How to Read a Web Design Quote (And Spot the Padding)
Most web design quotes are written to be skimmed, not read. Read one properly and padding falls out of it. Here's the line-by-line.
Lines that should be there
Number of pages, named. Who writes the copy. Mobile explicitly included (not "responsive available"). Forms and where they send. Basic SEO setup — titles, descriptions, Google indexing. Launch on your domain with you owning the accounts. A named timeline.
Lines that are usually padding
"Discovery phase" billed in weeks. "Content strategy" nobody can define. Separate line items for things browsers do free. "SEO optimization" as a vague lump — real SEO names deliverables. Hosting marked up 10x.
The three deflating questions
1. "Can you show me each line's deliverable on a past project?" 2. "Which lines disappear if I provide photos and copy?" 3. "Who owns the domain, hosting, and site if we part ways?" Watch the quote shrink — or the agency squirm.
The math check
Divide the total by the deliverables you can point at. If a five-page site prices like a 60-page industry build, you're funding their office plant budget.
And the standing offer: bring me any written quote for the same scope — I beat it. That's on the plans page in writing.
← All plays · Guides: costs by industry · tool matchups · AI playbooks