Trades
Is Checkatrade worth it? Lead sites against your own website, and how to do the maths
Checkatrade and similar lead sites can be worth it, mainly for a new firm with no reviews yet, or one that needs work this month. Over time, your own website and Google Business Profile usually win more work for less, because the reviews and rankings belong to you. Work it out by cost per job won, not per lead.
Most established trades do best with both for a while, then let the paid listing earn its place each year.
What are you actually paying for on a lead site?
Visibility you rent. Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People and Bark each work differently, but the trade-off is the same. You pay to appear where customers are already looking, and the platform owns the page, the customer relationship and, in most cases, your reviews.
That is not a bad deal on its own. A vetted listing with reviews can win work quickly, and some customers search the directory first. The problem comes when it is the only place you can be found. If the price rises or you stop paying, the work stops too, and you start again from nothing.
How do you work out whether Checkatrade is worth it?
Use the number that matters, which is cost per job won. Take everything you paid the platform over three months, including any lead fees, and divide it by the number of jobs you actually won from it. Then compare that with the profit on an average job.
| Step | What to count |
|---|---|
| 1. Total cost | Membership, lead fees, any add-ons, over three months |
| 2. Jobs won | Only jobs that came from the platform and went ahead |
| 3. Cost per job won | Total cost divided by jobs won |
| 4. Profit per job | Your average profit, after materials and time |
| 5. Verdict | If the cost per job won is a small share of the profit, keep it |
Ask the platform for the price in writing before you sign, including the contract length and how to cancel. Prices vary by trade and area, and the cheapest tier is not always the one that puts you in front of customers.
What does your own website do that a listing cannot?
Three things. It ranks for the specific jobs you want, such as "boiler installation Crawley" or "flat roof replacement Lewes", not just your trade category. It holds the reviews and the photographs you collect, on a domain you own. And it costs roughly the same in year five as it did in year two, while rented visibility usually costs more each year.
Google's own map results are the other half. A complete Google Business Profile with steady reviews is free, and for urgent jobs it often matters more than any website. Google says local results are "mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity" (Google Business Profile Help). Popularity there is built from reviews you own.
When is a lead site the right choice?
- You have just started, have no reviews and need work now.
- You have moved to a new area where nobody knows your name.
- Your trade's customers genuinely search the directory first, which you can test by asking every new customer where they found you.
- The vetting badge itself reassures your customers, and the cost per job won is low.
Even then, build your own profile and site alongside it, so the listing becomes optional rather than essential.
What does it cost to have your own trade website instead?
With us, a one-page trade website starts at £995 and a multi-page site at £1,495, with maintenance from £49 a month. Those prices are on the price list. Unlike a lead subscription, it is a one-off build you own, plus a small monthly fee if you want someone to look after it.
Whoever builds it, check you will own the domain and the content, and that you can move it if you leave. Our guide to what a tradesman's website needs covers the pages, and local SEO for trades covers the profile and reviews.
Questions tradespeople ask about lead sites
Is Checkatrade worth it for a new tradesperson?
It can be, because a new firm has no reviews and needs work quickly. Work out the cost per job won over three months and compare it with your profit per job. Build your own Google Business Profile and website alongside it so you are not dependent on it.
What is the alternative to Checkatrade?
Other lead and directory sites such as MyBuilder, Rated People and Bark work in similar ways. The longer-term alternative is your own Google Business Profile with steady reviews and a website with a page for each job you want more of.
Do I own my reviews on a lead site?
Usually not in any practical sense: they sit on the platform's pages and stay there when you leave. Reviews on your Google Business Profile follow your business, which is one reason to collect them there too.
How do I know if my lead site is working?
Ask every new customer where they found you and keep a simple tally for three months. Then divide what you paid the platform by the jobs it actually produced, and compare that with your average profit per job.