Is Checkatrade Worth It for Builders? Costs and Maths
The short answer
It can be for domestic trades in busy areas if you win enough jobs to cover a year of fees. Most memberships run on a fixed 12-month term that renews automatically, so do the break-even maths before you sign. For bigger projects, build your own pipeline.
- Membership from £30 + VAT a month, no joining fee. The basic plan gives no leads; lead plans are priced per business.
- It's a 12-month commitment. Most memberships are fixed for 12 months and renew automatically unless you call in the renewal window.
- Break-even = a year of fees ÷ gross profit per job. Count the jobs you must win just to pay Checkatrade, then add your quoting time.
- Built for homeowners. Larger commercial and design & build work comes from relationships, not directories.
Written by Sviat Jay, founder of BizMentor and of Craftex, a London design & build company. BizMentor has no commercial relationship with Checkatrade. Costs and contract terms below are taken from Checkatrade's own pages, checked on 17 October 2026.
Is Checkatrade worth it for builders? Below are the costs, the contract and the break-even maths. If you'd rather build a pipeline you own, book a free strategy call.
The short answer
Checkatrade can work for domestic trades in areas where homeowners search for them, if you win enough jobs to cover a full year of fees.
The catch is the contract. Most memberships are fixed for 12 months and renew automatically. You're buying a year, not a month. Work out the break-even before you sign. If you already pay for leads that never turn into jobs, read paying for leads that never convert first.
For bigger projects (refurbishments, fit-outs, design & build) it isn't the route. That work comes from architects, developers, past clients and main contractors.
Skip MyBuilder and Checkatrade if you want bigger work. You compete on price with five other trades for small jobs. They're built for homeowners hiring a single tradesperson, not for contractors growing a business. Premium clients come through other routes: see how to get high-end clients as a London builder.
What Checkatrade costs in 2026
From Checkatrade's own trade pages:
- Joining fee: none. You pay a monthly membership.
- Basic plan: from £30 + VAT a month. No sales leads, and you don't appear in Checkatrade's search.
- Lead plans: priced for your business by trade, location, local competition and the lead volume you choose. High-demand trades in busy areas may pay more.
- Larger firms: bespoke pricing, aimed at businesses spending over £1,000 a month on advertising.
- VAT: charged on every fee. Checkatrade says VAT-registered members can reclaim it.
- Guarantee: the Checkatrade Guarantee covers jobs up to £1,000 booked through the platform.
Checkatrade doesn't publish a price list for lead plans. You get your figure on a sales call, so ask for it in writing, with the lead volume and areas included.
Comparing the £30 basic plan with lead plans. The basic plan gives no leads and no search listing. The plan that actually sends enquiries costs more.
Is the gap in your pipeline or in how you convert enquiries? Take the free 4-minute Construction Business Scorecard: 18 questions on your pipeline, sales, pricing, cash flow and systems, with your weakest area shown first. Want the enquiries handled for you? See our construction marketing service.
The 12-month contract: read this before you sign
Checkatrade's support pages are clear about how the contract works:
- Fixed term: most memberships run for 12 months and can't normally be cancelled partway through.
- Auto-renewal: if they don't hear from you, it renews for another 12 months.
- How to cancel: call during the renewal window, about a month before your renewal date. Replying to an email or cancelling the Direct Debit does not cancel it.
- Price at renewal: may be updated each year. Full pricing comes about a month before renewal.
Put your renewal date in your calendar the day you sign, with a reminder six weeks before. That's when you decide, on your own numbers, whether it stays.
The break-even maths
A membership is a fixed cost. So the question is simple: how many jobs do you need to win just to pay for it?
| Step | Formula |
|---|---|
| Yearly cost | Monthly fee × 12 (+ VAT if you can't reclaim it) |
| Jobs to break even | Yearly cost ÷ average gross profit per job |
| Quotes needed | Jobs to break even ÷ your win rate |
Worked example (example figures, not a Checkatrade price): a plan at £150 + VAT a month, and jobs that leave you £450 gross profit.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Yearly cost | £1,800 + VAT |
| Jobs just to pay for it | 4 |
| Quotes needed if you win 1 in 4 | 16 |
| Quotes needed if you win 1 in 10 | 40 |
Checkatrade's own example says 10 enquiries may lead to 3 quotes, and 3 quotes to 1 or 2 jobs. Use your numbers: from day one, record every enquiry, quote and win.
Only jobs beyond break-even make you money. If your win rate is low, the fix is how you quote, present and follow up each quote, not more leads.
Want to know your real cost per won job before renewal?
Book a free call and we'll go through your numbers with you.
Pros and cons for a building business
What works
- Trust signal. Up to 12 checks, from ID and qualifications to CCJs and director checks.
- Homeowners searching now. People on the platform are usually ready to hire.
- Predictable cost. One monthly figure you can budget for.
- Reviews in one place. Homeowners can see verified feedback.
What doesn't
- A year's commitment. Quiet months still cost the same.
- Domestic focus. The guarantee covers jobs up to £1,000, which tells you who it's built for.
- Shared demand. Other members in your trade and area answer the same homeowners.
- It's rented. Stop paying and the listing and enquiries stop.
This is for you if
- Domestic trades (plumbing, electrics, roofing, decorating) in busy areas
- Firms that can visit and quote quickly and track every enquiry
- Owners happy to commit for 12 months on a known budget
It’s not for you if
- Builders chasing £50K+ refurbishments, fit-outs or design & build
- Anyone who can't yet say what one job earns in gross profit
- Firms whose plan is to get off the tools
What to do instead: channels you own
The enquiries that grow a construction company come from people who send you work again and again. Want a plan for these channels in your business? Book a free strategy call. These are the channels we use at Craftex:
- Past clients and contacts. Adam, a builder I mentored, signed £91,796 of work in 8 days by calling people he already knew.
- Architects and interior designers. Adam & Ali's £528K project came through an architect.
- Main contractors. Firms that subcontract packages every month. One good relationship can replace a year of directory leads.
- Your own Google profile, website and reviews. Enquiries that come to you only.
- Better selling, not more leads. Ghennadi, a decorator, went from £2K a month on the tools to £13.5K a month profit in 60 days.
Individual results, not typical or guaranteed.
Job size changes everything. On a £50K job with £15K profit you can spend £3–3.5K to win it and keep most of the profit. On small domestic jobs, a year of membership fees can swallow the margin.
In this video I explain why lead platforms rarely work for builders who want to grow, and where to find £50,000–£100,000 projects instead.
20+ Ways to Get Construction Projects in the UK
Every channel we use at Craftex to find work, with scripts and a 30-day plan.
Get the free guideWant a pipeline that doesn't renew every 12 months?
Book a free strategy call and leave with a 90-day plan.
Before you sign or renew
Checkatrade's prices and terms can change. Check your own membership agreement before you sign or renew.
For a pay-per-shortlist alternative, see whether MyBuilder is worth it for builders. For pay-per-lead credits, see whether Bark is worth it for tradesmen.
Before you go
- You have the lead-plan price in writing, with areas and lead volume
- You've worked out how many jobs pay for a full year
- Your renewal date and the cancellation window are in your calendar
- Every enquiry, quote and win is tracked from day one
- At least two channels you own bring in work every month
