Platforms change their prices often and many don’t publish them. We describe how each one charges rather than quoting figures that will soon be out of date. Always ask for the full price, including VAT, in writing.

How they compare

1. TrustATrader

A directory where you pay a membership fee to be listed, rather than paying per lead. Customers find you and contact you directly. It checks references and insurance before you join, and in some areas the number of members per trade is limited, so you may have to wait for a place.

Good for: trades who want a vetted badge without paying for each enquiry.

2. MyBuilder

Customers post a job and trades say they’re interested. If the customer shortlists you, you pay a fee to get their contact details. The fee depends on the size and type of job. You pay it whether you win the job or not.

Good for: filling gaps in your diary, as long as you track how many shortlists turn into jobs. We compare it in detail in Checkatrade vs MyBuilder.

3. Rated People

A monthly membership that sends you leads in your trade and area. Several trades are usually sent the same lead, so speed matters. Whoever calls first often wins.

Good for: trades who can reply to enquiries within minutes.

4. Bark

Covers lots of services, not only trades. You buy credits and spend them to reply to customer requests. The number of credits per request depends on the type of job and how much demand there is locally.

Good for: testing demand for a new service. Watch the cost per job carefully.

5. Which? Trusted Traders

You pay for an assessment, which includes checks on your business and a look at your work, then a membership fee. The Which? name carries a lot of trust with older homeowners.

Good for: established firms who want a strong trust badge on their van and website.

6. Facebook groups and Nextdoor

Local community groups are full of “can anyone recommend a plumber?” posts. Joining and replying is free. It takes time, and you’re often one of ten replies, but a recommendation from a neighbour is hard to beat.

Good for: building a local name, especially when you’re starting out. See our guide for startups for more ideas.

7. Your Google Business Profile

This is the listing that shows on Google Maps when someone searches “electrician near me”. Google lets you add or claim your business for free. With good photos, the right services and a steady flow of reviews, it can become your biggest source of calls. Our Google Business Profile guide walks you through it.

Good for: every trade. Do this first.

8. Your own website

A website you own, with a page for each service and each area you cover, sends enquiries straight to you. Nobody else gets the same lead, and there’s no fee per enquiry. It takes a few months to build up on Google, which is why many trades keep a lead site going in the meantime.

Good for: cutting your cost per job over time, and winning bigger jobs where customers want to see your work first.

A sensible plan

1. Set up your Google Business Profile properly. It’s free.
2. Get a simple website with your services, areas, photos and reviews.
3. Keep one lead site while your own enquiries grow.
4. Ask every customer how they found you, and write it down.
5. Drop any platform that costs more per job than it’s worth.

If you’re on Checkatrade now, check what it really costs and how to cancel before your renewal date.

Our trade websites start at £99, and a site of up to 10 pages is £249. See our prices or get a free website check.

We checked Checkatrade’s pricing page and terms on 17 October 2026. MyBuilder doesn’t publish a price list for its shortlist fees, so ask before you take your first job.

The short version

How Checkatrade works

You’re vetted, then listed in your trade and area. Customers search, read your reviews and contact you. On the Growth plan, Checkatrade sends you leads and you can pay for better placement in its search results.

The upside: a well-known badge, and customers who choose you before they call.

The catch: you’re committed for the year. To stop the renewal, the business owner has to phone, no earlier than 35 days before the renewal date. Our Checkatrade cost guide explains the contract in full.

How MyBuilder works

A homeowner posts a job. You read it and say you’re interested. If they shortlist you, you pay a fee and get their contact details. Then it’s up to you to win the job.

The upside: no monthly bill. In a busy month you can stop taking jobs and pay nothing.

The catch: you pay for the shortlist even if the customer goes with someone else or never replies. The fee is higher for bigger jobs, so a run of lost quotes can get expensive.

Which one suits you?

