Website Maintenance Costs in the UK: What You Should Actually Pay (2026)

What are you paying to maintain?

Start with the website when setting a budget. An application that processes payments or handles bookings will demand more of a developer than a brochure site requiring only the odd edit. Do not just compare the monthly fee, look at the support arrangements and the time set aside for the work involved.

Separate the running costs

A developer’s time is one thing, hosting, domain renewal, email, payment processing and paid software are another. While some will bundle these, others put them on a separate invoice. Get a written list and make sure you know who owns the accounts. Be aware that a cheap monthly rate might buy you automated checks but very little in the way of hands-on investigation.

Then there is security. It is not enough to run an update, one has to test important user journeys and deploy with care. And a backup is of no use if it cannot be restored, so come to an understanding on how long copies are held and what the recovery process entails.

My current maintenance and support prices

• Website Care: £195/month with 2 total hours for a stable brochure or content website.

• Essential Support: £500/month with 6 total hours for a stable application.

• Professional Support: £1,000/month with 12 total hours for maintenance and improvements.

• Premium Support: £2,000/month with 24 total hours for ongoing application development and upkeep.

These are PJE Designs prices, not a UK market average. All hands-on maintenance, investigation, testing, deployment and calls count towards the allowance. Automated monitoring and scheduled backups do not. Hosting and third-party costs are separate unless explicitly included in your proposal.

What could cost extra?

If an application has been left to its own devices, you may need to fund a recovery or upgrade project before routine maintenance is viable. We will agree on any major version changes or new features in advance so there are no surprises. Put your developer in the picture on peak trading times and the impact of any downtime to ensure the support plan is right for the business.

Choose a sustainable level

Have a review of the work summary to see if the allowance is fit for purpose. My plans are on a monthly basis and can be changed or cancelled with 30 days notice, capacity permitting. Any hours not used will be gone at the end of the month. Please note that while we are available during UK business hours and have response targets for triage, we do not guarantee a repair time.

See current inclusions and support terms or ask about maintenance for your website.