{
    "name": "Website Maintenance Pricing Calculator",
    "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/website-maintenance-pricing-calculator",
    "markdown": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/website-maintenance-pricing-calculator.md",
    "category": "Software, cloud & AI",
    "description": "Price a website maintenance retainer from support hours and your rate, plus hosting, licences and yearly renewals with an optional markup on third-party costs.",
    "summary": "A maintenance fee is labour (hours × rate) plus pass-through costs such as hosting, plugin licences and annual renewals spread over twelve months, with any markup you add.",
    "also_called": [
        "Website care plan calculator",
        "Web retainer calculator"
    ],
    "applies_to": "Worldwide",
    "last_updated": "2026-10-29",
    "computation": "Results are computed in the visitor’s browser on the HTML page. This API describes the calculator; it does not compute results.",
    "inputs": [
        {
            "name": "support_hours",
            "label": "Support hours per month",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "6",
            "unit": "h"
        },
        {
            "name": "hourly_rate",
            "label": "Hourly rate",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "60"
        },
        {
            "name": "hosting",
            "label": "Hosting and infrastructure per month",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "25",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "licences",
            "label": "Licences and subscriptions per month",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "15",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "annual_items",
            "label": "Yearly renewals (domain, certificates, etc.)",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "120",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "markup",
            "label": "Markup on third-party costs",
            "type": "number",
            "default": "10",
            "unit": "%",
            "optional": true
        },
        {
            "name": "currency",
            "label": "Currency",
            "type": "currency",
            "default": "USD"
        }
    ],
    "outputs": [
        {
            "key": "monthly_fee",
            "label": "Monthly fee",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "annual_fee",
            "label": "Annual fee",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "labour",
            "label": "Labour",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "pass_through",
            "label": "Third-party costs with markup",
            "format": "currency"
        },
        {
            "key": "markup_amount",
            "label": "Markup earned",
            "format": "currency"
        }
    ],
    "formula": {
        "text": "Monthly fee = Hours × Rate + (Hosting + Licences + Annual ÷ 12) × (1 + Markup%)",
        "variables": {
            "Annual": "yearly renewals spread across 12 months",
            "Markup%": "percentage added to third-party costs"
        }
    },
    "worked_example": {
        "inputs": {
            "support_hours": "6",
            "hourly_rate": "60",
            "hosting": "25",
            "licences": "15",
            "annual_items": "120",
            "markup": "10",
            "currency": "USD"
        },
        "steps": [
            "Labour: 6 × 60 = 360.",
            "Third-party: 25 + 15 + 120 ÷ 12 = 50; with 10% markup = 55.",
            "Fee: 360 + 55 = 415 a month, 4,980 a year."
        ],
        "result": "Six support hours at 60 plus 50 of third-party costs marked up 10% gives a 415 monthly fee."
    },
    "interpretation": "Labour usually drives the fee. If clients rarely use their hours, a lower fee with a clear hourly rate for extras may sell better; if they always overrun, raise the included hours.",
    "assumptions": [
        "Support hours are used evenly each month."
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "Taxes, payment fees and one-off projects such as redesigns are not included."
    ],
    "rules": null,
    "faqs": [
        {
            "question": "Should I mark up hosting and licences?",
            "answer": "Many agencies do, to cover the time spent managing accounts and billing. Being open about it avoids disputes."
        },
        {
            "question": "What do maintenance hours usually cover?",
            "answer": "Updates, backup checks, security monitoring, small content changes and bug fixes. Define the scope in the contract."
        }
    ],
    "sources": [],
    "related": [
        {
            "name": "Software Project Estimate Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/software-project-estimate-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Markup Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/markup-calculator"
        },
        {
            "name": "Profit Margin Calculator",
            "url": "https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/profit-margin-calculator"
        }
    ],
    "disclaimer": null,
    "publisher": "GM¹X CalcVerse"
}