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How Much Does Checkatrade Cost in 2026? Fees, Contract and Cancelling

Checkatrade's membership prices, the 12-month contract, the £250 vetting fee and how to cancel, with a simple way to work out if it pays for itself.

By Sachin Shah · 17 October 2026 · 7 min read

Quick answer: Checkatrade has a free profile, an Approved membership at £30 a month, and a Growth membership from £59 a month that is priced by trade, area and number of leads. Paid memberships run for 12 months and renew automatically. To stop the renewal, the business owner has to phone, no earlier than 35 days before the renewal date. Cancelling your Direct Debit does not end the contract.

Checkatrade is one of the best-known names for finding a trade in the UK. If a sales rep has called you, you’ll want to know what it really costs and what you’re signing up to. This guide sets out what Checkatrade’s own pages and terms say, in plain English.

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

Membership	Price	Notes
Free	£0 a month	A basic profile
Approved	£30 a month	Vetted, with the Checkatrade badge
Growth	From £59 a month	Priced by your trade, the postcodes you choose and how many leads you want. Includes some search ranking credit

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.

Sachin Shah, founder of SS Consultancy Group. Sachin started his career making cold calls and has spent more than ten years helping businesses grow their sales. He now builds websites and sales systems for small businesses in London and across the UK.