How web development agencies typically bill
Project work is usually billed by phase, with a deposit up front to cover initial costs before any design work starts. Once the site launches, many agencies convert the relationship into a smaller recurring fee for hosting, updates, and minor changes.
- Deposit: typically 25-50% before discovery or design begins
- Phase milestones: discovery, design, development, launch — each invoiced on completion
- Post-launch: a monthly maintenance/hosting retainer, distinct from the project fee
Common invoice line items
Breaking a build into phases on the invoice makes it clear what's been delivered and what's still owed.
- Discovery & Wireframes — $3,000
- Visual Design (homepage + templates) — $5,000
- Frontend & CMS Development — $8,000
- QA, Launch & Handoff — $2,000
- Monthly Maintenance & Hosting — $300/month (post-launch)
Avoiding the most common dispute: scope after launch
The most frequent billing dispute in web development is what counts as included in maintenance versus a new billable change. Stating this explicitly in the signed agreement, and referencing it on the maintenance invoice, avoids relitigating it every month.
- Define what maintenance covers (security updates, minor content edits, uptime monitoring) versus what's billed separately (new pages, feature additions)
- Reference the agreement on the recurring maintenance invoice so the scope is never ambiguous
Client portal after launch
Once a project moves to a maintenance retainer, the client relationship often gets less attention — but the client still wants visibility into what they're paying for. Hanko's portal keeps the original proposal, the agreement, every phase invoice, and the ongoing maintenance invoices in one place, so the history doesn't get lost between the project team and whoever handles billing later.
Frequently asked questions
How should a web agency structure project billing?
Most agencies take a deposit before starting, then invoice by phase (discovery, design, development, launch) as each is completed, rather than waiting until the site goes live to bill the full project fee.
What should a post-launch maintenance retainer include?
Define it explicitly in the agreement — typically security updates, monitoring, and minor content edits — and bill anything beyond that (new features, redesigns) as separate, quoted work.
Can Hanko handle both project milestones and a recurring retainer for the same client?
Yes. One-off milestone invoices work for the build phases, and a recurring invoice can be scheduled separately for the ongoing maintenance retainer once the site launches.