What does Checkatrade actually cost a plumber?
Checkatrade does not publish a fixed price list for trades. Its own guide for trades says "Basic plans start from around £30 + VAT per month" (as of October 2026).
The same page says the price depends on:
- your trade
- your location
- local competition
- the lead volume you choose for the year
It also says trades in high-demand areas "may pay more due to competition". Plumbing and heating in London and Essex is about as competitive as it gets, so expect a quote well above the entry figure if you want proper visibility.
Two details from that guide matter before you sign:
Basic members don't appear in search.
Checkatrade says basic members "won't appear on the Checkatrade search". The cheapest plan gives you a profile, photos and reviews, not a stream of jobs.
Contract terms aren't on the page.
The guide does not set out a joining fee, minimum term or notice period. Ask for all three in writing.
Our advice: get the full quote, including VAT, term and cancellation, in an email. Then compare it with the cost of the alternatives below.
What do you get for your money?
Checkatrade's pitch is trust. It says members go through "up to 12 checks" before joining, including ID, proof of address, qualifications such as Gas Safe, CCJ checks and financial checks (as of October 2026).
For homeowners, it offers a guarantee on work booked through the platform of "up to £1,000", with eligibility criteria and exclusions (as of October 2026).
The platform also says it verifies reviews, which it describes as possibly including SMS confirmation, phone checks and review monitoring.
A vetted profile
Shows homeowners someone has checked your ID and qualifications
Verified reviews
Social proof if you are new and have few Google reviews
A homeowner guarantee
Reassures nervous customers on bigger jobs
A recognised brand
Some homeowners only look on Checkatrade
Lead volume you choose
Calls and quote requests in the categories and areas you pick
When is Checkatrade worth it?
Be fair to it. There are situations where it earns its keep.
You have just gone self-employed.
No reviews, no website, no Google Business Profile history. A vetted directory listing gives you something to point customers at in week one.
You need to fill the diary fast.
Building your own visibility takes months. A paid directory can bring calls sooner.
Your customers already use it.
Some homeowners, especially for bigger jobs like bathrooms and boiler swaps, search Checkatrade first.
You win most quotes you go to.
If your conversion is strong, the maths per job is easier to justify.
The test is simple. Track every job that came from Checkatrade over three months, add up the gross profit, and compare it with what you paid. If one boiler swap a month covers the bill several times over, it is earning its place.
When is Checkatrade not worth it?
The downsides are real too.
You are one of many plumbers on the same page.
Your profile sits next to rivals in the same postcode, often with similar ratings.
Customers compare on price.
Directory shoppers are frequently getting several quotes at once.
The reviews live on someone else's site.
If you leave, your profile and its reviews do not come with you to your own site in the same way.
The cost recurs forever.
Every month you pay, you are renting visibility. Stop paying and it stops.
You can't control the page.
You cannot add a detailed page about unvented cylinder servicing or a page for Chelmsford. Your profile is one template among thousands.
None of these make Checkatrade bad. They make it a cost of sale, not an asset.
Why does renting leads cost more over time than owning them?
This is the argument we put to every plumber, whether they use Checkatrade or not.
Renting means paying a platform for access to customers: directory memberships, pay-per-lead sites and lead credits. The day you stop paying, the work stops.
Owning means building things that keep bringing work after you have paid for them: your own website, your Google Business Profile and its reviews, and your customer list.
The cost of leads is not small. In October 2026, advertisers bidding on Google for "plumbing leads" faced costs of around £32.53 per click, and "boiler installation leads" around £63.30 per click (DataforSEO, UK). Those are what lead sellers pay to get the enquiry in the first place, before they add their margin.
Your own channels look like this:
| Rented (directories, lead sites) | Owned (website, Google profile) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the page | The platform | You |
| Who owns the reviews | The platform | Google reviews stay on your profile |
| Cost when you stop | Visibility stops | Pages and reviews stay |
| Competing plumbers on the page | Yes, side by side | Your site shows only you |
| Can you add service and area pages | No | Yes |
| Speed to first enquiry | Often fast | Slower to build |
Google says local ranking depends on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence includes "how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have" (as of October 2026). Every review and link you earn on your own profile keeps working for you.
What are the best Checkatrade alternatives for plumbers?
There are two kinds of alternative: other platforms you rent, and channels you own.
Other lead platforms
- MyBuilder charges no membership fee and takes a shortlist fee when a homeowner picks you.
- Bark sells credits that you spend to contact a customer.
- Rated People combines a membership with lead fees, and sells each lead to a maximum of three trades.
We compare all three, with verified fees, in Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Bark.
Channels you own
- Google Business Profile. Free, and the map pack is where many emergency and local searches end. Fill every field, choose accurate categories, add real photos and ask every happy customer for a review.
- Your own website. Clear service pages (boiler installs, servicing, leak detection, bathrooms), area pages for the towns you cover, click-to-call on every screen and your Gas Safe number visible.
- Local SEO. Consistent name, address and service area across the web, links from local suppliers and trade bodies, and content that answers real questions.
- Google Ads. Paid, like a directory, but the enquiry lands on your site and the customer only sees you.
- Repeat work. Annual boiler service reminders and landlord gas safety record renewals turn one job into a yearly one.
A word on reviews: whichever route you take, keep them clean. The DMCC Act 2024 bans fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews, and that has been in force since April 2025 (CMS). Ask genuine customers, and never pay for or write reviews.
What do plumbers often get wrong with directory listings?
A few common mistakes reduce what any directory can do for you:
Thin profiles.
No photos, a one-line description and no list of services.
Slow replies.
A customer who sends an enquiry to several trades may well book whoever answers first.
No follow-up.
Quotes sent and never chased.
Never asking for reviews.
Happy customers rarely leave one unless you ask.
Fix these before deciding the platform doesn't work.
How do you decide, in three questions?
- What did each Checkatrade job make you last quarter, after materials? If you don't know, track it before renewing.
- How many enquiries come from your own website and Google profile now? If the answer is "almost none", that is the bigger problem to fix.
- What happens if you stop paying next month? If the honest answer is "the phone goes quiet", you are too dependent on rented leads.
A sensible plan for many plumbers: keep a directory listing for now, put real effort into your own site and Google profile, and review the directory at each renewal. As your own channels grow, the directory often becomes optional.
How can we help you own more of your leads?
We build websites and run local search only for plumbers and heating engineers. Start with local SEO for plumbers if your Google Business Profile needs work, or plumbing website design if your site is the weak link. If you want to compare paid routes in one place, see plumbing and boiler leads. We can't promise a number of jobs or a ranking, but we can show you exactly what we would build and what it costs before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Checkatrade cost a plumber?
Checkatrade says basic plans start from around £30 plus VAT a month, as of October 2026. Your actual price depends on your trade, area, local competition and the lead volume you choose, so get a written quote.
Do basic Checkatrade members show up in search?
No. Checkatrade's own guide says basic members won't appear on the Checkatrade search, so the cheapest plan is mainly a profile and reviews page.
Can I use Checkatrade and my own website at the same time?
Yes, and many plumbers do. Use the directory for extra work while your own website and Google Business Profile build up, then decide each year whether you still need it.
What is the best alternative to Checkatrade for a plumber?
For most plumbers, a complete Google Business Profile plus a fast website with clear service and area pages. Pay-per-lead sites such as MyBuilder, Bark and Rated People are the other route, each with its own costs.
Are Checkatrade reviews worth having?
They help with customers who already use Checkatrade. Reviews on your Google Business Profile tend to do more for your local visibility, because Google says review count and ratings feed into local ranking.