Finding a Squarespace designer is easy. Choosing the right one is harder, because almost everyone shows a beautiful portfolio and the differences that matter sit in places a portfolio never shows: who does the work, who owns the result, and what happens when something breaks.
Most of the problems we are asked to fix were decided at the hiring stage. A site built inside the designer's own account. Old pages left to return errors after a move. A quote that looked cheap until the copy, the extra page and the second round of changes were added.
None of those are hard to avoid once you know what to ask. This guide gives you the checks, the questions and the red flags, plus a simple way to compare quotes.
One thing to be upfront about: we are a Squarespace design studio, so we have a stake in this. We have tried to write the guide we would want a friend to read, including when you should hire someone else, or nobody at all.
Do you need a designer at all?
Start here, because the honest answer is sometimes no. Squarespace is built for people to use themselves, and every site starts with a 14-day free trial, so you can test that before spending anything.
- Build it yourself if you are testing an idea, need a simple portfolio, or enjoy the editor and have the time.
- Use a premium template with some help if you want a polished look and are happy to write your own pages. This usually costs under £750.
- Hire a designer if the website has to bring in enquiries, you have tried and stalled, or you are moving from another platform and cannot afford to lose your place on Google.
If you are still deciding, our guide to what a Squarespace website really costs adds up each route, including the bills that start in year two.
Where to find a Squarespace designer
There are four sensible places to look, and each has a blind spot.
- Recommendations. Still the strongest signal, because someone has lived with the result. Ask what happened after launch, not only whether they liked the design.
- Squarespace Circle members. Circle is Squarespace's programme for professional designers, and membership shows someone works on the platform regularly. It tells you about experience, not fit, so still judge the work.
- Search and AI assistants. Useful for a shortlist. Treat rankings and recommendations as a starting point, then check the evidence yourself.
- Freelance marketplaces. Prices can be low and quality varies widely. Scope and aftercare matter even more here.
The nine checks
Work through these before you pay a deposit. A good designer will be pleased you asked.
1. Live work in your field
Ask for links, not screenshots, and open them on your phone. Most visitors will see your site that way, and a live site shows what a mock-up can hide: slow pages, awkward menus, text that wraps badly.
Look for work with businesses like yours. A designer who has built for therapists will already know that a calm tone, clear fees and easy contact matter more than visual flair. You should not have to teach them your customers.
2. Proof that goes beyond looks
A good-looking site is the minimum. Ask what the work achieved, and how anyone knows.
Specific, dated numbers are a good sign, even small ones. Our own example: the Lily Wash & Dry Cleaners website launched in 2018 and was still recording 464 visits a month in July 2026 with no paid advertising. Vague claims like “we boost your visibility” tell you nothing.
3. Who will actually do the work
Studios and agencies can do excellent work, but you should know who is designing your site, who is writing it, and who you will speak to when something breaks. If the person selling the project disappears after the deposit, ask who replaces them.
Neither model is automatically better. A larger team gives you more skills and more cover. A single designer gives you continuity and fewer handoffs. Choose based on what your project needs.
4. Custom design, or a template with your logo
At the lower end of the market, “custom” can mean a bought template with new colours. That is fine if you know that is what you are buying, and it can be very good value. It is not fine if you are paying for something else.
Ask directly: will the layout be designed around my services, or adapted from an existing template? Either answer is acceptable. A vague one is not.
5. A written scope and a fixed price
The same £2,500 can buy very different projects. Before you sign, the proposal should state:
- how many pages are included, and what an extra page costs
- how many rounds of changes you get
- who writes the copy and who supplies the images
- the timeline, and what you need to provide to keep to it
- what is not included
If the price depends on hours, ask for a cap.
6. Who owns the site and the domain
This is the question most people forget, and the hardest one to fix later. Your Squarespace site, your domain, your Google Analytics and your Search Console should all be in your name, with the designer invited as a contributor.
Ask for this in writing. If your designer controls the account, leaving them can become a negotiation.
7. How they handle SEO and redirects
Ask exactly what is included: page titles and descriptions, heading structure, image sizes, mobile speed, and a Search Console setup. These are the basics, and they should not be an expensive extra.
If you already have a website, ask what happens to your old pages. Each old address needs a redirect to its new home, or you risk losing rankings you have spent years earning. Be wary of anyone who promises a position on Google. Nobody can guarantee that.
8. Who writes the words
Copy decides whether a website works more than almost anything else, and it is often where a project stalls. Some designers include full copywriting, some refine what you send, and many include neither.
Neither is wrong, but you need to know. If you are writing it yourself, ask for a page-by-page outline so you are not staring at a blank document.
9. What happens after launch
You will want to change a price, add a testimonial or fix something at an awkward moment. Ask how you will be shown to edit the site, whether there is a recorded handover, and what help costs afterwards. A clear hourly rate or care plan is a good sign. Silence is not.
What should a Squarespace designer cost?