Checkatrade may suit you if:

• You want a steady flow of enquiries all year
• Customers in your area recognise and trust the badge
• You’re happy to commit for 12 months

MyBuilder may suit you if:

• Your work comes in bursts and you want to fill gaps
• You’re quick to reply and good at winning quotes
• You don’t want a long contract

Whichever you pick, track the cost per job

1. Add up what you paid over three to six months.
2. Count the jobs you won from it.
3. Divide one by the other.

Compare that with your average profit per job. And on both platforms, speed wins. The trade who calls back first, and follows up the quote, usually gets the work.

The option with no lead fees

Both platforms keep your reviews and profile when you leave. Your own website and Google Business Profile don’t. Once they’re working, enquiries come straight to you and you’re not paying for each one. See all the Checkatrade alternatives for more.

Our trade websites start at £99, and a site of up to 10 pages is £249. We’re salespeople first, so we’ll also help you win more of the quotes you send. See our prices or get a free website check.

We checked Checkatrade’s pricing page and its Master Service Terms (last updated 13 October 2026) on 17 October 2026. Prices and terms change, so check them again before you sign.

Checkatrade membership prices

The pricing page doesn’t say whether these prices include VAT, so ask. It also shows a first-month-free offer at the time of writing.

Growth is the one most trades are sold. Because the price depends on your trade and area, two businesses on the same street can pay very different amounts. Get the full monthly price in writing, including VAT, before you agree.

The vetting fee

Checkatrade checks your identity, insurance and qualifications before you’re approved. Its terms describe a £250 plus VAT application fee for these checks, and say it isn’t refunded if you don’t pass. Have your documents ready before you apply.

The contract

• Paid memberships last 12 months. The pricing page says fixed plan memberships are for 12 months.
• They renew automatically for the same length unless you stop them.
• There’s a short cooling-off window. The terms give two business days to cancel without charge.
• Fees are usually non-refundable. The terms allow a pro-rated refund only in set cases, such as Checkatrade ending the agreement.

That means a Growth membership from £59 a month is a commitment of at least £708 over the year, before VAT and any extras.

How to cancel Checkatrade

This is where people get caught out.

1. Find your renewal date. It’s in your confirmation email.
2. Phone, don’t email. The terms say the business owner must call Checkatrade on 0333 014 6190. Email isn’t accepted.
3. Call at the right time. No earlier than 35 days before your renewal date, and no later than the renewal date itself.
4. Don’t just cancel the Direct Debit. The terms are clear that stopping payments does not end the contract. You’d still owe the rest of the fees.
5. Write down the call. Note the date, time and the name of the person you spoke to, and ask for an email confirming the cancellation.

Put a reminder in your phone 40 days before your renewal date so you have time to decide.

Is it worth it for you?

Don’t judge it on the number of leads. Judge it on the jobs you win.

1. Add up everything you’ve paid Checkatrade in the last three to six months.
2. Count the jobs you actually won from it.
3. Divide the first number by the second. That’s your cost per job.

If you paid £600 over six months and won four jobs, each job cost you £150. If your average profit on a job is £1,000, that’s fine. If it’s £200, Checkatrade is taking most of it.

Ask every new customer “How did you find us?” and write it down. Without that, you’re guessing.

The cheaper long-term option

Checkatrade can be useful when you need work quickly. But you pay every month, and when you stop, your profile and reviews stay behind.

Your own website and Google Business Profile take longer to get going, but the enquiries come straight to you and nobody else is quoting for the same job at the same moment. Many trades use both, then cut back on paid leads as their own enquiries grow. We compare the options in Checkatrade alternatives and Checkatrade vs your own website.

A trade website of up to 10 pages costs £249 with us, one-off, and you keep it for good. Our one-page website is £99. See our prices or get a free website check.

Where roofing leads come from

Bought leads: what to ask before you pay

Lead sellers run adverts, collect enquiries and sell them on. Some sell each lead to several roofers. Others sell exclusive leads by area, usually on a monthly package. Before you sign up, ask:

1. How many other roofers get the same lead?
2. How is each lead checked? Is the phone number real? Is it in your area?
3. What happens with a bad lead? Do you get a credit?
4. Is there a contract? How do you cancel?

