Checkatrade is the most recognised trade directory in the UK, but that does not mean it is the best use of your marketing budget. The honest answer to 'is Checkatrade worth it in 2025' depends entirely on where you are in your business journey — and whether you understand what you are actually buying. Spoiler: you are not buying jobs. You are buying competition.
What Checkatrade Actually Costs in 2025
Checkatrade's pricing has changed significantly over the years. In 2025, you are looking at a monthly membership (£30-50 depending on trade and area), plus per-lead costs ranging from £15 for basic enquiries to £40+ for high-value leads like boiler installations or full rewires. The average tradesperson on Checkatrade spends £200-500/mo all-in.
But the headline cost is not the real issue. The real issue is lead sharing. When a homeowner submits an enquiry on Checkatrade, that lead goes to 3-6 tradespeople simultaneously. You are paying for the right to compete, not the right to win. That is a fundamentally different proposition to owning your own lead channels.
The Maths: What Is Your Real Cost Per Won Job?
If you receive 20 leads per month at an average of £25 each, that is £500 in lead costs plus your £40 membership. Of those 20 leads, you might win 3-4 jobs (15-20% is typical for shared leads). That means each won job cost you £135-180 in direct marketing spend — before you factor in the time spent quoting the 16 you did not win.
For a plumber doing £200 tap repairs, that is brutal — marketing costs eating 60-90% of profit. For an electrician doing £3,000 rewires, the maths is more bearable but still painful when you realise you are spending hours quoting work that goes to the cheapest bidder. Add up the quoting time at your hourly rate and the real cost per won job often exceeds £250.
The Price-Matching Trap
Checkatrade actively encourages customers to compare prices. The platform is designed for customers to get multiple quotes and choose. This means you are always competing in a race that rewards the cheapest, not the best. Tradespeople on Checkatrade consistently report that they have had to reduce their prices over time just to maintain their win rate.
When you own your lead channels — your Google Business Profile, your website — customers come to you specifically. They have already decided they want you before they pick up the phone. The conversation starts from trust, not comparison. That changes everything about how you price and how you win work.
When Checkatrade Does Make Sense
We are not going to pretend Checkatrade is always wrong. There are genuine use cases:
► Brand new tradesperson with zero online presence — Checkatrade provides instant visibility while you build your own channels
► High-value trades with large margins — if every won job is worth £5,000+, the maths can still work despite high per-lead costs
► Quieter periods where you need to fill gaps — treating it as a top-up, not a primary channel
► Validating a new service area before committing to full marketing investment
The problem is that many tradespeople stay on Checkatrade for years, never building their own presence. They become dependent on rented visibility instead of owned assets. That is the trap to avoid.
The Alternative: Own Your Marketing
The long-term winners in any trade are those who own their lead generation. That means: your own website ranking in Google, your own Google Business Profile with 100+ reviews, your own Google Ads running to your own landing pages, and your own customer database for repeat business and referrals.
The total investment is comparable to Checkatrade (£500-1,000/mo all-in), but the crucial difference is that every pound builds an asset you own. Your Google rankings improve month on month. Your review count compounds. Your reputation in your area grows. Stop paying Checkatrade and your listing disappears overnight. Stop your own marketing for a month and your website, reviews, and rankings remain completely intact.
A Realistic Transition Plan
Month 1-2: Keep Checkatrade for cash flow while getting your Google Business Profile fully optimised and starting to build Google reviews. Month 3-4: Launch Google Ads with a modest budget (£300-500/mo) to start generating your own leads. Month 5-6: Reduce Checkatrade lead credits as your own channels gain momentum. Month 7-12: Evaluate Checkatrade spend against your own channel performance and make a data-driven decision.
Most tradespeople who follow this path are fully off Checkatrade within 9 months — with more leads, better leads, and a lower total marketing cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has Checkatrade got more expensive in recent years?
Yes. Lead prices on Checkatrade have increased significantly since 2020. What cost £15 per lead in 2019 now costs £25-40 in many categories. At the same time, the number of tradespeople competing on the platform has increased, making conversion rates lower.
Can I keep my Checkatrade reviews if I cancel?
No. Your Checkatrade reviews live on Checkatrade's platform and are not portable. This is one of the strongest arguments for building Google reviews in parallel — those stay with you regardless of which platforms you use.
What is the main advantage of Checkatrade over my own marketing?
Speed. You can start receiving leads within 48 hours of creating a Checkatrade profile. Building your own Google presence takes 3-6 months. That is why it makes sense as a short-term bridge, not a long-term strategy.
How many reviews do I need before I can get leads without Checkatrade?
Realistically, 30-50 Google reviews puts you in contention for Map Pack rankings in most areas. Combined with a properly optimised GBP and some Google Ads spend, this is enough to start generating meaningful organic leads.