Checkatrade charges you
every year.
Your website doesn't.
A Checkatrade listing costs £700–£1,500 a year and you own nothing. A website costs £1,497 once and ranks on Google for as long as you're in business. Here's the honest comparison.
01
You're renting, not owning
Every pound you spend on Checkatrade builds Checkatrade's business, not yours. Stop paying and your profile disappears. Five years of fees with nothing to show for it.
02
Checkatrade ranks on Google. You don't.
When someone searches “plumber in [your town]” and clicks your Checkatrade listing, Google gives the SEO credit to Checkatrade. Your own name gets buried. Your own site would rank instead.
03
Your reviews aren't yours
The 80 reviews you've built on Checkatrade belong to Checkatrade. Cancel your membership and you lose access. A Google review stays on your profile permanently — no subscription required.
SIDE BY SIDE
The numbers
don't lie.
| Checkatrade | Your own website | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | £700–£1,500/yr recurring | £1,497 once |
| You own the asset | ||
| You own your reviews | ||
| Ranks on Google | Checkatrade ranks, not you | |
| Leads when you cancel | ||
| Direct customer contact | Via platform only | |
| Competing with rivals | On the same page as them | Your own page, no competitors |
| Price shown publicly | Platform sets the context | You control your positioning |
| 5-year cost | £3,500–£7,500+ | £1,497 + optional care plan |
THE 5-YEAR MATHS
What you actually spend
over five years.
CHECKATRADE
£5,000+
// over 5 years
- Reviews belong to them
- Leads stop when you cancel
- Google ranks Checkatrade, not you
- Competing on the same page as rivals
YOUR OWN WEBSITE
£1,497
// one-time, or £124.75/mo × 12 at 0%
- You own the asset outright
- Ranks on Google in your name
- Direct customer relationship
- Leads compound over time, not reduce
// Optional £49/mo care plan covers hosting, updates, and ongoing SEO. Still cheaper than Checkatrade year one.
THE DEPENDENCY TRAP
What happens if
Checkatrade changes the rules?
Checkatrade have raised prices, changed how leads work, and altered how profiles appear in search results — multiple times. Every time they do, your business takes the hit.
Your own website has no platform risk. Google doesn't change the fundamentals of local search. A well-built site that ranks for “plumber in [your town]” today will still rank in three years — because you own it.
SCENARIO
Checkatrade raises prices 20%
Pay more or lose your profile
SCENARIO
Platform changes how reviews work
No control — accept or leave
SCENARIO
You take a month off
Subscription still running
SCENARIO
You want to sell your business
Checkatrade profile has no asset value
SCENARIO
Google algorithm update
Checkatrade absorbs the impact
FROM ENGINEERS WHO MADE THE SWITCH
They stopped renting.
Here's what happened.
“
Within six weeks of the new site going live I was ranking page one for 'boiler installation Manchester'. Three installs off Google in the past month alone. It's paid for itself already.
Dan Whitfield
Gas Safe Engineer • Manchester
“
Stopped paying Checkatrade six months ago. The new site generates enough enquiries that I don't need it. Chaz knows what he's doing and the process was dead simple.
Steve Hartley
Plumber & Heating Engineer • Bristol
“
Sceptical about spending that money but the ROI has been ridiculous. Turning away work in peak season now. Should have done this two years ago.
Craig Thompson
Heating Engineer • Leeds
FAQ
Common
questions.
Is Checkatrade worth it for plumbers?
+
It depends entirely on the alternative. If your only option is Checkatrade or nothing, it can work. But compared to a website that ranks locally on Google, it's expensive and you own nothing. Every lead you get from Checkatrade is a lead you rented. Every lead from your own website is one you own permanently.
What does Checkatrade actually cost?
+
Membership typically starts around £600–£700/year for a basic listing. Premium tiers with lead generation features run £1,000–£1,500/year or more. Add five years and you've spent £3,500–£7,500 with nothing to show for it if you cancel.
What happens to my Checkatrade reviews if I cancel?
+
They stay on Checkatrade's platform. You don't own them and you can't take them with you. All that trust you built — gone from your control the moment you stop paying.
Can I rank on Google without Checkatrade?
+
Yes. A website optimised for local keywords — 'plumber in [your town]', 'boiler installation [your area]' — generates leads indefinitely with no per-lead fees. Combined with a verified Google Business Profile, it outperforms most Checkatrade listings for local search intent.
How long until my website ranks?
+
Most plumber websites see movement within 4–8 weeks of going live. Less competitive towns can hit page one faster. London and major cities take 3–6 months. Google Business Profile verification accelerates everything significantly.
Should I keep Checkatrade while my website builds?
+
Some plumbers run both while their site builds authority — that's fine. The point is not to be solely dependent on a rented platform. Build the asset you own. Then decide if the rental is still worth paying.
READY TO OWN YOUR LEADS
Stop paying rent.
Start building an asset.
30-minute call. I'll show you exactly what I'd build for your area, what it would cost, and how quickly it would rank. No pitch, no pressure.
// Now booking for August 2026 — 2 slots remaining