Planning a new website?
This guide covers realistic timelines, costs and what each option actually delivers.
Need it live this week?
Launch48 delivers a complete site in 48 hours for $699, first month of maintenance included.
First, define the actual deadline
There is a difference between "we need it live before the trade show on Thursday" and "the boss asked why we still have no website." A real deadline changes what you should buy: with 48 hours, buy fixed scope; with two weeks, a semi-custom build is achievable and better; with a month, you can do this properly with a studio.
The four urgent routes, honestly compared
Fixed-scope professional build, 24 to 48 hours, $500 to $2,000. Predictable, published scope, someone else does the work. Best when your time is worth more than the fee.
Freelancer, 3 to 10 days, $500 to $3,000. Depends entirely on their current availability and skill. Ask directly when they can start, not whether they can.
DIY builder, one weekend, $0 to $200. Genuinely viable if you have the weekend and an eye for layout. The cost is your time and a result that depends on you.
Agency rush job, expensive. Some agencies take rush work at a premium. Rarely worth it, since the premium buys queue position rather than better work.
The urgent-case checklist
Whichever route you take, insist on these before paying: the domain registered in your name, hosting in an account you control, SSL active, a contact form that has been tested by actually submitting it, mobile checked on a real phone, and Google Analytics or equivalent installed. Urgent builds skip exactly these details, and each one costs you money quietly afterwards.
The special case: your old site just died
If the urgency is that your existing site broke, hacked, down or deleted, do not rebuild first. Check whether it can be recovered from a backup, which is usually faster and cheaper than a rebuild and preserves your rankings. Our emergency repair guide covers the first fifteen minutes, and recovery beats replacement in most cases.
What we do for urgent work
Launch48 delivers a complete five page site in 48 hours for $699 flat, including SSL, tested forms, on page SEO, analytics and your first month of maintenance. For a site that is broken rather than missing, we quote emergency fixes flat after a fifteen minute triage and start the same day. Either way you are talking to engineers rather than a queue.
Frequently asked questions
Can anyone genuinely build a good site in two days? Yes, with fixed scope and prepared content. What cannot be compressed is an unbounded custom project, which is why fast providers publish their scope.
Should I use a template to save time? Every fast build uses a proven structure of some kind. That is not a compromise; it is why it is fast. The difference between good and bad is the thinking applied on top.
What if I need changes after launch? Build in the expectation of changes. Ask what edits cost, or choose a provider whose plan includes monthly edit hours so small changes never become invoices.
Is it cheaper to wait and do it properly? Sometimes. But a business without a website is losing enquiries every week it waits, and that cost is usually larger than the difference between a $699 build and a $5,000 one.
Need a website, not a six-week project?
Launch48 delivers a complete five-page business website in 48 hours for $699 flat, mobile-ready, secure and fast at launch, with your first month of maintenance included.