Guide updated in 2026
Is your restaurant website quote complete?
A complete website quote covers six things: what is built, what the site does, the changes, the price and schedule, the tools, hosting and address, and your rights. For each point, say whether it is there: what is missing becomes your email to the agency.
The content of the site
What the quote builds.
The pages included
The written list of pages, legal notice and privacy policy included. Anything else is charged extra.
A good quote says
- Every page listed by name
- Legal notice and privacy policy included
- Extra pages priced
Watch out for
- A one-line quote (“brochure website”)
- “Unlimited pages” with no list
- Legal notice not mentioned
What usually costs moreAt creation each extra page
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Which pages are included, legal notice and privacy policy among them, and what does each extra page cost? »
Why : What is not written down can be disputed: any omission may become an extra charge after you sign.
The design and the logo
Say if the site uses an adapted template or a design made for you, and if the logo is reused.
A good quote says
- Adapted template or made-for-you design, clearly stated
- Logo reused as it is, or priced separately
- Number of visuals stated
Watch out for
- “Bespoke” without saying if it is a template
- Logo or visuals not mentioned
- Graphic design billed with no rate
What usually costs moreAt creation a made-for-you design rather than a template
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Does the site start from a template or a design made for me, and is the logo reused as it is? »
Why : An adapted template costs less than a design made for you, and usage rights may differ: the quote should say which.
Text and photos: who supplies them
Say who writes the text, who takes the photos, and what rights you have to reuse them.
A good quote says
- Who writes and who photographs, stated in the quote
- Photos: written right to reuse them
- Stock images flagged, licence named
Watch out for
- Writing or photos not mentioned
- Stock images passed off as yours
- Recognisable people with no permission
What usually costs moreAt creation writing the text, a photo shootTools licensed images, if the site needs them
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« For the text and photos, who supplies what, and may I reuse each photo if I leave? »
Why : A stock or photographer’s image can only be used within its licence: beyond it, a claim may follow.
The menu written on the page, allergens included
The menu is text on the page, not a PDF, with an allergen field for each dish.
A good quote says
- Dishes and prices written on the page
- An allergen field for each dish
- Who enters the menu first, in writing
Watch out for
- Menu as a PDF or an image only
- No allergen field planned
- Entry billed by the hour with no cap
What usually costs moreAt creation entering the menu and allergens
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Will my menu be written on the page, with an allergen field per dish, and who enters it first? »
Why : A text menu reads better on a phone. Allergen information may remain your obligation, with or without a website.
The preview and the changes
How many rounds of changes are included, and that you see the site before paying the balance.
A good quote says
- Preview shown before the balance
- Number of change rounds written down
- Price of the next round written down
Watch out for
- Preview shown only after payment
- Changes “by the hour” with no cap
- Number of rounds not stated
What usually costs moreAt creation each extra round of changes
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« How many rounds of changes are included, and can I see the site before I pay the balance? »
Why : With no number of rounds written down, each change can become an extra charge, sometimes billed by the hour.
What the site does
Bookings, languages, Google: the tool, its price, its account.
Online booking and ordering
The tool, its price and its account: a button to a third party is not an ordering system.
A good quote says
- Tool name and price written down
- Account in your name, customer data exportable
- Tool replaceable without rebuilding the site
Watch out for
- Commission per cover not stated
- Account in the agency’s name
- A mere link to a third party, called ordering
What usually costs moreOver time commission per cover or per orderTools the booking tool’s subscription
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Which booking or ordering tool, at what price or commission, with the account in my name and data exportable? »
Why : An account in the agency’s name may cost you your customer history when you leave, and a subscription may be added.
The site in several languages
An announced machine translation may do; proofread, it costs more. Ask the price of the next language.
A good quote says
- Languages listed, translation method stated
- Menu translation proofread
- Price of an extra language written down
Watch out for
- Hidden machine translation
- One language only for the menu
- Language added “on quotation” with no price
What usually costs moreAt creation each extra languageOver time updating each languageTools a translation tool, if there is one
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Which languages is the site in, is the translation proofread, and what does an extra language cost? »
Why : A badly translated menu may lose foreign customers. Machine translation remains acceptable if it is announced.
Your Google profile, in your name
The Google profile must sit on an account in your name, with you as owner.
A good quote says
- Profile in your name, you as owner
- Access handed over at launch
- Profile completed (hours, photos, link) as a bonus
Watch out for
- Profile created on the agency’s account
- You are a mere user of your profile
- Profile not mentioned in the quote
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Is my restaurant’s Google profile, or will it be, on an account in my name, with me as owner? »
Why : If the agency owns the profile, it may control it: your reviews and photos depend on it.
