If you're paying for Checkatrade and wondering whether you're getting your money's worth, you're asking the right question. The answer depends on where you are in your business, but the maths usually tells the same story over time.
What Checkatrade Actually Costs
Checkatrade membership runs from roughly £800 to £2,000 per year depending on your trade and area. That buys you a listing in their directory, access to their lead enquiries, a badge for your van and website, and customer reviews tied to their platform.
The important thing to understand: every pound you spend on Checkatrade belongs to Checkatrade. When you stop paying, the reviews disappear, the leads stop, and the visibility goes with it. You're not building anything: you're renting access.
| Checkatrade | Your Own Website | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | £800–2,000 | £1,500–3,000 build + ~£150 hosting |
| Year 2 cost | £800–2,000 | ~£150 hosting |
| Year 3 cost | £800–2,000 | ~£150 hosting |
| 3-year total | £2,400–6,000 | £1,800–3,300 |
| You own the leads | No | Yes |
| SEO value | Minimal | Compounds over time |
| Reviews stay if you leave | No | Yes |
What Checkatrade Is Good For
In fairness: Checkatrade works. It's a real lead source, especially for trades with high search volume like plumbers, electricians, and roofers in competitive areas. If you're starting out and need jobs fast while your website builds authority, it makes sense as a bridge.
The badge also carries genuine consumer trust, particularly with older demographics who recognise the brand.
What Your Own Website Does That Checkatrade Can't
A properly built website works for you 24 hours a day without a monthly invoice. A customer Googling "emergency electrician Haywards Heath" at 11pm will find your site, not your Checkatrade listing, if your site ranks.
Every job you complete builds your reputation on your terms. Reviews on Google, testimonials on your site, photos in your gallery: they all belong to you and keep working after you've been paid.
Your site can also target the exact jobs you want. A roofer who wants more flat-roof work can have a dedicated page for it. A plumber who wants bathroom installations rather than emergency callouts can build for that. Checkatrade sends you whatever comes in.
Not sure where you stand? Run a free website audit and I'll tell you exactly what to fix.
The Verdict
If you're choosing between Checkatrade and a website, choose the website, then consider adding Checkatrade temporarily if you need volume quickly while the site builds authority.
If you're already on Checkatrade and wondering whether to renew: log into the dashboard, find your enquiry count for the year, and divide your membership cost by that number. If each enquiry costs more than £50–80, the maths almost certainly works out better with a well-optimised website.
I've seen tradespeople cancel Checkatrade after their site started ranking and not miss it. The difference is usually whether the website is actually generating enquiries, or just sitting there looking pretty.
Want to talk it through? Message me directly, no forms, no waiting.