Cost per lead is the wrong number

A £20 lead sounds cheap. But if it’s shared with three other roofers and you win one in ten, each job has cost you £200. A £60 exclusive lead you win one in three times costs £180 per job. The cheaper lead turned out dearer.

Work it out every month:

1. Total spent on bought leads
2. Number of jobs won from them
3. Spend divided by jobs won

Building your own leads

These take longer, but once they’re working, nobody else gets the call.

• Google Business Profile. Set up your services (“roof repairs”, “flat roofs”, “chimney repairs”, “guttering”), your areas and plenty of photos. Our Google Business Profile guide shows you how.
• Reviews. Ask every happy customer, on the day the job finishes. A roofer with 80 recent reviews gets the call over one with five. See how to get more Google reviews.
• A website with a page for each service and town. Someone searching “flat roof repair Bromley” should land on a page about exactly that. See service area pages for tradespeople.
• Trust signals. Show memberships such as the NFRC or a manufacturer’s approved installer scheme, your insurance and any guarantees you offer.

Referrals and repeat work

• Other trades. Builders, plasterers, scaffolders and loft converters all come across roofs that need work. Swap numbers.
• Past customers. Send a text before winter offering a gutter clean or roof check.
• Letting agents and property managers. They need reliable roofers year round.

Be ready for storms

When a named storm is coming, demand jumps overnight. The roofers who win are already easy to find, answer the phone, and reply to every enquiry quickly. If you can’t answer on a roof, set up a missed-call text so nobody rings the next name instead.

A 12-month plan

By the end of the year, most roofers following a plan like this need far fewer bought leads.

Want help with it?

We build websites for roofers and other trades, set up your Google profile, and help you follow up quotes so you win more of the work you already get. Websites start at £99, and a site of up to 10 pages is £249. See our prices or get a free website check.

Use this checklist to see how your site measures up. Tick off what you have and fix the rest.

1. A phone number you can tap on every page

Most people looking for a trade are on their phone. Put your number at the top of every page, make it tap to call, and keep it there as they scroll. If you use WhatsApp for work, add a WhatsApp button too.

2. A separate page for each main service

“Boiler repair”, “bathroom fitting” and “rewires” are different searches. One page that lists everything you do won’t show up well for any of them. Give each service you want more of its own page, with what’s involved, rough prices, photos and a way to get in touch.

3. Pages for the towns you actually cover

If you want work in Croydon, Sutton and Bromley, a page for each helps you show up when people search those places. Only make pages for areas you really work in, and write something real about each one: jobs you’ve done there, how quickly you can get there. Our guide to service area pages shows how.

4. Proof you’re qualified

Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT, TrustMark, FMB and other memberships matter to customers. Show the logos, and include your registration number or a link to your entry on the official register so people can check it.

5. Real reviews

Show your best Google reviews on the site, with names and the type of job. Keep them current. A review from 2019 makes people wonder what’s happened since. If you need more, see how to get more Google reviews.

6. Photos of your own work

Stock photos of smiling builders don’t win jobs. Your own before-and-after photos do. They don’t need to be professional. A clear phone photo of a finished kitchen or a tidy fuse board is enough.

7. A short quote form that works on a phone

Ask for name, phone number, postcode and a short description of the job. Let people add photos. Every extra question loses a few customers, so keep it short and ask the rest when you call back.

8. Some idea of price

You don’t need a full price list. “Boiler service from £80” or “most loft conversions cost between £40,000 and £60,000” helps people decide to contact you and puts off those who were never going to go ahead. More on this in should you show prices on your website.

9. Details that match your Google profile

Your business name, phone number, areas and opening hours should be the same on your website and your Google Business Profile. When they don’t match, Google trusts both less. Link to your website from your profile.

10. An about page with a real face

People are letting you into their home. Tell them who you are, how long you’ve been doing it, and who will actually turn up. A photo of you or your team does more than any slogan.

11. The basics behind the scenes

• Loads in a couple of seconds on a phone
• Secure (the padlock in the browser)
• Clear page titles that say the service and the town
• A sitemap submitted to Google
• A privacy notice if you collect enquiries, which the legal requirements guide covers

12. You own it

Make sure the domain name is registered in your name, and that you can take the site with you if you change designer. Some cheap monthly deals keep the domain and the site, so you lose both if you stop paying.

