The Checkatrade Model: What You're Paying For
Checkatrade charges UK tradespeople a monthly subscription fee for visibility on its directory. Plumber listings typically cost £50–£100/month depending on the level and any promotional packages. In return, you get a profile page, a review collection system, and visibility to customers searching for plumbers in your area.
The model works well for two types of plumbing businesses:
- Sole traders starting out who have no established reputation or customer base and need leads immediately
- Established plumbers who want a specific type of customer — Checkatrade skews towards homeowners who prioritise vetted, reviewed tradespeople over the cheapest option
The model works less well if you're price-sensitive (the monthly fee is a fixed overhead), or if the quality of leads in your area is low (this varies significantly by location and category).
Checkatrade's value proposition depends on your review count. Plumbers with 100+ reviews at 4.8+ stars get dramatically more leads than those with 10. If you're going to pay for Checkatrade, commit to building your review count — otherwise you're paying for visibility without the social proof that converts searchers.
Building Your Own Customer Base: The Long Game
Building your own customer base — through your website, Google Business Profile, and direct marketing — requires more upfront effort but creates assets you own permanently. The key owned assets:
Your Google Business Profile — Free. Managed by you. Reviews here appear in Google Maps and local search results. A plumber with 80 five-star Google reviews dominates their local search results without paying monthly platform fees. The disadvantage: it takes time to build review volume.
Your website — A basic website with clear service descriptions, local keywords, and a review/testimonial section ranks in Google organic search. With consistent local content, a plumber's website can generate 10–30 leads per month organically within 12–18 months — without ongoing advertising spend.
Your customer list — Every customer you serve is an asset. Their contact details, service history, and willingness to recommend you are yours. An email list of 500 past customers, sent an annual boiler service reminder, generates thousands of pounds in recurring revenue automatically.
The fundamental difference: Checkatrade generates leads as long as you pay. Your own customer base generates leads permanently, grows over time, and creates a business with genuine value if you ever want to sell it.
A Comparative Look at the Numbers
Let's compare a typical scenario. A plumber paying £80/month for Checkatrade over 3 years spends £2,880. If this generates 5 jobs/month at £200 average value, the revenue is £36,000 — a good return. But if Checkatrade changes its algorithm, increases prices, or the lead quality drops, the revenue dries up.
Alternatively, a plumber investing £2,000–£3,000 in a professional website and local SEO over the same 3 years, while diligently collecting Google reviews, might generate 3–5 organic leads/month by month 12 and 8–15/month by month 36. The return is slower to build but entirely owned and doesn't disappear when a platform changes its terms.
The smart approach is both: use Checkatrade (or similar) to generate leads in the short term while building owned channels in parallel. As your owned channels mature (typically 12–18 months of consistent effort), you can reduce your Checkatrade spend without reducing your lead volume.
MyBuilder, Rated People, and Local Heroes: the Alternatives
Checkatrade isn't the only game in town. Brief comparison of the main alternatives for UK plumbers:
- MyBuilder: Pay-per-lead model rather than monthly subscription. You pay for the leads you choose to pursue (typically £10–£30 per lead, depending on job type). Lower upfront commitment but can get expensive at volume. Good for testing lead quality in your area without a long contract.
- Rated People: Similar pay-per-lead model. Plumbers often report higher competition per lead here (more plumbers chasing each job) compared to Checkatrade.
- Local Heroes (owned by British Gas): Fixed-fee subscription, focuses on boiler and heating work. High lead quality for plumbers specialising in heating, but niche audience.
- Bark.com: Pay-per-lead with a different model — you buy credits to respond to customer requests. Quality varies significantly; best for high-volume, fast-response businesses.
Test multiple platforms with small budgets before committing to any single one. The best platform for your business depends on your area, specialisation, and how competitive the local market is.