You ask how long it takes to build a website because there's a launch, a busy season or a sign going up. The answers online run from a few hours to 14 weeks, and most are written for people building their own. For a business site made by a professional, the real range is much tighter.
Short answer: a one-page site takes me 3 to 5 days, a small site of up to 5 pages about a week, a 5 to 8 page business site 1 to 2 weeks, and a bigger custom site 2 to 3 weeks. The build is rarely the slow part. Late text, photos and feedback are what turn a one-week job into a month.
Why do some websites take three days and others three months?
Mostly page count, and what each page has to do. A team page is cheap. A booking flow is not. The bigger gap is between work and waiting. The days I spend building are a fraction of the calendar time, and the rest is waiting for text, photos, decisions and replies. People also ask how many hours a website takes. It depends on the site, so I don't quote an hour count. The hours are small. The elapsed time is the part that moves.
Other guides say longer. One agency guide, updated 30 April 2026, gives 2 to 4 weeks for a 5 to 7 page template site, 4 to 8 weeks for a 10 to 15 page custom site and 8 to 14 weeks for a premium build with integrations. Those are agency-sized projects with several people approving each step. A small site with one decision-maker moves faster. If you want to see what that size of site costs, I laid out what a website costs in Canada in a separate post.
How long will my website take?
| Site type | Pages | My usual time | What pushes it long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | 1 | 3 to 5 days | Text arriving in pieces |
| Starter | 2 to 5 | About 1 week | Missing photos |
| Business | 5 to 8 | 1 to 2 weeks | Two people approving |
| Flagship | 8 or more | 2 to 3 weeks | Custom features such as booking |
These are my usual times, not a promise of a date. They come from the timeline for each package on my pricing page.
From your side, it goes like this. You send me a message about the business and I reply within one business day. I build the site and send you a live preview link. You look it over and ask for changes. It goes live only when you say so. That is how I work. These are custom-coded sites, not a template with your name dropped in, and the times above still hold.
What makes a website take longer than quoted?
Four things move the date. If your text and photos aren't ready, a week becomes three. Get them together first (my post on whether AI can write your homepage shows what a draft still needs from you). If a partner or a committee approves the work, the rounds of feedback double, so name one person. If the site needs setup, such as booking, a members area or forms that go to different people, that is Flagship time. And if I can't get into your domain, your Google Business Profile or your logo files, everything waits. Even after I change your domain settings, visitors can take a while to see it, because Cloudflare explains that a longer cache setting means updates take longer to go into effect.
Some things people worry about don't slow it down. Hosting and SSL are free with my sites, so there's nothing to shop for. And the design itself rarely slows a job when you give me a clear brief. You'll also see claims of a site built in two hours with AI. I didn't test that for this post, so I won't say it's false. But a draft is a different thing from a finished site. The time goes to your text, the decisions, checking every page on a phone, making sure a form reaches your inbox, and the mistakes you spot a week later.
Launch isn't the finish line either. Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and a new Business Profile review takes up to 5 business days. My Google Business Profile checklist covers that side. Ranking takes longer still, and I don't promise a date for it.
Where do I fit, and how do I get a date that holds?
Tell me the date you need first, and I'll work back from it. I'll say honestly if it works. It often does for a landing page or a Starter site, and not always for a Flagship. I build custom-coded websites for small businesses, and there are pages for dental clinics and restaurants. A redesign has its own steps, so I cover it separately on the website redesign page.
You may not need me. A one-page site for a test or a hobby is fine on a builder, and that is a different job from a site meant to bring in customers. If you do hire a designer, ask two questions: what do you need from me, and by when. My post on green flags and red flags when hiring a web designer has more to ask.
What to do this week:
- Write down the date you need the site live, and the reason.
- Gather your logo, 5 to 10 photos and a one-paragraph description of each service.
- Name the one person who approves the work.
- List what you log in to, such as your domain and your Google Business Profile.
Related posts
- How much does a website cost in Canada?
- Green flags and red flags when hiring a web designer
- Can AI write your homepage?
- Google Business Profile checklist for GTA small businesses
Sources
- Google Search Central: Ask Google to recrawl your URLs (last updated 10 December 2025)
- Google Business Profile Help: Verify your business
- Cloudflare Docs: DNS record TTL
- Colorado Web Impressions: How long does it take to build a business website (updated 30 April 2026)
- Eagle Rock Web Design: Pricing
Questions people ask
How long does it take to build a website from scratch?
A custom site made from nothing for your business is the kind I build, and the times above are for that: 3 to 5 days for one page, up to 2 to 3 weeks for 8 or more pages. A template filled in can be quicker, but it is a different product.
How long does it take to build a website for a small business?
For most small businesses it is about 1 to 2 weeks, a Starter or Business site, when the text and photos are ready. Plan an extra week or two before your date as a cushion.
Can I get a website in a week?
Yes for a landing page (3 to 5 days) or a Starter site (about 1 week), if I have your text, photos and answers on time. A rush date is a conversation, not a promise.
When will my site show up on Google?
Launching and being found are different. Google says crawling can take a few days to a few weeks. Ranking well takes longer, and I don't promise a date for it.
Got a launch date in mind?
Tell me the date you need your site live and I'll tell you honestly if it works. You can also see what each package costs.
Tell me your launch date