Quick checklist

Want us to check it for you?

Send us your website and we’ll go through this list for free and tell you the three changes most likely to bring in more calls. Get a free website check, or see our website prices.

This guide compares the two honestly, including when a lead site is worth paying for.

How lead and directory sites work

They don’t all work the same way. Broadly, there are two models:

• Membership directories, where you pay a regular fee to be listed and vetted, and customers contact you directly
• Pay-per-lead sites, where customers post a job and you pay to contact them or to be shortlisted

Some sites mix the two. Prices change often and vary by trade and area, so always check each platform’s current rates before signing up.

The pros of lead sites

• Fast start. You can get enquiries in your first weeks, before your own website has built up any presence on Google.
• Trust badge. A well-known name and vetting process can reassure customers.
• Reviews in one place. Customers are used to leaving reviews on these platforms.

The cons of lead sites

• You pay every month, whether the work is good or not.
• Shared leads. On many pay-per-lead sites, the same customer is contacted by several trades. You can pay for a lead and still lose it to whoever rang first or quoted lowest.
• You don’t own the customer relationship. Your reviews and reputation live on someone else’s platform. If you leave, they stay behind.
• Price pressure. When customers compare several quotes side by side, it often becomes a race on price.

Your own website and Google profile

Your own website takes longer to start working. But once it’s ranking for searches like “electrician in Croydon” and your Google Business Profile is set up properly, enquiries come to you directly, and nobody else is quoting for that job at the same moment.

How to work out what a lead really costs

Don’t judge a platform on the cost per lead. Judge it on the cost per job won.

1. Add up everything you paid the platform over the last three to six months.
2. Count how many jobs you actually won from it.
3. Divide the first number by the second.

Then compare that with the average profit you make on a job. If the platform costs you a big chunk of your profit per job, it may be time to rely on it less.

The approach that works for most trades

For many tradespeople, the answer isn’t either/or. It’s a plan:

1. Use a lead site while you need work coming in.
2. Build your own website with a page for each service and each area you cover.
3. Set up your Google Business Profile properly and collect reviews there too. Our Google reviews guide shows you how.
4. Track where every job comes from. Ask every new customer “How did you find us?”
5. Cut back on paid leads as your direct enquiries grow.

Want to rely less on paid leads?

We build websites for tradespeople designed to bring in direct enquiries from your local area. Start with a free website check and we’ll show you where your jobs are coming from now and where the gaps are.

What is a CRM?

A CRM is a place where you keep track of:

• Who has contacted you
• What they wanted
• Where things are up to (new enquiry, quoted, won, lost)
• What happens next, and when

In practice it’s a to-do list and address book built around your customers.

Signs you need one

Ask yourself:

• Have you ever forgotten to call someone back?
• Do you send quotes and never hear back, and never follow up?
• Are enquiries scattered across texts, WhatsApp, email, Facebook and voicemail?
• Could you easily find everyone who had work done last year?
• If you were off sick, would anyone else know which customers were waiting on you?

If you answered yes to two or more, a simple system would help.

Option 1: A spreadsheet

For many small businesses this is the best place to start. Make a sheet with these columns:

| Date | Name | Phone / email | What they want | Where from | Status | Quote £ | Follow up on | Notes | |—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|

Use simple statuses like New, Quoted, Won, Lost. Every morning, sort by “Follow up on” and work through anything due today.

The “Where from” column is especially useful. After a few months, you’ll know whether your jobs come from Google, word of mouth, a lead site or your van.

Option 2: A free or low-cost CRM

When the spreadsheet starts to feel messy, or more than one person is handling enquiries, a proper CRM helps. Look for one that:

• Has a phone app so you can update it on the go
• Shows your enquiries as a board you can drag from stage to stage
• Sends you reminders to follow up
• Can connect to your website form so enquiries go straight in

Many well-known CRMs have a free plan that covers this. Don’t pay for features you won’t use.

