Choosing a Web Designer in Surrey: 7 Questions to Ask First

Choosing a web designer in Surrey comes down to seven questions:

1. Who owns the website when it's done?
2. Is the price fixed?
3. Who writes the words?
4. Who builds it?
5. What does it cost to change something later?
6. What isn't included?
7. What do I keep if we part ways?

The price alone won't tell you much. Of the 29 Surrey web designers I checked in September 2026, about half don't publish one, and the ones that do started anywhere from £250 to £1,995. What the price includes varies even more (full results).

So you know where I stand, my website is £300 for four pages, or £450 with a logo. Ask me these questions too.

Who owns the website when it's done?

You should own the domain, the files and the words, and be able to take all three elsewhere whenever you like. Some designers host the site on their own account, and if you stop paying the monthly fee, the site goes. Some builders don't let you move the site at all. Wix's help centre says a Wix site can't be hosted anywhere else.

If the answer involves hesitation or the word "licence", keep asking.

Is that a fixed price or an estimate?

An estimate is where the price starts. Ask directly who pays if the work takes longer than expected. A designer who has scoped the job properly will give you one number and stick to it. That's how I price, because it puts the risk on the person who controls the work.

Who writes the words?

This is the one people forget to ask, and it's often the hardest part. Of the 29 Surrey studios I checked, only two said copywriting was included. If you're expected to write every page yourself, the site can sit unfinished for weeks. My £300 website includes the words, written from a conversation with you.

Who builds it?

At an agency, the person in the pitch meeting is rarely the person building your site. That isn't automatically a problem, but you should know. Ask to meet whoever will do the work. With a freelancer, the person who quoted is the person who has to deliver.

While you're at it, ask for live sites they've built and run them through PageSpeed Insights on your phone. It's free and takes two minutes. A portfolio that scores badly on mobile tells you what you'll get.

What will it cost to change something later?

You'll want to update prices, swap photos or add a page. Ask whether you can do it yourself, and if not, what the designer charges and how quickly they do it. Care plans from the Surrey studios that publish them ranged from £15 to £345 a month, and one charges £125 an hour for ad hoc work.

If you'll change things every week, get a site with an editing area. My £750 site has one. If the site rarely changes, paying for occasional updates is fine. Know the policy before you sign. Mine is £20 a month, cancel any time.

What isn't included?

Every quote has edges, and the surprises live outside them. Check for:

• the words,
• photos,
• logo files,
• the domain and hosting,
• email,
• Google Business Profile and Search Console set-up,
• a cookie banner and privacy page,
• VAT. Only 5 of the 29 Surrey studios said whether their prices included it.

A cheaper quote that excludes most of these can cost more than a dearer one that includes them. Get the exclusions in writing before you compare.

What do I keep if we part ways?

The domain stays in your name, you get all the files, and the hosting moves without a fuss. If a designer controls your domain, they control your front door. I register domains in the client's name from day one.

How do Surrey designers compare on these questions?

There's more on how I work on my web design in Surrey page, and I've listed the red flags to watch for separately. If you'd like a second opinion on a quote, tell me about your project and I'll reply within 24 hours, including if you don't need me at all.