The changes
Who changes what, and what it costs.
Changing the menu, prices and hours yourself
Change a dish, a price or a closure without going through the agency, or waiting.
A good quote says
- Change a dish or price without the agency
- Hours and one-off closures editable
- A short walk-through included
Watch out for
- Every change goes through the agency, no rate
- Change turnaround not stated
- Each daily special billed as a change
What usually costs moreOver time each change the agency makes, billed hourly
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Can I change a dish, a price or the hours without you? If not, what are the price and turnaround? »
Why : A restaurant changes its menu often: if each change goes through the agency, it can be costly and slow.
Changes after launch
A small change means editing a text or a photo. Ask what is included, then the rate for the rest.
A good quote says
- Small changes included, defined by an example
- Hourly rate or flat fee written down
- Response time in days, written down
Watch out for
- “Support included” with no detail
- No rate for changes
- Price of an extra page not stated
What usually costs moreOver time each change billed hourly, each page added
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« After launch, which changes are included, and what are the rate and the response time for the rest? »
Why : With no written rate, each request after launch may become a negotiation, with a delay you do not control.
The price and the schedule
How much, by when, and how you pay.
The price: excluding or including VAT, validity, deposit
The price must say if it is excluding or including VAT, and how long it is valid.
A good quote says
- Price shown excluding and including VAT, or clearly marked
- Quote validity period written down
- What happens to the deposit if you cancel
Watch out for
- A price with no mention of VAT
- A quote with no expiry date
- Deposit never returned, even if the agency fails to deliver
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Are prices excluding or including VAT, until when is the quote valid, and is the deposit refunded if I cancel? »
Why : A price with no mention may hide a VAT gap if you cannot recover it. The deposit is worth discussing before signing.
The dates and what you must supply
A launch date, which depends on what you hand over and when.
A good quote says
- A preview date and a launch date
- List of what you must supply
- Deadline for your text and photos
Watch out for
- No date written down
- Deadlines that depend on you, with no limit
- Date promised without saying what to supply
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« What are the preview and launch dates, and what must I supply, by when? »
Why : If your text arrives late, the date may slip without the agency being at fault: better to know beforehand.
The payment, the test and acceptance
When each payment is due, how long you have to test, and how long faults are fixed free.
A good quote says
- Deposit, then balance due after your test
- Test period and acceptance written down
- Faults fixed free, duration written down
Watch out for
- Balance demanded before you see the site working
- Site “deemed accepted” after a few days
- Faults fixed “as an extra”
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« When is each payment due, how long do I have to test the site, and are faults fixed free? »
Why : A written test period may let you report a fault before the site is deemed accepted.
The tools, hosting and address
What keeps the site running, and in whose name.
The tool the site is built on
A well-known tool is common and enough on a small budget, but it cannot always be moved.
A good quote says
- Tool named, and what leaving means, in writing
- Content and images exportable, in writing
- Paid theme and plugins listed
Watch out for
- In-house agency tool with no equivalent elsewhere
- Tool not named
- Nothing said about another agency taking over
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« What tool is the site built on, can another agency take it over, and what can I export if I leave? »
Why : An online builder generally cannot be exported to another agency; a WordPress-type site can be taken over.
Hosting, backups and troubleshooting
The yearly price, the price in later years, the backups, and who answers if the site goes down.
A good quote says
- Yearly price, later price, cap on increases
- Backups included, who restores written down
- Response time when down, in plain words
Watch out for
- Introductory price with no renewal price
- Backups not mentioned
- Yearly increase with no cap
What usually costs moreOver time a repair or restore billed separately
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« What is the yearly hosting price, the price after year one, with backups, and the response time if the site is down? »
Why : An introductory price can rise after a year. Backups are often part of hosting, but not always.
The site’s address (domain name)
The domain name must be registered in your name: check the holder with a WHOIS search.
A good quote says
- You are the domain holder, in writing
- Renewal price and date written down
- Transfer code handed over on request
Watch out for
- Domain holder: the agency
- Domain account kept by the agency
- Transfer billed well beyond its cost
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Who holds the domain name, who owns its registration account, and will you give me the transfer code? »
Why : The holder controls your site’s address. A WHOIS search checks it in a minute.
Paid licences and subscriptions
Theme, plugins, fonts, images: which costs recur each year, in whose name, and who guarantees their use.
