The verdict in three sentences
When a structural and building services engineering firm in Berlin receives three quotes of 6,500, 13,000 and 23,000 EUR excluding VAT, the gap almost never comes from the day rate but from the number of days planned and the deliverables included. Bring each quote back to a single grid (scoping, design, build, copywriting, technical SEO, testing, training) and to an agency day rate of 700 to 950 EUR in 2026: the comparison becomes readable in 20 minutes. The cheapest quote is often the one that excludes copywriting and custom design, two items you will pay for later in internal time.
The 2026 reference grid
Here are the items a serious quote should isolate, with ranges observed for a 12 to 20 page B2B website (references, expertise, team, careers, contact), in German and English.
| Item (2026 order of magnitude, Germany) | Days or unit | Range excl. VAT | Deliverable to require |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping and workshops | 2 to 4 days | 1,400 to 3,800 EUR | Sitemap, approved specification |
| UX/UI design | 3 to 6 days | 2,100 to 5,700 EUR | Home, reference list, detail page, mobile |
| Build and development | 8 to 15 days | 5,600 to 14,250 EUR | Staging site, CMS |
| Copywriting | 600 to 1,100 EUR per page | 0 to 11,000 EUR | Proofread, optimised texts |
| Technical SEO | 1 to 2 days | 700 to 1,900 EUR | Tags, structured data, redirects |
| Testing and fixes | 1 to 2 days | 700 to 1,900 EUR | Signed test report |
| CMS training | 0.5 to 1 day | 350 to 950 EUR | Guide and 2 h session |
| Licences, theme, plugins | flat fee | 80 to 1,300 EUR | Licences in the client's name |
In Germany, two lines are often forgotten: the legally required Impressum and privacy policy pages, and the cookie consent setup under TTDSG and GDPR. Ask whether they are included, because a missing Impressum exposes the firm to warning letters.
The three quotes broken down
We mapped the three proposals onto the same grid. Amounts are rebuilt from the days announced by each provider.
| Item | Quote A, freelancer (rate 550) | Quote B, agency (rate 800) | Quote C, agency (rate 900) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scoping | 0.5 d, 275 EUR | 2 d, 1,600 EUR | 3 d, 2,700 EUR |
| Design | Premium theme, 80 EUR | 3 d, 2,400 EUR | 5 d, 4,500 EUR |
| Build | 8 d, 4,400 EUR | 8 d, 6,400 EUR | 10 d, 9,000 EUR |
| Copywriting | Not included | Not included | 4 pages, 2,400 EUR |
| Technical SEO | 0.5 d, 275 EUR | 1 d, 800 EUR | 1.5 d, 1,350 EUR |
| Testing | 1 d, 550 EUR | 1 d, 800 EUR | 1.5 d, 1,350 EUR |
| Training | 0.5 d, 275 EUR | 0.5 d, 400 EUR | 0.5 d, 450 EUR |
| Licences and year 1 hosting | 645 EUR | 600 EUR | 1,250 EUR |
| Total excl. VAT | 6,500 EUR | 13,000 EUR | 23,000 EUR |
Quick reading: quote A has no custom design, the layout is a theme. Quote B is a custom site for which you supply all texts. Quote C adds 3 days of scoping and design and 4 pages written by a technical copywriter. Between B and C, the 10,000 EUR gap is explained by 2,400 EUR of copywriting, 650 EUR of licences and about 6,950 EUR of extra days billed 100 EUR higher.
Four questions to ask before signing
- Who owns the code, theme and licences? Require accounts opened in the firm's name.
- How many design revision rounds? Two rounds are standard, more are billed at the day rate.
- Is migration of existing content included? Entering 40 references by hand takes 2 to 3 days.
- What warranty after launch? One to three months of bug fixing at no extra cost is common.
Mini case study
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Katrin, CFO of a 35-person engineering consultancy in Berlin (illustrative example), hesitates between quotes B and C. She costs internal copywriting: 8 pages written by two engineers valued at 110 EUR per hour internally, 5 hours per page, so 4,400 EUR of time not billed to clients. Quote B then becomes 17,400 EUR in full cost, against 23,000 EUR for C with only 4 pages written. She chooses B plus an external copywriter at 650 EUR per page for 4 pages, 15,600 EUR in total, and keeps only 4 pages in-house.
FAQ
Why do three quotes range from 6,500 to 23,000 EUR for the same site?
Because they do not contain the same days or deliverables. A 6,500 EUR quote is usually built on a theme without custom design, while a 23,000 EUR quote includes deeper scoping and copywriting.
What day rate is normal for a web agency in Berlin in 2026?
Roughly 700 to 950 EUR excluding VAT per day for an agency, and 500 to 700 EUR for an experienced freelancer. Munich and Frankfurt agencies often sit at the top of that range.
Should we pay for copywriting?
If your engineers lack time, yes: 600 to 1,100 EUR per page is still cheaper than 5 hours of an engineer. At minimum, outsource the home and expertise pages.
How many build days for a 15-page site?
Between 8 and 15 days depending on templates and CMS. A reference page filterable by sector often adds 1 to 2 days, and a second language another 1 to 3 days.
What deposit is customary?
Usually 30 % on order, 40 % on design approval and 30 % at launch. Avoid paying more than 50 % before seeing the designs.
Let's scope your project. Send us the quotes you received or your page list: we will return a comparable grid with scope, indicative budget and lead time. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
