15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Web Developer

Print this list and use it on your next call with any web developer or agency — including us.

Cost & Contract

  1. What's included in the quoted price, exactly?
  2. What's billed separately (domain, hosting, plugins)?
  3. What's your payment schedule?
  4. Do I own the source code and design files after payment?

Timeline & Process

  1. What's the realistic delivery timeline?
  2. How many rounds of revisions are included?
  3. Who will I be communicating with during the project?

Technical

  1. What platform/CMS will the site be built on?
  2. Will the site be mobile-responsive by default?
  3. Is basic SEO included?
  4. Will I be able to edit content myself afterward?

Support

  1. What happens if something breaks after launch?
  2. Do you offer a maintenance plan, and what does it cover?
  3. What's your typical response time for support requests?
  4. Can I see 2-3 live websites you've built and are currently maintaining?

If a developer hesitates or gives vague answers to more than 2-3 of these, treat that as a red flag — see our related post on red flags of a bad web design agency.