Checkatrade Alternatives 2026: Better Options for Tradespeople (That Don't Charge Per Lead)

By Mike Oddoye | Built systems that generate leads, not rent them

Let's be honest about Checkatrade:

It works. You get leads. But you're paying £50/month membership + £10-25 per lead. You're competing with 3-4 other tradespeople for every enquiry. And if you stop paying, the leads stop instantly.

Annual cost: £2,400-4,800 depending on trade and volume What you own: Nothing

There are better ways to generate leads in 2026. Some cheaper. Some free. All with better long-term ROI.

Why Tradespeople Are Leaving Lead Generation Platforms

According to FMB's 2025 member survey, 63% of tradespeople who used lead platforms like Checkatrade reduced or stopped usage in 2024-2025.

Top reasons:

Cost (leads getting more expensive)
Quality (more tire-kickers, less qualified leads)
Competition (too many tradespeople on the same lead)
Ownership (you don't own the customer relationship)

The shift: Tradespeople are building their OWN lead generation instead of renting it.

The Real Cost of Checkatrade & Similar Platforms

Let's break down what you're actually paying:

Checkatrade:

Membership: £50-100/month
Cost per lead: £10-25 (varies by trade)
Average leads needed: 15-20/month to stay busy
Total: £300-600/month = £3,600-7,200/year

TrustATrader:

Similar pricing
£40-80/month membership
£8-20 per lead

MyBuilder:

Free to join
Pay per quote: £3-15
But leads are lower quality (price shoppers)

Bark:

Pay per lead: £5-50 depending on job size
High competition (10+ tradespeople bidding)

The pattern: You're RENTING leads. You never own them. Stop paying, you're back to zero.

Alternative 1: Google Business Profile (The Free 800lb Gorilla)

Cost: £0/month Quality: Highest intent leads (people actively searching for you) Competition: You vs every other local tradesperson

Why it's better than Checkatrade:

Control:

You own your presence
Can't be kicked off
No algorithm changes affect you

Cost:

Completely free
No per-lead fees
No membership costs

Quality:

People searching "plumber near me" NEED a plumber NOW
Not comparing 5 quotes
Higher conversion rates

The downside: Requires work to rank well. But it's one-time work that pays off forever.

What to do:

Optimization (2-3 hours one-time):

Complete every section 100%
Add 50+ photos
Pick all relevant categories
Add service areas
Write compelling description

Reviews (ongoing):

Goal: 30-50 reviews minimum
Text customers after every job
Make it stupid easy (direct link)

Posts (5 mins per week):

Before/after photos
Seasonal tips
Emergency availability

Reality: This generates 40-60% of leads for top-performing tradespeople. Zero cost.

See our complete guide for tradespeople for step-by-step setup.

Alternative 2: Your Own Website + Local SEO

Cost: £10-30/month (hosting + domain) Quality: High (people researching your services specifically) Timeline: 3-6 months to see results

Why it's better:

You own the traffic
Builds over time (compound effect)
Establishes authority
No per-lead costs

The minimum viable website:

Homepage:

What you do
Where you serve
Phone number (huge, clickable)
Reviews
Before/after photos

Service Pages (create one per service):

"[Service] in [Your Town]"
Real pricing (at least ranges)
Photos from YOUR jobs
Your certifications
Clear call-to-action

Example that ranks: "Boiler Installation Manchester - £2,200-£3,500 - Gas Safe Registered"

Blog (optional but powerful):

Answer common questions
"How much does [service] cost?"
"Do I need [service]? 7 signs"
Ranks on Google for YEARS

ROI calculation:

Website cost: £200-500 one-time + £20/month
Generates 5-10 leads per month after 6 months
Those leads are FREE forever
After 12 months: Break even vs Checkatrade

Tools:

WordPress + local hosting (£20/month)
Or builder tools like Webflow, Squarespace (£15-30/month)
Or hire someone (£500-1,500 one-time)

Alternative 3: Trade-Specific Directories (The Cheaper Options)

Better than Checkatrade but still not perfect:

Rated People:

Pay per quote, not per lead
£3-8 per quote sent
Lower than Checkatrade
But more competition (up to 5 tradespeople per lead)

TrustATrader:

£40-80/month membership
£8-15 per lead
Slightly cheaper than Checkatrade
Similar quality

Local directory sites:

Often free or cheap (£50-100/year)
Examples: [Your Town] Traders, local Facebook groups
Lower volume but sometimes better quality

Reality: These are still RENTING leads. But if you need leads NOW and can't wait for SEO, they're cheaper than Checkatrade.

Recommendation: Use them as a bridge while you build owned assets (Google Business Profile + website).

Alternative 4: Facebook & Local Facebook Groups

Cost: £0 (organic) or £50-200/month (ads) Quality: Mixed Timeline: Immediate for groups, 1-2 months for ads

Strategy 1: Local Facebook Groups

Join "[Your Town] Recommendations" groups
"[Your Town] Buy/Sell" groups
Engage genuinely (don't spam)
When someone asks for a tradesperson, offer to help
Include link to your Google Business Profile

Reality: Generates 2-5 leads per month if you're active and not spammy.

Strategy 2: Facebook Page + Posts

Post before/after photos 2-3x per week
Tag location
Ask happy customers to share/tag
Document your work

This builds presence. Doesn't generate immediate leads but compounds over time.

