ProcessFebruary 26, 20265 min read

How long does it take to build a website or web app?

Timelines slip for predictable reasons, and almost none of them are development speed. Here are the ranges we work to and what to protect if you have a hard deadline.

Typical timelines

Assuming content is available and feedback comes back within a few days.

  • Landing page: 3–7 days
  • Small business WordPress site: 2–4 weeks
  • WordPress redesign with migration: 4–6 weeks
  • WooCommerce store: 4–10 weeks
  • Custom web application: 8–20 weeks, usually phased
  • Cross-platform mobile app: 10–20 weeks including store review

What causes delays

In our experience, content is the number one cause, followed by slow approval cycles and third-party access. Development is rarely the bottleneck.

  • Copy and images not ready when the build reaches those pages
  • Feedback arriving in fragments over several weeks
  • Waiting on hosting, domain or API credentials
  • New requirements added mid-build without adjusting the schedule

How to hit a hard deadline

Fix the launch date and flex the scope, not the other way around. Decide up front which features are launch-critical and which can ship two weeks later, then protect that decision when someone suggests one more thing.

  • Agree a single decision-maker for approvals
  • Book feedback slots in the calendar before the build starts
  • Lock scope for phase one; collect everything else for phase two
  • Get credentials and hosting sorted in week one

How we schedule

You get milestone dates rather than one launch date, with a clickable demo at each one. If something is going to move, you hear it in the weekly update rather than the week of launch.

Tell us about your project

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