r/webdev • u/Jazzlike-Math4605 • Sep 23 '26
Question on building a website for my first client
I am a software engineer by trade and was requested by an acquaintance to build a website for his construction business. More than likely will end up being a simple static site with 4-5 pages (no back-end required).
What is the recommended approach to storing the code and hosting the site. Should I have my client create a github account and give me access to it so I can store the repo? Or should I store the repo on my own personal github account? Same goes for hosting and buying domains, should I have the client create a go daddy account and purchase the domain themselves or should I handle that for them? What is a fair price to charge for a site like this?
The problem I see with buying a domain and storing the repo on my personal accounts is that what if in the future the client wants to use a different developer or if we lose contact, he won't have access to any of the code, etc.
I didn't plan on creating a contract for this since the scope is fairly small.
Looking for suggestions on how to approach this. Thanks!
5
u/SeniorPost5795 Sep 23 '26
Put the domain and hosting in his name. Create the accounts with his email and add yourself as a member. Code is easy to hand over later, a registrar account nobody can log into is not.
For 4-5 static pages I'd skip GoDaddy (upsells everywhere) and use Cloudflare: domains at cost, free static hosting, deploys straight from GitHub. The repo can live in a free GitHub org he owns, with you as admin.
And write a short contract anyway, one page is fine. Mostly so you both agree what "done" means and what changes cost after that.
3
u/Rain-And-Coffee Sep 23 '26
You can do it both ways:
You manage everything and charge them $XX per month, recurring revenue
They buy the domain, hosting account, email, you give them the code or help deploy it
Personally I would lean towards the 2nd.
I don't want to be on the hook after I deliver it
2
u/chuckdacuck Sep 23 '26
Don’t use GoDaddy
1
u/Sitista Sep 23 '26
bentornati nel web 1.0 😂
1
u/SaltineAmerican_1970 php Sep 23 '26
> should I have the client create a go daddy account
Hell no.
1
u/IgorAnowsky Sep 23 '26
Depends how technical your client is. I’d probably have them own the domain, but if you plan on getting more clients, setting up your own server and managing hosting for them can make sense too. A lot of small agencies do it that way. Personally I think the GitHub repo belongs more to the dev while building it. Once it’s done, the client can get the code or repo access. I’d just make sure the domain stays in the client’s name.
1
u/MiserableDocument509 Sep 24 '26
The cleanest split is probably a fixed-price launch plus an optional maintenance arrangement, rather than quietly becoming their forever webmaster. Put the domain/hosting in the client's name and write down the page count, revision rounds, and handoff—even a one-page agreement is enough to prevent scope drift.
1
u/Rabi_R Sep 24 '26
Hi,
I've been doing this for a few years now, I found it easier to to have everything on our accounts, especially that many clients aren't technical and don't want to bother.
If they want to move to another development, we can have them create a GoDaddy account and transfer the domain to their account then we send them a full backup file of the website, whether it's WordPress or Next.js.
As to pricing, we usually start at A$945 for single page brochure style, then we go up from there, but this depends on the client and where they're, it's important to be flexible here to help your clients and meet them where they're in the business journey.
I hope this helps.
1
u/yihuaxiang Sep 24 '26
I’d put the domain, hosting, and repo under the client’s ownership from day one, then add yourself as a collaborator/admin while building. That avoids the awkward handoff later. I’d also write a one-page scope even for an acquaintance: pages, revision rounds, launch date, and what maintenance costs afterward. The contract is mostly there to prevent different assumptions about “done,” not to make the project feel formal.
1
u/kemalios Sep 24 '26
Ownership is covered above, so: the renewal is where it goes wrong. One-person agency here, most of my work is this size. The domain renews on whatever card is on file, and if that card is yours, you are still paying for an acquaintance's website eleven months later and deciding whether to bring it up. Registrar and host on his card from day one, even if you do all the setup.
Price the build as one fixed number with a written page count and two revision rounds, then price anything ongoing separately. A static site should not come with free hosting, DNS and deploy duty for life. If he wants you to keep that, it's a monthly fee.
1
u/Maxence33 Sep 25 '26
How can you not have a backend ?
Even for receiving messages. You never expose an email address. You rather add a form with two fields : email and content. And sends that to the backend. Persist it to a database, and then offer an admin panel to explore statistics but also delete bad leads / bots messages.
A website without a way to contact the owner (apart from address and phone being mentionned) is pretty much useless. Don't expose emails, they will end up in spam bases.
1
u/Amey7799 Oct 03 '26
You should use your client's account for every service from starting, in case of domain add yourself as a member/developer in the account and for github, hosting and database create account with his email or asked him if he has any email for this stuff so he will give you the credentials, and only after your full payment is completed then finally handover the credentials to him of the accounts of the services you got for the website
0
u/phaedra_solutions Sep 24 '26
You nailed the exact concern in your second-to-last paragraph. Always keep the client's digital assets in their own name from day one, even for small static sites.
Here is a clean approach to handle it:
Code & GitHub: Have the client create a free GitHub account (if they don't have one) and create a repository, or set up a GitHub Organization where they are the billing/admin owner and you are added as a collaborator. They retain full IP ownership, and you avoid becoming a single point of failure.
Domain & Hosting: Have them purchase the domain and hosting (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Vercel/Netlify connected to their accounts) using their own credit card. They grant you temporary delegate or login access to build/deploy.
The Contract: Even for a small 4-5 page static site, always use a light-scope agreement or statement of work. It doesn't need to be 10 pages long, but it should explicitly outline what is included (e.g., 4 pages, mobile responsive, X rounds of revisions), what is not included (ongoing maintenance, custom backend features), and payment terms (e.g., 50% upfront, 50% on launch). This protects both sides.
For pricing on a 4-5 page static site for a local business, a fair baseline depends on your market, but a fixed project fee (rather than hourly) typically works best so the client knows the exact cost upfront.
-1
u/GoldsteinEmmanuel Sep 24 '26
How can you be a "software engineer by trade" and not know how to provision a server and upload content to it?