Website Quote Checklist: 15 Questions to Ask Before You Pay

A website quote checklist is a short set of questions you put to every supplier so that their prices describe the same job. Without it, a KES 18,000 quote and a KES 60,000 quote can both be "for a website" and still have almost nothing in common. Below are the gaps that cause most surprise invoices in Kenya, followed by a printable list of 15 questions to send back before you pay a shilling.

Why two Kenyan website quotes rarely compare cleanly

Quotes differ for three reasons. First, each designer fills the gaps in your request with their own assumptions. Second, some quote a headline figure and leave extras for later. Third, tax is handled inconsistently: one supplier adds 16% VAT on top, another is not VAT-registered at all, and a third has quietly folded tax into a round number.

None of that means anyone is dishonest. It means the quote is answering a question you did not quite ask. The fix is to make the question precise, and then make each supplier answer the same follow-ups. If you have not yet chosen who to ask, start with our guide on how to hire a web design company in Kenya, which covers the brief and shortlist that come before this step.

Scope: pages, features and who writes the content

Scope is where the biggest differences hide. A good quote names every page. "5-page website" is not enough, because a "Services" page could be one long page or eight separate ones, each needing its own text and photos.

Look for these specifics:

• Page list with names, not just a number.
• Features such as contact forms, WhatsApp chat button, Google Map, gallery, blog, booking form, product catalogue.
• Integrations like M-Pesa checkout, an email newsletter tool or Google Analytics.
• Content responsibility. Who writes the words? Who supplies photos? Is stock photography licensed and paid for?
• Data entry. If there are 200 products, who uploads them?

Content is the line most often missing. Writing persuasive text for eight pages is real work, and if the quote assumes you will do it, the cheaper price may simply reflect that. Decide honestly whether you will have time. A site waiting on content can sit unfinished for months.

Is VAT in the price or on top?

Ask this every time. In Kenya, VAT-registered suppliers charge 16% on taxable services, and a quote that says "plus VAT" will cost 16% more than the figure printed in bold. On KES 40,000 that is another KES 6,400, which is not small change for a small business.

Three cases you will meet:

• "KES 40,000 + VAT": you will pay KES 46,400.
• "KES 46,400" with a note that tax is already inside the figure: that is the full amount. Confirm it in writing.
• "KES 40,000" with no mention of tax: ask whether the supplier is VAT-registered. If they are, VAT may appear on the invoice later.

If your own business is VAT-registered, you will also want a proper tax invoice through KRA's eTIMS so the expense can be claimed. The details are in our explainer on VAT on web design services in Kenya.

Revisions, timelines and what counts as a change request

Every design project involves feedback. The question is how much is included before extra charges apply. A useful quote states:

• How many rounds of design revisions are included, for example two rounds on the homepage and one on inner pages.
• What counts as a revision (moving a section, changing colours) versus a change request (adding a new page or feature).
• How change requests are priced: hourly, per item, or by a fresh mini-quote.
• The timeline, broken into phases, and what the supplier needs from you to stay on schedule.

Pay attention to the last point. Many delays are caused on the client side, by slow approvals or content that arrives late. A professional supplier will say what happens to the timeline when that occurs, rather than pretending it will not.

Ownership, logins and source files

This is the part people skip, and the one they regret most. Before you pay, get written answers to these:

• Whose name and email address will the domain be registered under? It should be your business.
• Will you get the hosting account login, or will the site sit on the designer's shared account?
• Will you receive the website's administrator login with full rights?
• Do any premium themes or plugins come with a licence in your name, and when do they renew?
• For custom code, will you get a copy of the source files on final payment?

A supplier who is cagey about these questions is showing you how the relationship will end. We list other early warnings in 11 red flags when hiring a web designer in Kenya.

Support after launch: what is free, what is billed

Something always needs adjusting after launch. A form email goes to spam, a phone number was mistyped, a page looks odd on an older Android phone. Ask how long fixes like these are free, and what counts as a fix rather than new work.

Then ask about the longer term. Who updates the software and plugins? Is there a monthly support plan, and what does it cover? How are backups handled? What does the domain and hosting renewal cost each year, and who pays it? Recurring costs are easy to forget when you are focused on the build price, and they add up over three years.

A printable 15-question checklist

Copy this list into an email or a WhatsApp message and send it to every supplier on your shortlist. Ask them to answer each number. Then put the answers next to each other.

1. Can you list every page included, by name?
2. Which features and integrations are included (forms, WhatsApp, map, M-Pesa, blog, booking)?
3. Who writes the text, and is copywriting included or extra?
4. Who provides photos, and are any stock images licensed for us?
5. Is the price shown before or after 16% VAT, and are you VAT-registered?
6. Will you issue an eTIMS tax invoice?
7. How many design revision rounds are included?
8. How do you price change requests outside the agreed scope?
9. What is the timeline by phase, and what do you need from us at each phase?
10. What is the payment schedule, and what triggers each payment?
11. Will the domain be registered in our business name with our email address?
12. Will we receive the hosting, domain and website admin logins at launch?
13. Do any paid themes, plugins or licences renew yearly, and at what cost to us?
14. How long is the free fix period after launch, and what does it cover?
15. What ongoing support do you offer, and how is it billed?

How to compare the answers

Draw a simple grid with the 15 questions down the side and each supplier across the top. Mark each answer green (clear and acceptable), amber (vague, needs follow-up) or red (missing or unacceptable). Any red on questions 11 or 12 should end the conversation. Several ambers mean you should ask again before deciding.

Then adjust the prices. Add VAT where it is on top. Add an estimate for anything the supplier excluded that you will need, such as copywriting or product uploads. Only now are the numbers comparable.

A short example

Say a physiotherapy clinic in Nakuru receives two quotes. Clinic quote one is KES 25,000 with no VAT mentioned, the client writes all content and there is no support period. Clinic quote two is KES 32,000 plus VAT, copywriting for six pages included, a booking request form and 60 days of free fixes. After asking, the first supplier confirms they are VAT-registered and will add VAT, and quotes KES 7,000 for copywriting. Now it is KES 37,120 against KES 37,120 for quote two: effectively the same price, but only one includes a booking form and post-launch support. The checklist made that visible.

Before you pay the deposit

Once you have chosen, ask for the agreed answers to be written into the proposal or contract, not left in a chat thread. Then pay the deposit by a traceable method and keep the receipt.

If you would like a quote that already answers all 15 questions, see what is included on our web development page, check typical price ranges in the website cost guide, or send your brief through the contact page.