If you're thinking about joining Checkatrade — or you're already on it and wondering if you're getting your money's worth — the first thing you need to understand is what it actually costs. Not just the membership fee, but the real total once everything is added up.
The Basic Membership Fee
Checkatrade membership starts from around £60 per month. That gets you a basic listing on the platform — your business name, contact details, and the ability to collect Checkatrade reviews.
But most tradesmen don't stay on the basic tier for long. Checkatrade offers upgraded profiles, featured placements, and category-specific boosts that push the monthly fee higher. It's common for tradesmen to be paying £100 to £150 per month before they've received a single lead.
The membership fee is a fixed cost. You pay it whether you get 20 leads or zero. That's worth remembering, because quiet months still cost you the same amount.
Per-Lead Fees: Where It Really Adds Up
On top of the membership, Checkatrade charges per lead for many trades. This is where the cost can spiral.
A lead for a small job — a dripping tap, a single socket — might cost £5 to £15. But leads for bigger jobs like boiler installations, bathroom refits, or kitchen fitting can run £20 to £40 each. And these are just enquiries. There's no guarantee the customer will actually hire you.
If you're in a competitive area, you might be one of three or four tradesmen receiving the same lead. That means you could pay £30 for a lead that also went to your competitors — and only one of you gets the job. The other two or three have paid for nothing.
What Does a Typical Month Actually Cost?
Here's where it gets real. Let's look at three scenarios for a plumber:
| Scenario | Membership | Leads received | Per-lead cost | Total monthly cost | Jobs won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet month | £100 | 5 | £15 each | £175 | 1-2 |
| Average month | £100 | 15 | £20 each | £400 | 4-5 |
| Busy month | £150 (upgraded) | 25 | £25 each | £775 | 7-8 |
Even in the average scenario, you're spending £400 a month. Over a year, that's £4,800. And a good chunk of those leads will be shared with other tradesmen, which means you're competing on price before you've even picked up the phone.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
Beyond the fees themselves, there are costs that don't show up on your Checkatrade invoice:
Time spent quoting. Every shared lead means driving to the customer's home, spending 30 minutes quoting, and then waiting to hear if you got the job. If you're quoting on three shared leads to win one job, those two wasted visits cost you time and fuel.
Price pressure. Because the customer knows they're comparing you against other Checkatrade tradesmen, there's constant pressure to be the cheapest quote. That eats into your margins even on the jobs you do win.
No long-term asset. Your Checkatrade profile belongs to Checkatrade. Your reviews belong to Checkatrade. If you leave, everything you've built on the platform disappears. You're renting your reputation, not building one.
How Does This Compare to Building Your Own Presence?
The alternative to platforms like Checkatrade is having your own website, your own Google Business Profile, and your own Google reviews. Here's how the costs compare:
| Checkatrade | Own website + Google | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | £150-£500+ | Fixed monthly fee (no per-lead charges) |
| Per-lead fees | £5-£40 per lead | None — leads come directly to you |
| Competition | Shared leads with 3-4 tradesmen | Customer has already chosen you |
| Ownership | Platform owns your profile and reviews | You own everything |
| Long-term value | Stops the day you cancel | Grows over time |
When someone finds you through Google and calls you directly, there's no per-lead fee. There's no other tradesman getting the same call. The customer has already looked at your reviews, seen your work, and decided you're the one they want. That's a fundamentally different type of lead — and it converts at a much higher rate.
When Checkatrade Might Make Sense
Checkatrade isn't always a bad choice. If you're brand new, have no reviews, and need to build a reputation quickly, it can get you your first few jobs and first few reviews. It's a stepping stone.
The problem is when tradesmen stay on the stepping stone for years, paying thousands annually for leads they could be getting for free through their own online presence. The cost per lead from your own website and Google profile is almost always lower than what you'll pay on any platform.
The Maths You Should Be Doing
Here's a simple exercise. Add up what you've spent on Checkatrade over the last 12 months — membership, per-lead fees, everything. Then count how many jobs you actually won from it. Divide the total spend by the jobs won.
That's your real cost per customer acquired through Checkatrade. For many tradesmen, it's £80 to £200 per customer. Some are paying even more.
Now ask yourself: if you invested that same amount into something you own — a proper website, Google reviews, being visible on Google Maps — would you be better off in 12 months? For most tradesmen, the answer is yes.
What to Do Next
If you're spending hundreds a month on Checkatrade and wondering whether there's a better way, there probably is. A professional website, strong Google reviews, and proper visibility on Google Maps can replace platform fees entirely — and the leads are better quality because they come directly to you.
We can show you exactly where you stand right now and what it would take to stop relying on platforms. Get a free audit and see what's possible.
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