The real cost of pay-per-lead platforms for UK tradespeople
Pay-per-lead platforms promise a flow of new work — but when you add up the full annual cost, many tradespeople are paying thousands for leads they don't even convert.
Published 10 May 2026
What pay-per-lead platforms actually charge
Most UK tradespeople are familiar with Checkatrade, MyBuilder, and Rated People. These platforms sit between you and the homeowner and charge you — the tradesperson — for the privilege of receiving an enquiry. Here is how the costs break down.
Checkatrade
Checkatrade operates on an annual membership model with tiered pricing depending on your trade and location. Typical costs for a sole-trader plumber or electrician range from £699 to over £1,200 per year. This is before any optional upgrades like enhanced listings or premium placement. In return, you get a profile page and the ability to receive customer enquiries — but you share those enquiries with other members in your area.
MyBuilder
MyBuilder uses a pure pay-per-lead model. You pay for each lead you "purchase" — typically £3 to £15 per lead depending on job type and location. The critical issue: you're not paying for a job, you're paying for an enquiry. Multiple tradespeople can purchase the same lead, so you may spend £10 on a lead, turn up for a quote, and still not win the job.
Rated People
Rated People charges a monthly subscription (around £50–£80/month depending on your plan) plus additional credits for premium leads. Annual cost: typically £600–£1,000+ before you account for unwinnable leads.
The hidden cost: your conversion rate
Even if you win 1 in 3 leads, the arithmetic is brutal. If you buy 30 leads at £10 each (£300 spent) and convert 10, your customer acquisition cost is £30 per job. For a £120 call-out, that's 25% of your revenue going straight to a platform. And these figures assume clean, non-contested leads — in reality, shared leads mean even lower conversion rates.
The annual cost comparison
- Checkatrade: £699–£1,200/year
- MyBuilder: Variable, but easily £500–£1,500/year for an active member
- Rated People: £600–£1,000/year
- OnMyVan: £99/year flat fee — no per-lead charges, no commission
What you get for your money
Pay-per-lead platforms provide volume — particularly useful for a tradesperson just starting out who has no reviews or word-of-mouth network yet. But for an established sole trader with even a modest reputation, the maths rarely stacks up.
The problem is that these platforms create dependency. The moment you stop paying, the leads stop. You are renting access to customers rather than building anything that belongs to you.
Building assets you own
A Google Business Profile with 40 genuine reviews, a professional online listing, and a database of past customers are things you own and that compound over time. They take longer to build than buying a Checkatrade listing, but they do not invoice you every month.
For most UK sole traders, the sensible approach is to use pay-per-lead platforms sparingly (or not at all) while investing the saved money into building owned channels: a Google profile, a proper website, and a system for collecting reviews and referrals.
The bottom line
If you're spending £1,000 a year on Checkatrade and winning 20 jobs from it, ask yourself what those 20 jobs would have cost you to acquire through Google, referrals, and a flat-fee directory. For most tradespeople, the honest answer is considerably less.