A build quote without a three-year view is not a budget; it is a deposit.
Where the real money goes
- Platform licence — often revenue-based, and it escalates as you grow. Model it at your projected volume, not today’s.
- Hosting and infrastructure — including the environments you need for staging and QA.
- Third-party services — search, tax, payments, reviews, personalisation. Each one is small; together they are not.
- Integration maintenance — connectors break when either side upgrades. Budget for it annually.
- Support and enhancement — the retainer that starts the month after launch.
Questions to ask before signing
What is not included in this number? What happens to the price if scope grows by twenty percent? What does year two cost if we change nothing? A partner who answers these plainly is easier to work with than one who quotes low and reconciles later.
