What to Ask Before Hiring a Web Developer for Your Contractor Business

Most contractor website disasters follow the same pattern. Someone agrees on a price, pays a deposit, and spends the next several months chasing updates — eventually receiving something that looks nothing like what was discussed, or nothing at all.

This is almost always avoidable. The problems stem from things that weren't clearly established before work began. Here's the complete checklist.

Questions about experience and niche

"Have you built websites for contractors or home service businesses before?"

A developer who has built contractor sites before understands what actually matters: tap-to-call buttons, local SEO structure, before/after photo galleries, Google Maps integration, contact forms optimized for mobile. Someone without this experience will build a generic business site and figure out contractor-specific needs as they go — on your budget.

Ask for live URLs of contractor sites they've built, not just screenshots. Visit those sites on your phone and test them.

"Can you show me the PageSpeed score on sites you've built?"

Run any URL they give you through Google PageSpeed Insights right there in the conversation. A developer who consistently builds fast sites will be proud to show the scores. According to Google's research, 53% of mobile visits are abandoned when pages take more than 3 seconds to load — a slow site isn't just a technical issue, it directly costs leads. Look for scores of 90+ on mobile.

"Do you build dedicated pages for each city I serve?"

This is one of the most commonly missed elements in contractor websites. Each city you serve should have its own page for Google to rank you in that location. If the developer has never heard of this concept, that tells you something important.

Questions about what's included

"What exactly is in scope — and what will cost extra?"

Get a written list before any money changes hands. A solid contractor website scope should clearly answer:

• How many pages?
• Is copywriting included?
• Is on-page SEO setup included — meta tags, schema markup, XML sitemap?
• How many revision rounds?
• Are schema markup and Google Business Profile setup included?

Charging extra for a contact form, mobile responsiveness, or a gallery is a red flag. These are standard.

"Who owns the domain and code when the project is done?"

You should own 100% of everything: the domain name, the hosting account, the code. Register your domain yourself through Namecheap or Cloudflare Registrar before the project starts — never let the developer register it on your behalf. Make sure the contract states explicitly that full code ownership transfers to you on final delivery.

Questions about process and communication

"How do you show the design before you build it?"

A professional team shows you a design mockup in Figma or a similar tool for approval before writing any code. You see what your site will look like, request changes, and sign off — then development begins. A developer who skips this step and "reveals" a finished site weeks later is a consistent source of expensive disputes.

"What's your response time during the project?"

Ask specifically: what channel do you use, and how quickly do you reply? This is especially relevant for international teams where timezone gaps exist. Slow communication during a project — days between responses — compounds quickly into delays and missed expectations.

Questions about payment and support

"What's the payment structure?"

A fair and transparent structure ties payments to milestones you can verify: nothing upfront, the bulk of the payment after you've reviewed and approved the finished site, and a final payment after the site goes live. This gives both sides the right amount of leverage at each stage.

Specifically: $0 today, 80% after you approve the build, 20% after launch. Any developer asking for full payment upfront should be treated with caution — that's when most horror stories start.

For international payments, Wise offers transparent fees and clear transfer records.

"What's covered after launch — and for how long?"

Bugs happen after launch. Something works on desktop and breaks on a specific phone model. Ask what post-launch support is included and for how long. A serious team covers bug fixes for at least 30 days at no extra charge. Ask what happens after that — hourly rate? Monthly retainer? Having this settled in advance avoids uncomfortable conversations later.

"Can you walk me through how to update the site myself?"

If the site is built on WordPress or Webflow, you should be able to update text, photos, and services without calling a developer. Ask for a short screen recording walkthrough as part of the deliverables.

Red flags worth knowing

These patterns appear regularly in problematic contractor website projects:

• No contractor or home service portfolio
• Reluctance to share live URLs for previous work
• Vague scope with "we'll figure it out as we go"
• No design approval step before development
• 100% upfront payment required
• No clear answer on post-launch support
• Evasiveness about who owns the code and domain

On hiring internationally

Every question above applies equally whether you're hiring locally or from Central Asia. The vetting process doesn't change — what changes is the price.

According to Forbes, professional agency-built websites in the US typically cost between $2,000 and $9,000 for a small business site. Teams based in Central Asia operate at a fundamentally lower cost base due to a lower cost of living — not lower standards. They work on the same tech stack, serve US and European clients regularly, and for contractors comparing quotes, that difference is real and worth understanding.

More background: Why US Contractors Overpay for Websites.

Have a specific project in mind? We're happy to talk through it — no commitment required.

Last updated: March 2026