How Much Does Bluehost Charge to Build a Website?

Bluehost does not charge a separate fee to build a website yourself. Every hosting plan includes the WonderSuite website builder and the AI-assisted WonderStart setup, both of which are free with your hosting subscription. If you want a professional designer to build the site for you, Bluehost offers a marketplace with third-party design services, and prices for those range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on scope.

Cost Overview: Bluehost Website Building Options

What Is Included Free with Bluehost Hosting

Every Bluehost shared hosting plan includes two DIY website building tools at no extra cost:

• WonderStart (AI-assisted setup): You answer two questions (what the site is about, your experience level) and Bluehost generates a starting layout using its WonderBlocks page builder. The result is a styled homepage, an About page, and a Contact page in around five minutes. Good for anyone who wants a draft to work from rather than starting with a blank screen.
• WonderSuite (full drag-and-drop builder): The complete Bluehost-native page builder. You can redesign your site, add sections, change fonts and colors, and manage pages without touching code. Competes with Elementor for usability on basic sites.
• WordPress (classic install): Bluehost is an official WordPress.org recommended host. One-click WordPress install puts you in front of the standard WordPress admin with full theme and plugin flexibility.

For most small business owners and bloggers, the free tools are sufficient. The Bluehost setup guide walks through all three options and explains which path suits which type of site.

Bluehost Professional Website Design: Costs and What You Get

If you do not want to build the site yourself, Bluehost offers professional design services through its marketplace and partner network. Current options:

• Bluehost Marketplace professionals: Third-party designers and agencies available through the Bluehost dashboard. A basic 5-page business site typically costs $200 to $600. A custom WooCommerce store starts around $800 to $2,000 depending on complexity.
• Bluehost Professional Services (managed): For clients who want Bluehost to handle setup, theme customization, and launch, managed onboarding packages are available via the sales team. These are quoted individually rather than listed publicly.
• Third-party WordPress designers: You can hire any WordPress developer independently of Bluehost. Sites like Upwork, Toptal, or local agencies charge $500 to $5,000+ for a full custom build, depending on scope.

How Long Does Professional Website Building Take?

The build timeline depends on who is doing the work and how ready your content is when they start:

• Bluehost Marketplace (basic 5-page site): Typically 1-2 weeks from deposit to delivery. Most marketplace designers have standard packages that do not require extensive back-and-forth.
• Bluehost Marketplace (custom WooCommerce): 3-6 weeks. Product import, payment gateway setup, and custom design rounds extend the timeline.
• Independent WordPress developer: Varies widely. A simple site with clear specs takes 2-4 weeks. A complex custom build can run 6-12 weeks or more.

The biggest timeline factor is content readiness. If you hand the designer everything (logo, copy, images, product info) upfront, the build proceeds quickly. Designers waiting on content from the client is the most common reason projects run over schedule.

WonderStart vs Professional Services: Which Should You Use?

The choice depends on your time, budget, and how specific your design requirements are:

• Use WonderStart or WonderSuite if: you have a few hours to spend, your site is a standard brochure or blog, and you do not have highly specific branding requirements. Most small business owners can produce a clean, functional site in a day using these tools.
• Use a professional service if: you need a custom design that matches established brand guidelines, you are building an eCommerce store with custom logic, you are launching under a deadline and cannot afford to troubleshoot WordPress yourself, or you simply do not want to touch the technical side at all.

What the Bluehost DIY Builder Cannot Do

Before committing to WonderSuite, it is worth knowing its limits compared to a full WordPress setup:

• Third-party plugin support: WonderSuite is Bluehost’s own builder. You cannot install arbitrary page builder plugins (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder) on top of it the way you can with a standard WordPress install. If you have a specific page builder in mind, go with the classic WordPress install instead.
• WooCommerce complexity: WonderSuite handles basic product pages, but complex WooCommerce setups (subscriptions, variable product attributes, multi-vendor) work better with a standard WordPress and WooCommerce install and appropriate plugins.
• Design flexibility ceiling: The drag-and-drop interface is beginner-friendly, but developers who want full theme file control or custom block patterns will hit limits quickly. The standard WordPress install with a premium theme offers more latitude.
• Export limitations: Content built in WonderSuite is more difficult to migrate to another host or builder than content in standard WordPress. If you think you may switch hosts in the next year or two, start with the WordPress install to avoid migration friction.

Ongoing Costs to Budget For After the Build

The build cost is a one-time expense. What follows matters for your total annual budget:

• Hosting renewal: Bluehost promotional rates apply to the first term only. The Basic plan renews at around $10.99/month, Choice Plus at $14.99/month. Factor in the renewal cost before your first term ends.
• Domain renewal: The free domain in year 1 renews at standard registrar pricing, typically $15-$20/year.
• Premium WordPress theme: If your professional build used a premium theme, ongoing access to theme updates usually costs $50-100/year.
• Essential plugins: Security, backup, and SEO plugins have free tiers, but premium versions add $50-150/year each.
• WooCommerce extensions: If you run an online store, subscription and shipping plugins typically add $100-300/year.

How Much Does a WooCommerce Store Cost on Bluehost?

Building an online store with WooCommerce on Bluehost adds cost beyond the hosting plan. WooCommerce itself is a free plugin, but a functional store typically requires paid add-ons:

• WooCommerce plugin: free. Install from the WordPress plugin repository in one click.
• Theme with WooCommerce support: $0 (Storefront) to $60-100 one-time for a premium theme such as Astra or Flatsome.
• Payment gateway: Stripe and PayPal are free to install. Transaction fees apply (Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).
• Essential paid extensions: WooCommerce Subscriptions ($199/year), PDF Invoices ($79/year), and shipping plugins vary by carrier.
• Professional setup via Bluehost Marketplace: A custom WooCommerce build typically runs $800 to $2,000+, depending on the number of products, custom design work, and payment integrations required.

Verdict: How Much Does Bluehost Charge to Build a Website?

Nothing for DIY. WonderStart and WonderSuite are included with every Bluehost hosting plan. For professional design services via the Bluehost marketplace, expect to pay $200 to $2,000+ depending on scope, with delivery in 1-4 weeks. If your budget is tight and you have a few hours, the free tools are a capable starting point. If you need a polished result fast and can invest $500 or more, the marketplace design services or an independent WordPress developer are both reasonable options. Once your site is live and you need to manage your account credentials, see our guide on how to change your Bluehost cPanel password.