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What questions should I ask before paying someone to build my website?

By Adam Collins, Founder, 3Fold Labs

"Ask what you keep if you cancel." over an empty meeting table with white chairs, with a sample agreement section on what happens if you cancel, covering domain, site files, logins and hosting, and a margin note: 'Ask this one before you sign'.

Short answer

Start with the questions that decide whether you can ever leave: whose name the domain is registered in, who owns the hosting and Google accounts, what you own in writing, and what you get when you cancel. Then ask about scope, monthly fees, who writes the content, and where your leads go. Get every answer in writing.

What are the questions that matter most?

If you only ask ten, ask these:

  • Will the domain be registered in my business's name, with my login?
  • Whose account is the hosting in, and can I move hosts without a rebuild?
  • Who owns the design, code, text, and photos, and is that in the contract?
  • Will I be the owner of my Google Business Profile, Google Search Console, and Analytics, with you as a user?
  • Exactly which pages are included, and who writes them?
  • What costs extra, and what are the monthly fees after launch?
  • Where do form leads go, and who controls the phone number on the site?
  • What happens if I cancel: do I get my files, backups, and an export?
  • Who maintains the site after launch, and how fast do you respond?
  • Are paid themes, fonts, photos, and plugins licensed to me or to you?
A checklist of the ten questions from the list above, grouped under who owns it, what you're paying for, and after launch or if you leave.
Save this list and take it into every call with a builder.
Get every answer in writing.

Whose name will the domain be registered in?

This is the most important answer you'll get. Under ICANN's Transfer Policy, "The Registered Name Holder is the only party that has the authority to approve or deny a transfer request." The policy also says registrars must give the holder the transfer code within five calendar days of a request, if they don't offer self-service, and can't refuse it solely over a payment dispute between the holder and the registrar.

Those protections belong to whoever is listed as the holder. If your designer registers the domain in their own name, the rights are theirs, not yours (more on who should own your domain and hosting). And if you later change the registrant to yourself, the policy says the registrar must apply a 60-day lock on moving it to another registrar, unless it lets you opt out first.

The ICANN Board adopted changes to the Transfer Policy on 06/07/2026 and directed staff to implement them; they are not yet in effect. You can look up a domain with ICANN Lookup, though many records hide the owner's personal details, so your registrar account is the surest place to check who holds it.

Who owns the design, code, text, and photos?

Get it in writing. The US Copyright Office's Circular 30 says a commissioned work counts as "made for hire" only if it fits one of nine categories and both sides sign a written agreement saying so; otherwise "it is not a work made for hire." Paying for a site does not settle ownership on its own. This is not legal advice; check the rules that apply to you with an attorney before you sign.

Also ask about the job photos and review text you supply. They should stay yours.

Will I own my Google Business Profile and Search Console?

These accounts hold your search history, so ask to be the owner and give the builder a lower role:

  • Google Business Profile: a profile can have several owners but only one primary owner. Managers can edit info but can't add or remove users or remove the profile. New owners wait 7 days before they can take primary ownership.
  • Google Search Console: owners have full control, and a property needs at least one verified owner. If you remove a verified owner, Google says to delete their verification tokens too, or they can re-verify.

What happens if I leave?

Ask for the exit plan before you start, because exports have limits:

  • Wix: your content is yours, but the site has to run on Wix's servers.
  • Squarespace: its export covers some pages, blog posts, and text and image blocks, but not store pages, video and audio blocks, style settings, or custom CSS, among others.
  • WordPress.com: export includes posts, pages, and comments, but not your theme design, customizations, or plugins (see agency template vs custom-built site).
Three cards for Wix, Squarespace and WordPress.com, each showing what its export keeps and what it leaves behind, as listed in the text above.
Before you pick a platform, check what you could take with you if you left.
Ask for the exit plan before you start, because exports have limits.

A good sign is a plain sentence in the contract or terms. GoWP's pricing page, for example, says: "Your site is yours, nothing GoWP does locks you in, and you can download your latest backup before you go." Look for something that clear (more on what a website care plan is).

What are the red flags?

  • The builder plans to register the domain in their own name.
  • No written scope: number of pages, revisions, and what costs extra (more on what a contractor website costs).
  • "You can always request an export," with no detail on what the export contains.
  • Quote forms that send leads only to the builder's inbox.
  • A phone number on the site that the builder controls and you can't move.
  • Monthly fees with no list of what they cover.
The six red flags from the list above, split across two cards, each with a cross beside it.
If you hear any of these, keep looking.
Watch for these before you pay.

How 3Fold Labs helps

Bring the questions in this post to me, the same as you would to anyone you're thinking of hiring. Before work begins, you and I agree on the deliverables, the cost and how to check the result. If you haven't decided what kind of builder you need, start with freelancer, agency or DIY.

Here's how I approach custom websites for service businesses.

FAQ

Should my web designer register my domain for me?

They can help, but the domain should be registered in your business's name and your account. Add them as a user if they need access.

What should be in a web design contract?

Scope and page list, who writes content, ownership of design and code, monthly fees and what they cover, response times, and what you get when you cancel. Have an attorney review it if you're unsure.

Can I take my website with me if I leave?

It depends on the platform. A custom site on hosting in your name can move. A builder site usually can't move as-is, and you'll rebuild using your content.

What if my designer already owns my domain?

Ask them to move it into your name now, while the relationship is good. Expect the 60-day transfer lock that can follow a change of registrant.

Sources

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