Option 3: A job management app

For trades, a job management app may suit you better than a general CRM. These usually combine quotes, scheduling, invoices and customer records in one place. If you’re already using one, check whether it has follow-up reminders before adding another tool.

How to make it stick

A CRM only works if you use it. Keep it simple:

1. Every enquiry goes in, however it arrives
2. Every quote has a follow-up date
3. Check it every day, ideally at the same time
4. Close things off, marking them won or lost

Our guide on how to follow up a quote gives you a follow-up plan and scripts to use alongside it.

What a CRM won’t do

It won’t win work on its own. It just makes sure good enquiries don’t slip away. You still need a steady flow of enquiries (that’s where your website and Google come in) and a good way of turning them into jobs.

Want help setting it up?

We help small businesses set up simple sales systems that fit how they actually work, without expensive software. See our sales help for small businesses, or start with a free website check and we’ll look at what happens after someone gets in touch.

For small businesses that rely on Google for customers, this is a big change. This guide explains what it means and what you can do about it.

What are AI Overviews?

They’re short answers written by Google’s AI, shown at the top of the results. They pull information from several websites and usually include links to the sources.

Google also has AI Mode, a chat-style search where people can ask longer questions and follow-ups. Both are available in the UK.

Which searches show them?

They tend to appear for questions and research, like:

• “How often should a boiler be serviced?”
• “What’s the difference between a rewire and a partial rewire?”
• “How much does a loft conversion cost?”

For searches where someone wants to find a local business, like “electrician near me”, Google still usually shows the map with local business listings prominently. That’s driven mainly by your Google Business Profile.

What it means for you

What gets harder: for simple “how” and “what” questions, fewer people may click through to a website, because the answer is right there.

What stays the same: people who are ready to hire someone still need to choose a business, check reviews and get in touch. That still happens on your Google profile and your website.

What to do about it

1. Make your Google Business Profile excellent

For local searches, this is still the most important thing. Fill in every section, add photos regularly and keep collecting reviews. Our Google Business Profile guide walks you through it.

2. Answer questions directly on your website

AI Overviews pull from pages that answer questions clearly. Put the answer in the first sentence or two, then explain. A short FAQ section on each service page is a good start.

3. Have a page for each service and area

A page called “Boiler repairs in Croydon” with real detail about what you do, your prices or price ranges, and your reviews is much more useful to Google than a single “Services” page listing everything.

4. Show you’re a real, trusted business

Google wants to use information from businesses it can trust. Help it by showing:

• Your name, photo and experience
• Accreditations and memberships
• Real reviews and case studies
• Your address or service area and contact details

5. Measure what matters

Don’t panic about traffic going up or down. Track the numbers that matter to your business: calls, form enquiries, WhatsApp messages and booked jobs. Google Search Console (free) also shows how often you appear in searches and how many people click.

Should you write blog posts any more?

Yes, but write the right ones. Guides that answer real customer questions, with your experience, prices and local knowledge, are more useful than generic articles. They help you appear in AI answers, show customers you know your stuff, and give you something to send people when they ask.

Want help with this?

For more, read how to get recommended by ChatGPT and AI search. Or get a free website check and we’ll show you how your business appears in Google today, AI Overviews included.

Here are twelve questions to ask before you pay anyone.

About the price

1. What exactly is included in the price?

Ask for a list. How many pages? Is the writing included? Photos? Contact forms? Setting up Google Business Profile? Our guide to how much a small business website costs in the UK explains what’s typical.

2. What will I pay every month or year after it’s built?

Hosting, domain, email, plugins, updates and support. Get it in writing so there are no surprises.

3. What would make it cost more?

Extra pages, extra rounds of changes, online shops and bookings can all add cost. A good designer will tell you upfront.

About ownership

4. Who will own the website?

You should own your content, images and design, and be able to move the site to someone else if you want to.

5. Whose name is the domain registered in?

It should be yours, with your own login.

6. What happens if I want to leave?

Ask how you’d move the website elsewhere, and whether there’s any fee or contract to get out of.