A good quote says
- List of paid licences, with yearly price
- Licences bought in your name, or stated otherwise
- Guarantee that images and code are rights-free
Watch out for
- Licences paid by the agency, no price
- Recurring cost hidden in the package
- Stock images with no licence named
What usually costs moreTools theme, plugins, fonts, licensed images
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Which paid licences (theme, plugins, fonts, images), at what yearly price and in whose name, and who guarantees the rights? »
Why : Paid licences may add up each year, sometimes without detail. In the agency’s name, they may not follow you.
AI: tools, credits and content
A site may use AI tools (text, images, an assistant), often billed by use or by credits.
A good quote says
- AI tools used are listed
- credits or subscription included, with their term
- content checked by a person
Watch out for
- Updating the site depends on paid credits
- text or images generated without saying
- AI assistant connected without your consent
What usually costs moreTools AI tool credits or subscription
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Do you need AI credits or a subscription to keep the site up to date, and who pays? »
Why : AI credits or a subscription may add up every month; without a written agreement you may pay just to keep the site up to date.
Your rights and your freedom
What lets you leave, or stay with confidence.
What is yours: content, design, code
A quote does not transfer rights: design and text need a written document saying what is transferred.
A good quote says
- Rights to text and design transferred in writing, uses stated
- Licensed items listed
- Your content kept if you leave
Watch out for
- No mention of rights
- Licence that ends with the subscription
- Leaving impossible without rebuilding the site
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Which rights are transferred or licensed to me (design, text, photos, code), for what uses, how long, from which payment? »
Why : Without a precise document, rights may stay with the creator. Source code is rarely handed over on a small budget: that is common.
Your logins: site, management, domain, Google profile
An administrator account in your name, not a borrowed login, and the list of logins handed over at launch.
A good quote says
- Administrator account in your name
- List of logins handed over at launch
- Domain, hosting and Google profile access
Watch out for
- A login lent by the agency
- Logins kept by the agency
- No list of logins handed over
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Which logins do you hand over at launch (site, domain, hosting, Google profile), with an administrator account in my name? »
Why : Without logins in your name, you may depend on one person for the smallest change, or to leave.
Your data: forms, customers, GDPR, cookies
Legal notice, privacy policy, cookies, and where your form and booking data goes.
A good quote says
- Legal notice and privacy policy included
- Cookie banner if trackers are not exempt
- Where form data is sent, stated
Watch out for
- Not a word on cookies or data
- Trackers installed without consent
- Form data sent without your knowing
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« Does the quote include a legal notice, privacy policy and cookie banner, and where does form data go? »
Why : You may be responsible for your customers’ data. A missing legal notice or a tracker without consent can cause trouble.
Promises of Google results
No one can guarantee first place. A quote can promise means, not a ranking.
A good quote says
- Means listed (tags, speed, Google profile)
- No ranking promised
- Report on what was done
Watch out for
- “First page guaranteed” or a numbered rank
- Results guaranteed with no means listed
- “SEO” subscription with no precise content
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« What exactly do you promise for Google: which means are used, and with no ranking guarantee? »
Why : A ranking depends on Google and competitors. A numbered promise may signal an unreliable provider.
The commitment, cancellation and exit
Minimum term, notice, price increases, and what you take with you if you leave.
A good quote says
- Minimum term and notice written down
- Total price over the whole term shown
- What leaves with you, and its cost, in writing
Watch out for
- Commitment of 36 months or more
- Financial lease through a third party
- Exit fees not priced
Missing from the quoteTo clarify
« What are the term, notice period and yearly price increases, and what can I take if I leave, at what cost? »
Why : A long contract with long notice can trap you if the service slips. Annual renewal is common.
The quote covers every point.
- 0 in the quote
- 0 missing
- 0 unclear
- 23 to check
To ask the agency
“No” and “Not clear” add the question to your email.
Free help for restaurant owners
These guides are help we give to any restaurant owner, whoever builds your website: use them, print them, pass them on. We give them because most websites are signed on trust. An owner can rarely tell a complete quote from one with the costs left out, and finds out later who owns the domain, the Google profile and the texts. We have made websites for restaurants, bars and hotels since 2014, more than 10,000 of them, and we would rather you choose well, with us or with anyone else, than sign blind.
About CentralAppChecked: November 2026
CentralApp · https://www.centralapp.com/en/guides/restaurant-website-quote-checklist
Your questions about the quote
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A quote that ticks every box?
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