Should you show prices on your website?

The question every customer has

Whatever you do, nearly every visitor to your site wants to know roughly what it will cost. If the site says nothing, they have three choices: contact you and ask, guess, or go to a competitor who does give a figure. Many will do the last. On the other hand, a fixed price on a job that varies can lead to awkward conversations when the real quote comes in higher.

The good news is that this is not a yes or no decision. There is a range of approaches between "full price list" and "price on application", and most small businesses can find one that fits.

The case for showing prices

• Fewer wasted quotes. People with a budget far below your prices rule themselves out before you drive across town to measure up.
• More trust. A clear figure suggests you are confident and have nothing to hide.
• Faster decisions. Customers comparing several businesses often contact the ones that make it easy to compare.
• Better enquiries. People who contact you after seeing your prices are already broadly comfortable with them.

The case against

• Jobs genuinely vary. A bathroom refit can be a small job or a large one depending on what is behind the tiles.
• Competitors can see them. Some businesses worry about being undercut. In practice, competitors can usually find out your prices by asking for a quote anyway.
• Prices go stale. If materials costs change and you forget to update the site, customers hold you to the old figure. See our guide to updating your website yourself.
• You compete on value, not price. If you are not the cheapest, a bare number without context can put people off before they understand why.

Five ways to show prices

Approach	Example	Works well for
Fixed price	Standard boiler service: a single set price	Repeatable jobs with a clear scope
"From" price	Kitchen fitting from a stated figure	Jobs with a typical minimum but variable extras
Price range	Most garden clearances fall between two figures	Jobs where size is the main variable
Worked examples	"A recent three-bed loft insulation cost..."	Larger projects where customers want a sense of scale
Pricing factors only	A list of what affects the price, with a free quote	Bespoke work where any figure would mislead

You can mix these. Many trades show fixed prices for small standard jobs, "from" prices for common larger ones and a free quote for anything bespoke.

How trades tend to handle it

Repeatable services

Locksmith call-outs, boiler services, gutter cleaning, dog walks and window cleaning rounds are easy to price. Customers expect a figure here, and leaving it off can look evasive. State what is included, such as the first hour or a set number of windows, and what costs extra.

Projects with a typical size

Kitchen fitting, tiling, plastering and roofing jobs vary, but most fall into a recognisable pattern. A "from" price, or a range for a typical job, sets expectations. Add a sentence on what moves the price up: access, materials, size, removal of old fittings.

Fully bespoke work

Extensions, custom joinery and large landscaping projects are hard to price without a visit. Instead of a number, explain how you quote, what affects the price and how long a quote takes. Worked examples of past projects, with the customer's permission and without personal details, help people judge whether you are in their range.

Wording that keeps you safe

Whatever you show, make it clear what a figure is and is not.

• Say whether prices include VAT if you are VAT registered. Consumers generally expect to see prices including VAT; check the official guidance on gov.uk for your situation.
• Say what is included and what is not, in plain words.
• Say that a written quote follows a visit or conversation, and that the quote is what you will charge.
• Avoid "from" prices that almost no real job will match. Customers notice, and the trust you hoped to build goes the other way.
• Add the date or "prices as of" if your costs change often, and keep it current.

Consumer protection law requires pricing information not to mislead. The detail is set out on gov.uk and by Trading Standards; check there or with an adviser if you are unsure about a particular format.

Where to put prices on the page

Put the price, or the "from" figure, on each service page near the top, not hidden on a separate page that people have to hunt for. Follow it with what is included, a few photos of that type of work and a clear way to ask for a quote. If you have a dedicated prices page, link to it from each service page as well. Our guide on what to write on a tradesperson website covers the rest of the service page.

When you give a price over the phone or in a quote, make sure it uses the same wording as the website. If the site says "from" and lists what is included, your written quote should follow the same structure so the customer can see exactly how their job differs from the typical one.

Test it, then decide

If you are unsure, try it. Add "from" prices to your two most common services for a couple of months and notice whether the enquiries you get are better matched. Ask new customers whether the prices on the site helped. That beats any general rule.

On Site Shifter you can add and change prices on any page yourself and publish straight away, so testing different approaches costs you nothing but a few minutes. For more on what turns visitors into enquiries, see our guide to getting more enquiries from your website.

Frequently asked