The maintenance quote arrives: 'PKR 15,000/month for updates and support.' Fair or fleece? Here is what maintenance actually involves — so you can price the quote or replace it.
What maintenance genuinely includes (the honest scope) 1. Software updates: CMS, plugins, themes — 20–40 min/month 2. Backups: verify + occasionally restore-test — 10 min/month 3. Security glance: admin users, logs, scan — 10 min/month 4. Content edits: price changes, new photos, a page refresh — the variable (0–3 hours) 5. Small emergencies: the broken form, the white screen — occasional, 30–60 min Realistic total: 1–4 hours/month for a typical business site.
The fair PKR ranges (2026) - Updates + backups only (self-supplied content): PKR 1,500–4,000/month - Updates + monthly content edits (2–3 items): PKR 4,000–10,000/month - Full care (content, small features, priority support): PKR 10,000–25,000/month Above the ceiling for a standard site: you are paying for the vendor's BMW, not your website.
The DIY alternative (the honest one) Kairalmas's stack automates the technical half: file versioning, SSL, server patching, and a portal built for owners. The maintenance-checklist habit (20 minutes/month) + the AI assistant for edits covers most sites at PKR 49–349 of hosting. The remaining case for paid maintenance: genuinely no time, or complex sites beyond owner editing.
The negotiation line Ask any vendor exactly: 'what minutes are included per month, what counts as an extra, and what is the hourly rate beyond?' Vague answers at quote time become invoices later. The good ones answer in minutes and rupees.
Maintenance is real work priced fairly at small numbers — or replaced by a disciplined hour of your own. What it should never be is a mystery subscription.