How long does it take to build a website?

A small business website can be live in two to three weeks. With rush scheduling, it can be live in one week. That is my timeline for a five-page Template site when the words and photos are ready before work begins.

A custom site takes a little longer. A Custom site usually takes three to four weeks, or two weeks on a rush timeline.

The build itself is rarely what slows a website down. The wait is almost always on content and approvals.

My timelines

Build	Size	Standard	Rush
Template	5 or 10 pages	2 to 3 weeks	1 week
Custom	Up to 6 pages	3 to 4 weeks	2 weeks
Flagship	15 to 40 pages	6 to 14 weeks	Half the quoted timeline

Most small businesses need a Template or Custom site. Longer timelines are for sites that need extensive copywriting, a store, a directory, or content for more than one location.

Rush scheduling cuts the standard timeline in half for 50% over the build price. The scope and quality stay the same. The premium pays for your project to move to the front of my schedule.

What a two-week build looks like

Week one. We confirm the page list. You provide the copy, photos, logo, and domain access, and I build the site on a private preview link.

Week two. You review the site, and I complete one round of changes. I test the forms, analytics, and Google Business Profile link-up before the site goes live.

That pace holds when everything is ready on day one and feedback arrives on schedule. A straightforward five-page site should not take months to launch.

What slows a website down

Content that is not ready. This is the most common delay by far. Words and photos take longer to gather than most people expect. If you have them ready before the build starts, you save weeks.

Too many approvers. Three people reviewing separately can create three rounds of changes. Choose one person to collect feedback and sign off.

Slow replies. If a review sits for a week, the project usually moves by a week. My Template timeline assumes a reply within three business days.

New pages mid-build. Adding pages after the plan is set pushes the launch date. Settle the page list first.

Missing domain access. Launch day stalls when nobody knows where the domain is registered or who has the login. Find out early. Here is how to check who owns your website.

How to get your site live faster

If you are choosing a Template site, finish the copy before you book. Choose your photos, find the domain login, name one person to approve the work, and block an hour in the calendar for each review.

Do those things and a two-week site is much more likely to stay a two-week site.

What it costs

My Template sites start at $2,025, and Custom sites start at $5,940. Your timeline goes in the written quote, and I keep to it as long as the agreed review dates hold. If you need a site this month, book a consult and I will tell you the earliest launch date I can commit to.