Updated · Facts checked
The must-haves (items 1 to 6)
These six items answer whether a homeowner should call you at all. So they belong on the home page, visible without scrolling on a phone where possible.
- Phone number as a tap-to-call link, at the top of every page.
- What you do in one plain sentence: "Kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Pinellas County".
- The area you cover: towns, a county or a radius.
- License number, in the format your state requires. Some states, California for example, require it on all advertising, including websites [1].
- Insurance and bonding, stated as you hold them.
- Your own photos of finished jobs, not stock images.
The trust builders (items 7 to 11)
Once someone is interested, these items help them choose you over the other two contractors they're comparing.
- Your process as numbered steps: visit, estimate, contract, permits, work, walkthrough, warranty.
- Pricing guidance: starting prices, typical ranges or the factors that change the price. Never invent a number you won't honor.
- Real reviews, linked to your Google profile. Never invented testimonials; the FTC bans fake reviews [2].
- Who you are: the owner's name, how long you've worked locally, a photo of you or the crew.
- Warranty terms in a sentence or two.
The conversion details (items 12 to 15)
These details turn a visitor who's ready into a lead you can actually quote.
- A short quote form: name, phone, address, project type, timeline, optional photos and budget range.
- Response time: "We reply within one business day."
- Service pages for your main job types, each with real detail and its own photos.
- Consistent details everywhere: the same name, phone and hours on the site and your Google Business Profile.
What to leave off
Some things contractors commonly add make the site slower or less trustworthy without helping anyone decide.
- Auto-playing videos and huge sliders that delay the phone number on a phone.
- Badges or awards you didn't receive, or logos of manufacturers you aren't certified with.
- Long lists of every town in the state; name the ones you really serve.
- "Best in town" claims you can't back up.
Check your current site against the list
If you already have a website, a two-minute check shows which items are missing.
Our free Website Check tests the technical basics (HTTPS, mobile, speed signals, title, contact links, structured data), and the free accessibility checker flags contrast and labeling problems. For prices, see our 2026 guide to what a small-business website costs.
Questions contractors ask
Short answers to what builders and trades ask us about their sites.
Should a contractor put prices on the website?
Pricing guidance helps: starting prices, typical ranges, or what changes the price. It filters out poor-fit leads and builds trust. Avoid exact quotes for work you haven't seen.
How many photos does a contractor site need?
Three to five projects with before-and-after photos usually do more than a big unsorted gallery.
Do I need a separate page for each service?
For your two to five main services, yes, if you can write something specific for each. Small sidelines can share a page.
Is a one-page site enough for a contractor?
For a new business or one main service, a strong single page works. As your portfolio grows, separate service and project pages help.
Keep reading
Related pages for the same kind of business, plus the guides and free tools that go with this one.
Sources
Every outside fact on this page comes from the sources below, read on the date shown. Prices and plans change; check the source before you decide.
- Contractors State License Board (California), "Stay Up-To-Date on CSLB Advertising Rules" (read October 26, 2026). License number required in all advertising; website content counts.
- Federal Trade Commission, final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 14, 2024). Fake reviews and testimonials, including AI-generated ones, are banned.