Market estimates for a five-page small business site, as a one-off:
| Route | Typical cost | Typical time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template plus set-up help | Under £750 (under $1,000) | 1–2 weeks | Owners happy to write their own pages |
| Freelance designer | £1,500–£3,000 ($800–$4,000) | 2–6 weeks | A clear offer that needs a credible site |
| Specialist Squarespace studio | £1,500–£6,000 ($1,900–$7,500) | 2–6 weeks | Sites that must bring in enquiries |
| Agency | £3,000–£15,000 ($2,000–$10,000) | 6–12 weeks | Larger teams, more stakeholders |
Estimates from our Squarespace cost guide. Ranges overlap because scope matters more than job title.
For what you should get at each level, read how much it costs to hire a Squarespace designer. Our own prices are public on our pricing page.
Twelve questions to ask on the first call
- Can I see three live sites you have built for businesses like mine?
- Who will design it, who will write it, and who do I contact afterwards?
- Is the design custom, or adapted from a template?
- How many pages and rounds of changes are included?
- What would make the price go up?
- When could you start, and how long will it take?
- What do you need from me, and by when?
- Will the site and domain be in my name from the start?
- What SEO work is included?
- If I am moving from another site, how will you protect my rankings?
- How will you show me to update the site myself?
- What does help cost after launch?
You do not need to ask all twelve. Notice how they respond. Clear, unbothered answers tell you as much as the answers themselves.
Red flags
- A guaranteed Google ranking. Nobody controls that.
- The site stays in their account. Your website should belong to you.
- Only screenshots, no live links. Live sites are easy to share.
- No written scope. Disputes usually start here.
- A big price with no breakdown. You cannot compare what you cannot see.
- No plan for your old pages. That is how rankings get lost.
- Pressure to decide today. Good designers are rarely in a hurry to take your deposit.
How to compare three quotes
Quotes rarely line up, so do not compare the totals first. Give each one a score from 1 to 3 on these five lines, then look at the price.
| Check | Score 1 if | Score 3 if |
|---|---|---|
| Relevant proof | Screenshots only | Live sites in your field, with results |
| Scope | A single price | Pages, changes and exclusions in writing |
| Ownership | Not mentioned | Everything in your name, in writing |
| SEO and redirects | “SEO included” | A named list, with a redirect plan |
| Aftercare | Nothing after launch | Handover, plus clear support costs |
A quote that scores 13 at £3,000 is usually better value than one that scores 7 at £1,800, because the gaps in the cheaper quote tend to come back as extras or repairs.
When we are not the right choice
We work only on Squarespace, so we are the wrong people if your project needs something the platform does not do well, such as complex custom software or a very large online shop. If that is you, choose a developer who can recommend a better platform.
We are also not the right fit if your budget is under about £1,500. In that case, one of our premium templates, or a template from Squarespace itself, is a better use of your money than a rushed custom build.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a Squarespace designer?
Most service businesses pay £1,500–£6,000 ($1,900–$7,500) for a designer-built site. Template help with light set-up usually costs under £750, and agencies typically charge £3,000–£15,000. The price depends on pages, custom layout, copywriting and SEO more than on who is doing the work.
How long does a Squarespace website take to design?
Usually two to six weeks with a freelancer or specialist studio, and six to twelve weeks with an agency. The most common cause of delay is waiting for content, so ask early what you need to supply and by when.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
A freelancer or small studio suits most small businesses: you get one point of contact, fewer handoffs and a lower price. An agency makes sense when you need a larger team, several stakeholders or a bigger programme of work. Judge the work and the scope, not the label.
What is a Squarespace Circle member?
Squarespace Circle is Squarespace's programme for professional designers and developers. Membership shows that someone builds on the platform regularly. It is a useful signal, but it does not replace looking at live work in your field.
Who owns my website after a designer builds it?
You should. The Squarespace site and the domain should be in your name, on your account, from the start, with your designer invited as a contributor. Confirm this in writing before you pay a deposit.
Can a Squarespace designer guarantee I rank first on Google?
No. Nobody can guarantee a ranking, and a promise to do so is a red flag. A good designer can give you a fast, well-structured site with sound on-page SEO and proper redirects, which gives you the best foundation to rank.
Does my designer need to be local?
No. Squarespace projects work well remotely, through video calls and shared previews. What matters more is experience in your field and whether you can get hold of them. If local search matters, ask how they will set up your location pages and Google Business Profile.
Can I switch designers after my site is live?
Yes, as long as the site and domain are in your name. You simply remove the old contributor and invite the new one. If the account is in the designer's name, ask them to transfer the site to you first.
Where to go from here
If you already have a quote, or a site that is not working, we are happy to give you a second opinion. Our free website review is a short, honest read of your site or your plans, with what we would do first.
If a fix would serve you better than a new site, we will say so. And if you are still comparing, take the twelve questions above to every call, including ours.