Design decides whether people trust the site. Development decides whether it loads, integrates, survives a migration and still works two years from now.
Web development in New York costs $6,000 to $60,000 depending on whether you need a build, a migration, integration work or performance engineering. Development is distinct from design: it covers how the site is built, what it connects to, how fast it renders and whether your team can maintain it after the agency leaves.
When a theme genuinely will not do: unusual content structures, deep integrations or an experience that is the product. Most companies do not need this and we will say so, because a well-built conventional site is faster and cheaper to own.
The highest-risk work we do. Moving off WordPress, Drupal, a legacy CMS or a hand-built site without losing the rankings you have. Redirect mapping is the whole job and the part most agencies quote as an afterthought.
CRM, ERP, booking, payment, identity and whatever New York system of record you inherited. The engineering is not the connection, it is what happens when the other side is slow, down or returns something unexpected.
Core Web Vitals as a measured outcome rather than a claim. Image delivery, render-blocking resources, third-party scripts and server response time, with before and after numbers you can check yourself.
Common in New York, where teams change agencies more often than sites get rebuilt. We audit stack, version, dependency state and documentation, then tell you honestly whether taking it on or rebuilding is better value.
Code in your account, deployment documented, no dependency on us for access. An arrangement where leaving the agency means losing the site is a commercial position, not a technical necessity.
| Project | Range (USD) | Timeline | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional build on a platform | $6,000 to $15,000 | 4 to 8 weeks | Custom theme, templates, integrations, performance budget, handover |
| Custom front end | $15,000 to $35,000 | 8 to 14 weeks | Bespoke build, component system, deeper integrations, documentation |
| Platform migration | $8,000 to $30,000 | 5 to 12 weeks | Content migration, redirect mapping, parity testing, monitored cutover |
| Integration project | $3,000 to $20,000 | 2 to 8 weeks | Scoped connection, failure handling, retries, monitoring |
| Performance engineering | $2,500 to $9,000 | 2 to 5 weeks | Audit, fixes, before and after Core Web Vitals |
| Retained development | $1,500 to $8,000 per month | Ongoing | Named hours, roadmap, monitoring, releases |
Integration count moves these numbers more than page count. Two systems that describe the same customer differently is a bigger job than thirty pages.
| Ask them | A good answer sounds like | Walk away if |
|---|---|---|
| What does this actually cost? | A range, and what moves it, before a call | You must book a call to learn the ballpark |
| Who owns the code and design files? | You do, unconditionally, in the contract | Ownership depends on staying on a retainer |
| Can I see Core Web Vitals on three live sites? | URLs, and an honest word about the slowest | They show you portfolio shots |
| What happens to rankings in a rebuild? | Redirect mapping, raised unprompted | They say the new site will just rank better |
The pricing question separates most of the New York field, because publishing numbers commits you to them.
| You need | When | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Design and development | New site, new brand direction, or a full rebuild | See web design in New York |
| Development only | You have design or a brand team and need it built | This page |
| Migration only | The site is fine, the platform is the problem | This page |
| Performance only | Rankings and conversion are suffering from speed | This page |
| Software, not a website | Internal users, workflow, rules and roles | See software development in New York |
| A mobile app | Repeat use, device access, offline | See app development in New York |
| What people search | What it usually means | What you probably want |
|---|---|---|
| Web development company | A firm that builds sites and applications | This, for a full build |
| Website development company | The same thing, phrased differently | No meaningful difference |
| Web development agency | Often the same, sometimes with strategy attached | Ask what is actually included |
| Website development agency | The same again, used interchangeably | Judge on the work, not the label |
| Web development service | Individual pieces bought separately | This, for migration or performance only |
| Website developers | Individual engineers rather than a firm | Fine for scoped work, harder for a whole build |
Website developers, agencies and companies describe the same work in this market. The questions that separate them are who owns the repository, what happens to your rankings in a migration and who maintains it in month twelve.
A conventional platform build runs $6,000 to $15,000. A custom front end runs $15,000 to $35,000. Migrations run $8,000 to $30,000 depending on how much content moves and how complicated the redirect mapping is.
Design decides how it looks and how people move through it. Development decides how it is built, what it connects to, how fast it renders and whether your team can maintain it. Most projects need both; some need only one.
Yes, and it is common in New York where in-house brand teams are normal. We need the design system rather than flat images: states, breakpoints, type scale and spacing rules. Where those are missing we will tell you what to decide.
It can, and the reason is almost always redirect mapping done badly or late. Every old URL maps to a new one before cutover, with parity testing and monitoring after. Anyone who does not raise this unprompted has not done many migrations.
Frequently. We audit the stack, versions, dependency state and documentation first, then tell you honestly whether taking it on or rebuilding is better value. Sometimes the honest answer is rebuild.
Yes, as a scoped engagement with before and after Core Web Vitals you can verify yourself. Image delivery, render-blocking resources, third-party scripts and server response time are usually where the numbers are.
Whatever your team can hire for and maintain. Popular, well-documented stacks beat clever ones, because the constraint that matters is who picks this up in two years, not what is interesting to build.
We work with New York companies remotely on Eastern hours and would rather say that than imply otherwise. Not carrying Manhattan overheads is a real part of why our numbers differ from local agencies.
Send us what you are trying to fix and we will tell you what it takes, what it costs, and whether we are the right people for it. If we are not, we will say so.