A proper maintenance plan is an itemised list of recurring work that keeps a site secure, backed up, monitored, and current. It is the difference between a website that still performs in year four and one that quietly degrades until something breaks. Knowing exactly what is included is how you tell a real plan from a line item.
What genuinely belongs in a maintenance plan
Backups, held off the server, and tested
The single most valuable item. A backup stored on the same server as the site is worth considerably less than it appears, since anything that takes out the server takes both. And an untested backup is a hypothesis rather than a safeguard.
Ask when a restore was last actually performed. The answer is informative.
Platform and extension updates
For anything running WordPress or similar, this is the substantive work. It is not automatic in any meaningful sense, because updates occasionally break things and someone has to notice and fix it.
Uptime and error monitoring
Knowing the site is down before a customer tells you. Cheap to provide and genuinely useful.
Security monitoring appropriate to the platform
Meaningful on a dynamic site with an admin login. Close to meaningless on static files, where there is nothing to log into.
SSL and domain renewal management
Mostly automated now, and worth someone confirming rather than discovering through an expiry.
A defined allowance of content changes
Legitimate and worth paying for. It should be stated in hours or in changes, not as "unlimited", which we will come back to.
What the platform changes
This is the part rarely stated openly.
| Task | Dynamic site | Static site |
|---|---|---|
| Platform updates | Regular and necessary | None |
| Extension updates | Ongoing, occasionally breaking | None |
| Security monitoring | Genuinely needed | Minimal |
| Backups | Files and database | Files only |
| Uptime monitoring | Useful | Useful |
| Content changes | As required | As required |
Both need maintaining, and the work differs. A dynamic site requires continuous platform and extension attention, while a static site needs hosting, monitoring, backups, and content updates handled properly. A plan should reflect which of those applies to you rather than charging a flat figure regardless.
Questions worth asking
- What specific tasks are performed, and how often?
- Where are backups stored, and when was a restore last tested?
- What is the response time if the site goes down?
- What counts as an included change, and what is billed?
- What happens if an update breaks something?
- Am I paying for anything that does not apply to my platform?
- What do I keep if I cancel?
Why it is not optional
Maintenance on a dynamic site is not optional. The vulnerability data in why WordPress sites get hacked makes that clear enough: something has to watch the plugins, and if nobody is doing it the outcome is predictable.
The same applies to backups, monitoring, and the accumulated small fixes that keep a site current. Sites without someone attending to them do not stay still; they drift out of date, accumulate broken links, and eventually fail in a way that costs far more to resolve than the maintenance would have. Ask for the itemised list, confirm it matches your platform, and treat it as part of running the site rather than an optional extra.
Frequently asked questions
What should a website maintenance plan include?
Off-server backups that have been test-restored, platform and extension updates where the platform requires them, uptime and error monitoring, security monitoring appropriate to the site type, SSL and domain renewal management, and a defined allowance of content changes stated in hours or changes.
Do static websites need a maintenance plan?
A much smaller one. There is no platform or plugin updating and minimal application-layer security work, so a reasonable arrangement covers hosting, uptime monitoring, backups, and occasional content edits. Paying a dynamic-site rate for a static site means paying for tasks that do not exist.
What does unlimited edits actually mean?
In practice, small changes within reason, since no supplier can genuinely offer unlimited work at a fixed fee. A stated allowance in hours or number of changes is more honest, usually cheaper, and removes the ambiguity that causes disputes later.
Is SEO monitoring worth including in maintenance?
Only if something is done in response to it. An automated ranking report that nobody acts on is a document rather than a service, and rank has in any case become a poor headline measure of whether search is working.
How can I tell if my maintenance fee is fair?
Ask for the itemised list of recurring tasks and check it against your platform. If the list includes plugin updates and application security monitoring for a site that has neither, you are paying for work that cannot be performed.
What should I ask about backups?
Where they are stored, how often they are taken, how far back they go, and when a restore was last actually tested. Backups held on the same server as the site offer limited protection, and an untested backup has not yet been shown to work.
West Coast Media Solutions Inc. builds and maintains websites for businesses across Canada. This article reflects patterns we see in practice. Contract and ownership questions vary by jurisdiction and agreement; where money or rights are at stake, take legal advice on your own documents.
Want a straight answer before you commit?
We will walk you through the scope, the cost, and the timeline in plain terms before you spend anything.
Start a Conversation