A contractor website needs a clear home page, real service and city pages, a phone number and form that reach you, photos of your own jobs, details that match your Google listing, reviews asked for the legal way, and a habit of replying. Use this as a build list, not a ranking promise.
What does every contractor website need?
Use the twelve items below as a pass/fail list. If something is missing, fix that before you buy ads or rewrite the logo. For the longer “why” behind the pages, see what to put on a contractor website and websites for contractors.
1. A home page that answers three questions
In the first screen: what you do, where you work, and how to ask. Trade, cities you cover, and a phone number that is answered. Visitors should not scroll to find those three.
2. A page for each service you sell
“Plumbing” is a category. “Water heater replacement” is what someone types. Describe what is included, the kind of property, and how to get in touch. Skip services you do not want more of.
3. A page only for cities you cover
Name the city, say you work there, and link to the services. Do not swap the place name on the same paragraph twenty times. Do not invent a city you will not travel to — that page is a promise.
4. Phone number in the header
Repeat the number on every service page. Some people will call. The form is for the ones who will not. A number that only lives in the footer is easy to miss on a phone.
5. A short lead form
Ask for the job, the city, and a number you can call back. Send it to an inbox you check on the truck. An unanswered form looks open and is shut.
6. Photos of your own jobs
Daylight, a wide shot and a close shot, named after the job. Stock kitchens and manufacturer gallery shots are not a portfolio of your work.
7. Name, address, phone and hours that match Google
If the site says 8am and the listing says 9am, the customer believes the wrong one. Keep the same details on the site and the Google Business Profile. More on that in local SEO for contractors.
8. Real Google reviews, not quotes you wrote
Show reviews Google already has, next to the work. Ask after finished jobs without buying stars — see how to get more Google reviews. Google’s tips allow a genuine ask with a review link; discounts for a star rating are not that.
9. License and insurance stated carefully
Licensing and insurance rules vary by state. Put on the site only what you actually hold. Check with your state licensing board for what you must show before you advertise a trade that requires a license where you work. Do not invent credentials.
10. Readable on a phone
Most people open the site on a phone between jobs or on the couch. As good practice — not as legal advice — use text large enough to read without pinching, clear contrast between text and background, buttons and links that work with a finger or a keyboard, and short descriptions for photos of your work so the meaning is not only in the image. If you need to know which laws apply where you operate, ask a qualified advisor; this checklist does not replace that.
11. A sitemap and a site search engines can open
Publish the site on a domain you control when you can. Submit a sitemap in Google Search Console (and Bing). It helps when the important pages are ordinary HTML text, not locked behind a login or a carousel of images with no words. Contractors who keep the crawl path simple make it easier for customers — and for weekly AI checks — to find the same facts. See how to get recommended by ChatGPT.
12. A reply habit written on the page
Say the hours you answer. A form that lands at 9pm can say you will reply the next working morning. Silence reads as a no. Log where each lead came from so you know which pages earn their keep — see how to get contractor leads without paying per lead.
Checklist
- Home page: trade, cities, phone in the first screen.
- One page per service you want to sell.
- One page per city you actually cover.
- Phone in the header; form asks for job, city and callback number.
- Photos of your own jobs.
- Name, phone, address and hours match the Google listing.
- Google reviews on the site; ask after finished jobs without buying stars.
- License and insurance wording checked with your state board.
- Readable on a phone: contrast, tap targets, alt text on job photos.
- Sitemap submitted; pages crawlable as plain text.
- Response hours stated; leads logged by source.
- No city or credential you cannot stand behind.
Questions
Do I need a separate page for every service and city?
A page for each service you want to be hired for, and a page for each city you actually cover. Skip places you will not drive to.
Is a Facebook page enough?
No. Customers who search your trade and city need a site they can open without an account, with your phone number and a form that reaches you.
Do I need to meet a specific accessibility law?
This guide is not legal advice. As good practice, use readable text, clear contrast, working keyboard focus, and alt text on photos of your work. For legal requirements where you operate, talk to a qualified advisor.
Can stock photos replace job photos?
Use photos of jobs you did. A picture of someone else’s work tells the customer nothing about yours.
Can you guarantee more leads from a checklist?
No. A complete site removes friction. It does not promise a lead count.
If you want Morris to build it
You can tick every item on any host. If you use Mortar, Morris builds the website, form leads land in the leads inbox, and Draft with Morris writes a reply you send. Google reviews can show on the site once the listing is connected. Core is $49 a month for the business — no per-user fee. See websites for contractors and pricing.