How Much Is Checkatrade Per Month and Is It Worth It for Tradespeople in 2026?

For some tradespeople, one profitable project can cover several months of membership. For others, the same subscription can produce unsuitable enquiries, hours of unpaid quoting and very little profit. The answer depends on your figures, not somebody else's review.

This guide explains the advertised prices, the less obvious costs and the numbers you should track. You can also use the calculator below to estimate whether your membership is producing a positive return.

How much is Checkatrade per month?

Checkatrade's published UK pricing, checked on 21 September 2026, shows three main options:

Checkatrade states that fixed memberships are for 12 months. Growth is advertised using a starting price rather than one universal fee. The amount quoted can depend on your trade, the postcode areas you want to cover and the number of enquiries you would like to receive.

That means another tradesperson's monthly fee may not tell you what your own membership will cost. Before agreeing to anything, ask for the complete monthly and annual figures in writing, check whether VAT is included and read the current membership terms.

Is Checkatrade worth it?

Checkatrade may be worth it when it consistently produces suitable work at an acquisition cost your business can comfortably afford. It is unlikely to be worth it when the subscription, quoting time and direct job costs consume most of the profit generated by those customers.

Counting enquiries alone will not answer the question. A busy phone is not the same as a profitable marketing channel.

You need to know:

• How much you paid over a sensible review period.
• How many genuine enquiries came specifically from Checkatrade.
• How many of those enquiries became quotations.
• How many quotations became paid jobs.
• What those jobs invoiced.
• What remained after materials, subcontractors and other direct job costs.
• How much working time was spent responding, visiting and quoting.

Use the Checkatrade return calculator

Enter figures from your own invoices, enquiry records and completed jobs. Six to twelve months normally gives a more useful picture than one unusually busy or quiet month.

The result is an estimate rather than financial or accounting advice. It is only as accurate as the information entered, and it cannot automatically value less measurable benefits such as reputation, reviews or future recommendations.

What the calculator measures

Cost per genuine enquiry

This is your membership spend divided by the number of real, relevant enquiries received.

Do not count spam, mistaken calls, jobs outside your area or requests for services you do not provide. Recording these separately is useful because a large number of poor enquiries may still consume time.

Cost per quotation

This is your membership spend divided by the number of quotations you provided.

It helps expose the gap between somebody making contact and somebody being sufficiently serious and suitable to receive a price.

Cost per won job

This is your membership spend divided by the number of paid jobs won.

This is usually more useful than cost per enquiry. A £30 enquiry could be excellent value if it becomes a profitable £5,000 project, but poor value if it repeatedly produces small jobs with little margin.

Net return after marketing and quoting time

The calculator estimates the contribution from the jobs and then deducts the membership cost and the value you place on time spent dealing with the enquiries.

It uses direct job costs rather than treating the entire invoice value as profit. This matters because revenue can look impressive while materials, subcontractors and labour absorb much of it.

An example calculation

Imagine a trade business reviewing six months of activity:

The subscription costs £1,080 across the review period. It produces a £30 cost per genuine enquiry, a £60 cost per quotation and a £180 membership cost per won job.

The six jobs generate £3,600 after the example direct job costs but before marketing and quoting time. Once the £1,080 membership and £450 value of the quoting time are deducted, the estimated net return is £2,070.

On those illustrative figures, the channel is producing a positive recorded return. That does not automatically mean the business should spend more. It should still consider job quality, capacity, payment problems, travel, seasonality and whether the same budget could work harder elsewhere.

Why one month can give the wrong answer

Trade demand is rarely even throughout the year. Boiler work can rise in colder weather, while landscaping and exterior projects may be more seasonal. One large project can make a single month look exceptional, and one quiet spell can make a useful channel appear broken.

Review at least six months where possible and preferably a full year. Use the same method each month so you can see whether performance is improving, declining or simply moving with normal seasonal demand.

If you are considering a new membership, decide in advance what you will record. Reconstructing lead sources from memory several months later is unreliable.

When Checkatrade may make sense

Membership may be useful when:

• You have capacity for additional work.
• The platform is producing enquiries for profitable services.
• You respond promptly and keep your profile current.
• Recent photographs and reviews give customers a reason to choose you.
• Your average job value comfortably supports the acquisition cost.
• You use it as one part of a broader marketing mix.

Newer businesses may also value the additional trust associated with an established directory while they build their own reputation. That value is real, but it should still be assessed alongside the financial return.