Strategy 3: Facebook Ads (optional)

Can work for specific services (kitchens, bathrooms, high-value work)
Budget: £10-20/day
Target: Local area, homeowners, specific demographics

When it makes sense:

High-ticket services (£3,000+)
Clear offer (e.g., "Free kitchen design consultation")
You have time to manage campaigns

When it doesn't:

General trade work
Emergency repairs
Low-margin jobs

Alternative 5: Build Your Own Lead Generation System

Cost: £50-200/month depending on tools Quality: Highest (you control everything) Timeline: 1-2 hours to set up, then automated

This is what smart tradespeople are building:

The system:

1. Website with lead capture

Contact form
Phone number (tracked)
Service area selector

2. Automated response

Form submitted → instant auto-reply
"Got your message! I'm on-site but will call within 2 hours."
Captures in CRM/spreadsheet

3. Follow-up automation

Quote sent → automatic follow-up after 3 days
"Any questions about the quote?"
Job complete → request review automatically

4. Nurture system

People who don't book → email sequence
"Seasonal maintenance tips"
"Special offers"
Stay top-of-mind

Tools needed:

Website (£10-30/month)
n8n automation (free, open-source) or Make/Zapier (£20-50/month)
Email tool (free up to 1,000 contacts)
SMS tool like Twilio (pay per message, ~£10-20/month)

Total: £50-120/month vs £300-600/month for Checkatrade

Better: You own the system. It works 24/7. Captures leads while you're working.

We build these systems at OptiMAX. Takes 2-3 hours to set up properly, then runs forever.

Alternative 6: Strategic Partnerships & Referrals

Cost: £0-100/month (referral incentives) Quality: Highest (warm referrals) Timeline: Immediate once established

Partner with:

Estate agents (for property maintenance)

They need reliable tradespeople for rental properties
You do good work, they refer more

Property developers/builders

Need subcontractors
Regular work
Better payment terms

Complementary trades

Plumber partners with electrician
Builder partners with roofer
Refer jobs you can't do

Interior designers/architects (for renovation work)

They design, you execute
High-value projects

The pitch: "I'm a [your trade] specializing in [niche]. If you ever have clients who need [service], I'd love to help. Here's my card."

Referral incentive:

£50-100 gift for successful referral
Or discount on next service
Or reciprocal referrals

Reality: One good partnership can generate 3-5 leads per month. Build 3-4 partnerships = 10-20 leads/month for free.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Method	Cost/Month	Lead Quality	Competition	Ownership
Checkatrade	£300-600	Medium	High	None
Google Business	£0	High	Medium	100%
Your Website	£10-30	High	Low	100%
Facebook Organic	£0	Low-Medium	Low	Partial
Own System	£50-120	High	None	100%
Partnerships	£0-100	Highest	None	100%

The winning combination:

Google Business Profile (free, highest ROI)
Your own website (low cost, long-term asset)
Automated system (handles follow-ups)
2-3 strategic partnerships (steady referrals)

Total cost: £50-150/month vs £300-600/month for Checkatrade

Difference: You OWN the leads. They compound over time.

Real Example: Breaking Free From Checkatrade

Dave, electrician in Bristol:

Year 1 (Checkatrade only):

Spend: £4,200/year
Leads: 180/year
Jobs: 72/year (40% conversion)
Owns: Nothing

Year 2 (Built own system): Months 1-3: Kept Checkatrade while building

Optimized Google Business Profile
Got 25 reviews
Built basic website

Months 4-6:

Reduced Checkatrade to backup
Google generating 8-10 leads/month
Website generating 3-5 leads/month

Months 7-12:

Canceled Checkatrade
Google: 12-15 leads/month
Website: 5-8 leads/month
Referrals: 3-5 leads/month

Year 2 totals:

Spend: £800 (website + tools)
Leads: 240/year
Jobs: 108/year (45% conversion - less competition)
Owns: All his lead generation

Savings: £3,400/year + 36 more jobs + owns the system

The Transition Plan: How to Leave Checkatrade

Don't quit cold turkey. Transition over 3-6 months.

Month 1-2:

Keep Checkatrade at current level
Set up Google Business Profile properly
Start collecting reviews (goal: 15-20)

Month 3-4:

Build/improve website
Create service pages
Set up automated systems
Track where leads come from

Month 5-6:

Review lead sources
If Google + website generating 60% of needed leads, reduce Checkatrade
If not, continue another 2 months

Month 7+:

Cancel Checkatrade or keep at minimum tier as backup
Reinvest savings into owned assets

Safety net: Keep one platform as backup (the cheapest one) until you're confident in your owned systems.

What If You Need Leads NOW?

If you can't wait 3-6 months for SEO to kick in:

Short-term bridge:

Use cheaper platforms (Rated People, local directories)
Spend £100-200/month instead of £400-600
While building owned assets

Don't:

Commit to annual contracts
Pay upfront for 12 months
Use expensive platforms long-term

Do:

Month-to-month only
Reduce spend as owned assets grow
Track ROI religiously

The Bottom Line

Checkatrade and similar platforms serve a purpose: Quick leads when you're starting or slow.

But they're not a long-term strategy.

Better approach:

Start with cheap/free alternatives (Google Business, website)
Build automated systems (so you respond faster than competitors)
Develop partnerships (free, high-quality referrals)
Use paid platforms as backup only

Timeline:

Month 1-3: Build foundations
Month 4-6: Start seeing results
Month 7-12: Reduce platform dependence by 70-80%

Cost: Go from £300-600/month to £50-150/month

Ownership: You own your leads, reviews, and systems. They compound forever.

Need help building the automated follow-up system that makes this work? That's what we do at OptiMAX. You stay on the tools, we build the tech.