical range	Biggest swing factor
SEO	$750–$3,000+/Month	Competition level of your keywords + city
AI SEO	$2,000–$5,000/Month	Scope — AI visibility audit vs full program
Web Design	$2,000–$15,000	Page count + custom design vs template
Web Development	$100–$250/Hour	Build complexity + integrations
AI Websites	$1,000–$4,000	Platform + how much human polish on top
WordPress	$3,000–$25,000	Custom theme vs template + plugins
Webflow	$8,000–$25,000	Design ambition + CMS collections
Squarespace	$2,000–$12,000	Template customisation depth
Wix	$1,500–$10,000	Studio build vs standard editor
Drupal	$30,000–$150,000+	Modules, migrations + enterprise integrations
Sanity	$20,000–$80,000	Schema complexity + front-end build
Shopify	$2,000–$30,000	Theme vs headless + app stack
WooCommerce	$3,000–$40,000	Extensions + hosting architecture
Magento	$25,000–$150,000+	Adobe Commerce licensing + integrations
BigCommerce	$8,000–$30,000	Catalogue size + integrations

What you're really paying for

Strategy before execution. Discovery, research and planning time is real work — a quote with none of it usually means a template applied to your logo.

Scope, not hours. Page count, custom design versus template, content production and integrations move the number far more than hourly rates do.

Platform and licensing. Enterprise platforms carry licence and hosting costs on top of the build — a Magento or Drupal number is never just agency time.

Project versus retainer. Builds are one-off projects; SEO and optimisation are monthly programs. Comparing a project quote to a retainer quote is comparing different products.

After launch. Maintenance, security updates, hosting and iteration are recurring line items — ask what the second year costs, not just the first.

Before you sign an agency, check

What's excluded — content, photography, licensing, hosting and post-launch support are the usual gaps.

Who owns what — your domain, site, code and accounts should be yours, not held by the agency.

Like-for-like scope — are both agencies quoting the same page count, features and content load?

How results are reported — what gets measured, how often, and against which baseline.

Professional Services FAQ

How much does SEO cost in Australia?

Most Australian SEO retainers run $750–$3,000+/Month depending on how competitive your keywords and city are. Our SEO cost guide breaks the bands down nationally and by city.

Why do web design quotes vary so much?

Because "a website" can mean a five-page template refresh or a custom design system. Page count, custom design versus template, copywriting and integrations are the big movers — the guides show which band your brief sits in.

Are these prices GST-inclusive?

Ranges are GST-inclusive unless marked otherwise. Agency and B2B quotes are often presented ex-GST, so confirm the basis before you compare.

Should I expect a project fee or a monthly retainer?

Builds (web design, development, ecommerce) are usually quoted as one-off projects; SEO and ongoing optimisation are usually monthly retainers. Some agencies blend both — the guides flag which model applies.

How are these prices verified?

The same way as our trade guides: aggregated from 90+ Australian sources, cross-referenced, and refreshed — each service guide carries its own verified date.

How Our Cost Guides Work

Aggregate

We pull pricing from 90+ sources — trade marketplaces, industry bodies, government data, and individual tradies.

Cross-check

Every price is verified across sources and adjusted with city-specific modifiers for local conditions.

Publish

Clear guides with ranges, cost factors, and tips — reviewed and updated monthly.

90+

Data sources

530+

Pricing guides

Jul '26

Last updated

Multi-source data

We aggregate pricing from trade marketplaces, industry bodies, and government sources — never relying on a single data point.

City-adjusted pricing

Every city guide uses a location modifier based on local cost of living, trade demand, and market conditions.

Independent & unbiased

Our pricing is independent. Published price ranges are compiled from 90+ external sources and are never influenced by tradespeople.

Updated monthly

Prices are reviewed monthly against current market data. Last updated July 2026.

Our Data Sources

Trade Marketplaces

Major Trade Marketplaces

Online Quoting Platforms

Industry Bodies

FPA Australia

Standards Australia

Master Plumbers

HIA

Master Builders

Master Electricians

Government & Official

NCC (National Construction Code)

Fair Work

ABS

State regulators

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