How Firetail Hosting Prices Projects (and Why It Works This Way)

At Firetail Hosting, we believe website creation should be simple, collaborative, and transparent. That’s why we offer two flexible pricing models for all our projects — whether you're launching a personal blog or building a storefront.

We offer both Ghost and Shopify websites, built by dedicated teams within Firetail Hosting. Ghost sites are handled by our internal development team and hosted on our infrastructure, while Shopify sites are created in partnership with our trusted eCommerce team and handed off to you upon completion.

🔧 The Two Pricing Models

We use two models to match your project needs and budget.

✅ Option 1: One-Time Fee Website Build

Perfect for simpler projects with clearly defined requirements. You tell us what you need, and we’ll deliver a finished site for a fixed price.

Pros:

• Upfront clarity – You get a flat rate based on your initial project scope.
• Simple scope – Great for sites that don’t require ongoing planning or iteration.
• Quick delivery – We work toward a final product based on a shared plan.

Cons:

• Changes require a new agreement – Once the scope is approved, any new requests are handled as separate work.
• Often more expensive – To avoid surprises, we build in buffer time and overestimate for certainty.
• Requires client input – We still meet weekly for feedback and reviews to keep everything on track.

🔁 Option 2: Ongoing Weekly Billing

For more complex or evolving projects, we offer a week-to-week model so you only pay for what you need.

How it works:

• You pay an initial fee — this covers your first 2 weeks + any known costs (like premium themes, apps, etc.)
• Every week the project is ongoing after the first 2 weeks, you get billed at a fixed rate.
• Each billing week runs Monday to Monday
• By Friday or Saturday, we deliver progress and review with you
• If you have more features or edits, you’ll be billed for another week
• You can pause or stop billing at any time once you're satisfied

We prioritize your requests and give realistic expectations at the start of each week. If a feature requires more than one week, we’ll let you know — no surprises.

Pros:

• Week-by-week progress – You’re billed for each week we actively work on your site.
• Flexible planning – You can add new features or change direction as the project develops.
• Built-in collaboration – Every week includes a check-in for feedback, updates, and planning.

Cons:

• Costs can vary – Final cost depends on how many weeks of work are needed.
• No pause option – Once we start a billing week, it runs through to delivery.
• Requires client input – Like fixed-price builds, we meet weekly to review progress and plan next steps.

💡 Why This Works

• Simple projects stay simple. One-time pricing keeps things clean when the scope is clear.
• Complex projects stay flexible. Weekly billing ensures you’re only paying for the work you need.
• You stay in control. Want to add new features later? Just add another week.

✋ What’s Not Included (By Default)

Some things are priced separately, like:

• Premium third-party themes or apps
• Major redesigns after approval
• Advanced SEO or marketing integrations

We’ll always let you know before charging for anything outside your current billing scope.

💵 Examples of What’s Included in the Initial Fee

These are one-time costs that may be added to your initial invoice:

• ✔️ First week of development
• ✔️ Premium themes (Ghost or Shopify)
• ✔️ Paid apps or integrations with setup costs (e.g. Shopify apps)
• ✔️ Domain purchase (if we’re managing this for you)
• ✔️ Commercial font licenses
• ✔️ Graphic design work (e.g. custom hero image if the client doesn't supply one)
• ✔️ Custom asset creation (e.g. branded icons, backgrounds)

💡 We expect most content (text, images, brand assets) to be provided during the initial project meeting. If major content or visuals are missing, we can help source or create them — this would be added to the initial fee.

🔁 Examples of What the Weekly Fee Covers

The weekly fee is what you pay during active development. It covers:

• ✔️ Website development (feature building, layout, styling)
• ✔️ Blog or product setup
• ✔️ Revisions or changes from weekly reviews
• ✔️ Third-party integrations (email, analytics, social)
• ✔️ Mobile responsiveness adjustments
• ✔️ Bug fixes
• ✔️ Client check-ins, planning, and feedback reviews
• ✔️ Progress delivery (usually by Friday or Saturday)
• ✔️ Training prep and walkthroughs
• ✔️ Hosting support (Ghost sites only)

🧑‍🏫 Training & Handoff

All projects include live training so you know exactly how to use your site. We’ll walk you through content updates, publishing, product management, and more — no tech experience required.

Ready to get started? Contact us to get a quote or book a discovery call.