About getting customers

7. How will the website help me get found on Google?

Listen for specifics: a page for each service, area pages, page titles, speed, structured data, Search Console. If they just say “it’s SEO-friendly”, ask what that means.

8. How will visitors contact me?

Click-to-call, WhatsApp, quote forms, booking. Where do enquiries go, and how quickly will you see them?

9. Have you built sites for businesses like mine?

Ask to see examples, then look at them on your phone. Are they fast? Is it obvious what the business does and how to contact them?

10. Can you show results?

Ask if they can share how a past website performed, such as more enquiries or better Google rankings. Be wary of big promises like “guaranteed first page on Google”. Nobody can guarantee that.

About working together

11. Can I update it myself?

Find out how you’d change prices, add photos or write a blog post. Do you need to pay them every time?

12. How long will it take, and what do you need from me?

A clear timeline and a list of what you need to provide (text, photos, logins) keeps the project moving.

Warning signs

How we answer these questions

We’re a website and sales partner for small businesses, built by a salesperson. That means we care less about awards and more about whether your phone rings. You own your site and domain, prices are fixed upfront, and every site is built to help you get found on Google and turn visitors into customers.

See our website design service, or ask us all twelve questions in a free 15-minute website check.

This is one of the most common ways small businesses lose work. The customer didn’t say no. They got busy, forgot, or had a question they never asked. A simple follow-up plan wins many of those jobs back.

Why quotes go quiet

Customers rarely ignore a quote because they hate it. More often:

• They’re comparing two or three quotes and haven’t sat down to decide
• They have a question but feel awkward asking
• They need to talk to a partner, landlord or boss first
• Life got in the way and the email is now buried

None of these are a “no”. They’re a “not yet”. Your job is to make “yes” easy.

A simple three-step follow-up plan

Put these dates in your calendar or phone the moment you send the quote. If it’s not written down, it won’t happen.

Follow-up 1: the friendly check-in

Keep it short and make it easy to reply.

Hi Sarah, it’s Dan from Smith Plumbing. Just checking my quote for the bathroom came through OK? Happy to answer any questions. Thanks, Dan

There’s no pressure and no “just chasing”. You’re simply being helpful.

Follow-up 2: add something useful

This is where you remind them why you’re a good choice. Mention something specific to their job.

Hi Sarah, a quick note on the bathroom. I’ve got a gap in my diary in two weeks if you’d like to get it done before the end of the month. I also forgot to mention the quote includes taking away all the old suite. Would you like me to pencil you in?

Or pick up the phone. A two-minute call often clears up the one question that was holding things up.

Follow-up 3: close the file

This message works surprisingly well, because it gives people permission to say no.

Hi Sarah, I haven’t heard back so I’m guessing the timing isn’t right, which is no problem at all. I’ll close the file for now. If you’d like to go ahead later, just reply here. Thanks, Dan

People who were going to say yes often reply straight away. People who chose someone else usually tell you, which helps you learn.

What to do when they say no

Thank them and ask one question: “Would you mind telling me why, so I can improve?” The answers are really useful. Was it price? Timing? Did someone else reply faster? You’ll spot patterns quickly.

Then add them to a list of past enquiries. Someone who didn’t go ahead with a bathroom this year might need a boiler next year.

Make your quote easier to say yes to

Follow-up works best when the quote itself is clear. Make sure every quote:

• Lists what’s included and what isn’t
• Shows when you can start
• Says how long the price is valid for
• Tells them exactly how to accept (“reply YES to this email” is fine)

For more on this, read our guide on how to write a quote that wins the job.

Make it automatic

If you send more than a few quotes a week, it’s worth using a simple tool to remind you. A free CRM, or even a shared spreadsheet with a “follow up on” date column, stops quotes slipping through the cracks. See do I need a CRM? for the simple options.

Want help with your follow-up?

Following up enquiries and quotes is the part most small businesses skip, and it’s where we help most. Our sales help for small businesses sets up a simple follow-up system that runs without you having to remember. Or start with a free website check and we’ll look at what happens after someone contacts you.