The verdict in three sentences
In Bellevue, Washington, a yacht and private aviation charter website from an Eastside or Seattle agency costs, as a 2026 order of magnitude, 18 000 to 70 000 USD, because the local market prices design work against tech-sector salaries. Kolonell builds itinerary pages for Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the Inside Passage, a qualified charter request form and clear operator disclosures for a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD. Judge the offers on three-year cost, on who owns the domain and images, and on whether the request form respects Washington's rules on sensitive data.
Who is this site for in Bellevue?
Bellevue sits on the east shore of Lake Washington, and its charter clientele looks like the city: senior engineers and executives from Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland, founders after an exit, and families who split the year between the Eastside and Hawaii or Palm Springs. Owners keep motor yachts in Lake Washington and Seattle marinas, and the cruising season runs mostly from late spring to early autumn, through the San Juan Islands, Desolation Sound in British Columbia and, for longer trips, the Inside Passage to Alaska. On the aviation side, departures use Boeing Field, Renton Municipal or Paine Field, and seaplanes from Lake Washington serve the islands.
The persona here is a small yacht management and charter company: it looks after five to fifteen privately owned yachts, offers them for charter when the owners are ashore, and books private flights for guests who want to join a boat in Friday Harbor or Ketchikan. The site has three jobs: reassure owners, win qualified charter requests, and stay readable on a phone at the dock.
What do Bellevue agencies, freelancers and Kolonell charge?
Orders of magnitude only, not official figures. Sources: public price pages of Seattle and Eastside agencies, minimum project sizes on Clutch.co profiles, published hourly rates (often 130 to 230 USD per hour in the Seattle area) and rates visible on Upwork.
| Criterion | Eastside or Seattle agency | Local freelancer | Kolonell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build cost, 2026 order of magnitude | 18 000 to 70 000 USD | 5 000 to 15 000 USD | 2 900 / 4 900 / 8 900 USD, fixed price |
| Hourly rate for changes | 130 to 230 USD | 80 to 140 USD | Quoted before any work |
| Typical timeline | 10 to 16 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks, Premium usually 4 to 6 |
| Drone or dockside shoot | Often offered | Sometimes | Not included: owner images or a local photographer |
| Copywriting | Often a separate line | Rarely included | Native English copywriting included |
| Post-launch support | Retainer | Case by case | 3 months, 6 in Premium |
| Domain and accounts | Check the contract | Check the contract | In your name, every access handed over |
Payment by bank transfer or Wise, 50 % at kickoff and 50 % at delivery. Your project manager joins Google Meet calls at your hour and sends a written update each week. Our team is in Senegal (GMT), seven to eight hours ahead of Bellevue, so a 9 a.m. call on the Eastside lands at 4 or 5 p.m. for us. Details are on our international websites page.
What does each package cover for a yacht management and charter company?
| Item | Starter 2 900 USD | Growth 4 900 USD | Premium 8 900 USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yacht pages | One page per yacht class | One page per yacht, with owner-approved photos, cabins and crew | Same, plus seasonal availability notes you edit yourself |
| Itineraries | Two sample routes | San Juan Islands, Desolation Sound, Inside Passage | Detailed day-by-day routes and a private flight add-on page |
| Owner section | Short management page | Management, maintenance and charter income explained | Separate owner pages and an owner inquiry form |
| Charter request | Short form | Qualified form: dates, guests, departure marina, flight needed, budget band | Separate charter and aviation paths |
| Mandarin or other language pages | No | No | Structure ready, text supplied by you or quoted separately |
| Timeline | 3 to 4 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks | Written plan, usually 4 to 6 weeks |
An owner portal with statements and bookings, an online booking engine with deposits, or a sync with your charter management software is a custom application, quoted separately, as is ongoing SEO.
What does the three-year cost look like?
Same maintenance assumption on both sides, since Kolonell maintenance after support is quoted separately.
| Line over 36 months | Seattle agency (mid-range) | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Build | 38 000 USD | 8 900 USD |
| Support after launch | Depends on contract | 6 months included |
| Maintenance (same assumption) | 190 USD per month over 30 months, 5 700 USD | 5 700 USD, quoted separately |
| Two new yachts added per season, 6 pages | 15 hours at 180 USD, 2 700 USD | Quoted upfront, assumption 1 500 USD |
| Mandarin home and contact pages | 2 000 USD | Supplied by you or quoted, 2 000 USD |
| Indicative total | 48 400 USD | 18 100 USD |
Use the table as a template. Ask every provider to fill in the same rows.
Which rules should the site respect?
Aviation. A private charter flight is performed by an operator with an air carrier certificate, usually under FAA Part 135. If you broker flights, say so and name who operates them; the DOT also has rules on how air charter brokers advertise. Boats. Carrying paying guests in the United States falls under US Coast Guard rules for passenger vessels, and trips into British Columbia bring Transport Canada rules into play; stay precise about which boats are offered crewed and which bareboat. Data. Washington's My Health My Data Act can apply if your form collects health information, such as mobility needs or medical conditions; keep those questions for a later, secure exchange. California visitors may bring CCPA/CPRA into play if you meet its thresholds. Accessibility. The ADA is the usual reference, WCAG 2.1 AA the technical target. This is not legal advice.
Which red flags should you watch for?
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- Drone footage of marinas or yachts with no proof of owner consent or licensing.
- A booking engine with deposits bundled into a brochure site budget.
- Owner yachts described as your fleet when you only manage them.
- Medical questions in the first form.
- Images and domain held in the agency's name.
Also ask how many revision rounds are included and what each new yacht page costs.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. Megan T. took over a Bellevue yacht management company with nine yachts after the founder retired. The old site loads slowly on a phone and still lists two boats that left the program. She compares:
- Seattle agency: 41 000 USD, 14 weeks, drone shoot included.
- Kolonell Premium: 8 900 USD, 4 to 6 weeks, with photos from the owners and one day with a local marine photographer for 1 800 USD.
Kolonell option: 8 900 + 1 800 = 10 700 USD, against 41 000 USD, a gap of 30 300 USD. Megan collects owner image consents herself and organizes the photo day.
FAQ
How much does a yacht charter website cost in Bellevue, Washington?
As a 2026 order of magnitude, 18 000 to 70 000 USD at an Eastside or Seattle agency and 5 000 to 15 000 USD with a freelancer. Kolonell charges a fixed 2 900, 4 900 or 8 900 USD.
Can the site handle owner inquiries too?
Yes. Growth and Premium include owner pages and, in Premium, a separate owner form. An owner portal with statements is a custom application, quoted separately.
Do you come to the marina for photos?
No, Kolonell does no on-site shoots or in-person meetings. A local marine photographer often costs 900 to 2 500 USD for half a day to a day.
Can I add a yacht mid-season?
Yes. During the 3 or 6 months of support we add pages on request, and after that each addition is quoted before work starts.
Can the site be in Mandarin?
Premium is built for extra languages, but Mandarin text is supplied by you or quoted separately; English is written natively and French is available in Premium.
Let's scope your project. Send us your yacht list, your main itineraries and the owner pages you need, and we will reply with a fixed-price package and a launch in 3 to 6 weeks. Request your free quote or see the international offer.
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.