When it may be poor value

The membership deserves closer scrutiny when:

• Many enquiries are irrelevant, outside your area or focused only on the lowest price.
• You spend substantial time visiting and quoting without winning the work.
• The work won has a low margin after materials and labour.
• You are already too busy to respond quickly.
• You cannot clearly identify which jobs came from the platform.
• The membership has become your only dependable source of new business.

The last point is particularly important. A platform can change its prices, rules, visibility or lead distribution. Depending entirely on any third party leaves the business exposed.

Checkatrade and your own website do different jobs

Checkatrade gives your business access to people searching within its platform. Your own website gives customers a place to understand your services, see your work and contact you directly through a presence your business controls.

The two channels do not have to compete. A directory can help generate demand now, while a website, Google Business Profile, referrals and other local marketing can reduce dependence on a single source over time.

For example, a plumber comparing directory enquiries with direct enquiries may benefit from a website built specifically around plumbing services and local search. The sensible objective is not to cancel a working source of business for the sake of it. It is to understand the return and develop alternatives before dependence becomes a problem.

Questions to ask before joining or renewing

Ask for clear answers to the following:

1. What is the total monthly cost, including VAT and any optional extras?
2. What is the minimum contractual term?
3. Which trades, services and postcode areas are included?
4. Is any level of enquiry volume included, estimated or guaranteed?
5. What happens if the enquiries are unsuitable?
6. Can the coverage or lead level be changed during the term?
7. What notice is required before renewal or cancellation?
8. Which features disappear when the paid membership ends?

Keep the written quotation and membership terms. Paying monthly does not necessarily mean the agreement can be cancelled monthly.

Keep a simple lead record

You do not need complicated software. A spreadsheet can record:

• Date of enquiry.
• Lead source.
• Service requested.
• Postcode or area.
• Genuine or unsuitable enquiry.
• Quotation provided.
• Job won or lost.
• Quoted and final job value.
• Direct costs.
• Reason the quotation was lost, if known.
• Repeat work or referrals generated later.

Use the same tracking for website enquiries, Google Business Profile, social media, paid advertising and referrals. You can then compare channels using evidence rather than whichever one produced the most recent call.

Can the membership be claimed as a business expense?

HMRC states that self-employed sole traders and individual business partners can claim allowable expenses for advertising in directories and for website costs. The precise treatment depends on your circumstances and business structure, so confirm it with your accountant if you are unsure.

A tax deduction reduces the taxable profit used in the calculation. It does not turn ineffective advertising into profitable advertising, so judge the membership on its commercial performance first.

The practical verdict

Checkatrade is worth considering when it produces profitable work at a sensible and repeatable cost. It is not possible to answer the question responsibly using the advertised monthly price or number of leads alone.

Use your actual membership cost, count only genuine enquiries and compare the cost per won job with what those jobs genuinely contribute to the business. Review the figures across several months and avoid relying entirely on one platform, even when it is currently performing well.

The right conclusion may be to renew, reduce the package, improve the profile, track results more carefully or invest in additional ways of generating direct enquiries. The useful answer is the one supported by your numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Checkatrade cost per month in 2026?

Checkatrade currently advertises a free profile, an Approved plan at £30 per month and Growth from £59 per month. Growth pricing can vary according to factors such as trade, postcode coverage and desired enquiry volume. Check the complete quotation, VAT treatment and current terms before joining.

Is there a free Checkatrade membership?

Checkatrade advertises a free profile for creating a business presence and collecting reviews. Its paid plans provide additional visibility, tools and lead-generation options. Compare the current features rather than assuming a free profile provides the same exposure as a paid membership.

Is Checkatrade a 12-month contract?

Checkatrade's published pricing page states that fixed plan memberships are for 12 months. Read the terms supplied with your particular quotation, including renewal and cancellation provisions.

How many Checkatrade leads should I expect?

There is no useful universal figure. Enquiry levels can vary by trade, location, competition, coverage and package. Ask what is included in your quotation, but measure genuine enquiries and won jobs using your own records.

Should I cancel Checkatrade and build a website instead?

Not automatically. If Checkatrade is producing profitable work, cancelling it before another channel is established may leave a gap in enquiries. A website should help create a stronger independent presence over time, but the sensible approach is to measure each channel and change the mix gradually.

How often should I review the figures?

Record enquiries as they arrive and review the headline numbers monthly. Make bigger decisions using at least six months of data where possible, with a full year providing a better view of seasonal trades.

Last reviewed: 21 September 2026