Construction website design: what a builder’s site needs

Most construction work still starts with a recommendation. But the next thing that person does is search your name, and whatever they find either backs up the recommendation or undoes it. A construction company website is a sales tool: it has to prove you can deliver, then make it easy to ask for a quote.

The pages a construction website needs

A home page that says what you build, where you work and the kind of jobs you take on, within a few seconds.
A page for each service: extensions, loft conversions, renovations, new builds, commercial fit-outs. Each explains what’s involved, who it suits and what the process looks like.
Projects, the most important section on the site (more below).
About, with real photos of the people who’ll turn up on site.
Contact, with a short form, a phone number and the areas you cover.

Show your work properly

A grid of thumbnails isn’t enough. Pick your best five to ten jobs and give each one its own page:

good photos of the finished work, with wide shots for scale and close-ups for finish;
a short account of the brief, the build and the result;
the town it was in, which quietly helps local search;
a quote from the client, if they’re happy to give one.

Group projects by type, so a homeowner planning an extension can find extensions without scrolling past a warehouse fit-out. Always use your own photos. Stock images of hard hats and handshakes prove nothing and make visitors suspicious.

Credentials and trust

Construction clients look for proof that you’re qualified, insured and safe. Show the accreditations you genuinely hold, such as CHAS, Constructionline, TrustMark or FMB membership, along with your insurance cover and any guarantees. For commercial clients, these are often required before you’re even invited to tender. Putting your policies and credentials on the site as downloadable documents saves time on pre-qualification questionnaires.

Turning visitors into enquiries

A clear call to action on every page: “Get a quote” or “Book a site visit”.
Short forms: name, phone, postcode, type of job and rough timescale are enough.
Your phone number in the header, tappable on a phone.
Reviews placed next to those buttons, where they tip the decision.

Built for phones and for speed

Many people will look at your site on a phone, often on site or in a kitchen they want extending. Construction sites are image-heavy, so photos need compressing and loading only as the visitor scrolls. A slow site loses people before they’ve seen your best work.

Getting found locally

Mention the towns you actually work in, naturally, on your service and project pages. A builder covering Seaham, Sunderland and Durham should say so, rather than “the North East” in general. Keep your Google Business Profile complete, add project photos to it regularly, and ask happy clients for reviews. Here’s more on local SEO.

An example

Durham Coast Roofing is a concept website I designed and built to show what a roofer’s site can be. It isn’t a real company, but it demonstrates the structure above: service pages, a project gallery, the areas covered, and click-to-call throughout. For a real trade site, see the work for Treemasters Arboricultural & Forestry in Seaham.

What you’ll need to provide

A construction website lives or dies on its photos, so start collecting them now. Before a build I’ll ask for:

photos of five to ten finished jobs you’re proud of, plus any in-progress shots;
a sentence or two on each job: what the client wanted, what you did, and where it was;
the services you want more of, and the towns you’ll travel to;
your accreditations, insurance details and any guarantees;
a few genuine reviews, or permission to link to your Google reviews.

If your photos are on your phone, that’s fine. I’ll pick the best, crop and compress them, and tell you if a job would be worth re-photographing.

Common questions

Do I need a separate page for each service?

Yes, if you want to be found for each one. A page about loft conversions can rank for loft conversion searches; a single list of everything you do rarely ranks for anything.

What if I don’t have good photos of my work?

Start taking them on every job from now on: wide shots in daylight, and close-ups of the finish. Until you have enough, fewer good photos beat lots of poor ones. Never use stock photos of other people’s work.

Can the website help with tenders?

It can save time. Putting your policies, accreditations and project references on the site as downloadable documents makes pre-qualification questionnaires quicker, and shows commercial clients you’re organised.

How long does it take?

As a guide, most sites take one to two weeks once I have your content and photos. Larger or Bespoke builds take longer, and I’ll give you a date in writing before we start.

What it costs

My prices are fixed and published on the services page. Starter is £295 for up to five pages. Growth is £595 for up to ten pages, with a design made for your business, local search set-up for the areas you cover and your Google Business Profile tidied up; most builders with a project portfolio will want this one. Larger sites are Bespoke, from £995. You own the site outright.

Tell me about your business and I’ll come back with a fixed price, or ask for a free review of the site you already have.