This is one of the most common questions tradespeople ask — and it makes sense to ask it. If Checkatrade is sending you regular work, why spend more money on a website?
The short answer is: Checkatrade and your own website do fundamentally different things. One is a directory that pays for leads. The other is a permanent online presence that works for you 24 hours a day at no ongoing cost. Most successful trades businesses eventually need both.
What Checkatrade gives you
Checkatrade is genuinely useful. Here is what you get from it:
- ✓A profile page within a trusted directory that homeowners already use
- ✓Customer reviews that build credibility
- ✓Vetting and certification that signals trust
- ✓Visibility within Checkatrade's own search results
- ✓Lead enquiries from homeowners browsing the platform
Checkatrade sees over 57,000 homeowner searches every day. That is real traffic and real potential leads. It is not a scam. It is a legitimate marketing channel for tradespeople.
What Checkatrade does not give you
Here is what your Checkatrade listing cannot do — no matter how good your reviews are:
- ✗Rank independently on Google: When someone searches "plumber Bristol", Google shows Checkatrade as a platform — not your specific profile. The domain authority belongs to Checkatrade, not you.
- ✗Appear in AI search results: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews are increasingly being asked to recommend tradespeople. They look for individual business websites with their own domain, structured data, and direct contact information.
- ✗Work without a monthly payment: Stop paying Checkatrade and your profile disappears. It is rented visibility, not owned visibility.
- ✗Give customers confidence before they search: Many customers want to check your own website — not just a directory listing — before making contact. A blank web search for your business name can lose you work.
The real cost of Checkatrade
Checkatrade membership typically costs £20–£60+ per month, depending on your trade, location, and whether you are on their basic or enhanced listing. Let's use a conservative £30/month:
| Checkatrade (£30/mo) | Own website (template) | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 cost | £360 | €49 + €12 domain = €61 |
| Year 3 cost total | £1,080 | €61 + €24 domain = €85 |
| Year 5 cost total | £1,800 | €61 + €48 domain = €109 |
| Google ranking | Checkatrade domain ranks, not you | Your own domain, your own rank |
| AI search | Directory listing | Individual website — preferred by AI |
| You own it | No | Yes — always |
Platform risk: Checkatrade has raised membership prices multiple times and changed how leads are distributed. If you rely entirely on a platform you do not own, their business decisions become your business problems.
The winning strategy: use both
The best tradespeople in 2026 are not choosing between platforms and their own website — they are using both, for different purposes:
- Checkatrade (and similar): Short-term lead flow, new customer discovery, review credibility
- Your own website: Long-term Google ranking, AI search citations, direct enquiries, professional impression when customers Google your name
Your website reinforces your Checkatrade profile — it is where customers land when they Google your business name after seeing your Checkatrade listing. A professional site at that point seals the decision.
The bottom line: Checkatrade finds you new customers. Your own website keeps them — and brings in a whole separate stream of direct enquiries from Google and AI search that Checkatrade never captures.
Frequently asked questions
Can people find me on Google through Checkatrade?
Sometimes — but Checkatrade's domain ranks, not yours. Customers find the Checkatrade platform, then search within it. Your own domain ranks independently for local searches and sends enquiries direct to you.
How much does Checkatrade cost?
Membership typically runs £20–£60+ per month, or £240–£720+ per year, depending on trade and region.
Will AI search engines recommend my Checkatrade profile?
AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity prefer individual business websites with their own domain, contact form, and structured data. A directory listing is less likely to be cited when someone asks an AI to recommend a local tradesperson.
What if I get enough work through Checkatrade already?
If it's working, keep using it. But your own website adds a second channel at minimal cost — one you own permanently. Most tradespeople find the combination outperforms either alone.