Website migration hours and labor estimator

Estimate a website migration labor budget from the work items you expect to handle. Enter your own hours per item and one hourly rate in a single currency. This is a planning model; it does not supply industry averages, provider fees, a migration quote, or a guaranteed schedule.

Enter the migration workload

Count each item once for the work you expect to perform. If an email or database migration is already included in your per-site hours, leave its separate count at zero to avoid counting that work twice. Use zero when a category does not apply.

Enter nonnegative values. Item counts must be whole numbers; use one currency for the labor rate.

How to build your inputs

1. List each site, its files, configuration, and any URL or environment changes.
2. Count mailboxes separately only if messages, account setup, or mail records are part of your move.
3. Count databases when they need separate export, import, connection updates, or validation work.
4. Count domains or DNS zones that need record changes; a hosting move does not automatically require a registrar transfer.
5. Add shared preparation, test, and cutover time once. Use your own observations or a written estimate from the person doing the work to set hours per item.

The result multiplies each item count by its entered hours, adds shared hours, and multiplies the total by your hourly rate. It excludes hosting overlap, migration-service charges, tax, downtime impact, and other expenses. Add those separately using the hosting move checklist and transition budget. Actual work depends on site configuration, data volume, access, tooling, and testing scope.

Sources checked November 3, 2026

• WordPress: Moving WordPress — migration steps include handling WordPress files and database and checking site URL or configuration details when relevant.
• WordPress Developer Resources: Migrating WordPress — covers moving to a new server and keeping or changing a domain and URLs.
• ICANN domain transfer FAQ — domain registration transfer is a separate process from changing hosting in some cases.

For resource assumptions before a move, see the WordPress resource needs estimator. For costs after the move, see the website cost calculator and domain renewal worksheet. Use the website migration checklist to plan infrastructure changes separately from URL and search migrations.