Is TrustATrader worth it for tradespeople?
TrustATrader sells a membership rather than leads, and limits how many tradespeople it lists in each category and area. That cap is the actual product, and it is what the price should be judged against.
Quick answer
TrustATrader charges a flat annual membership, commonly reported between 600 and 1,000 pounds depending on your trade and location, with no per-lead fee on top. You have to phone for an exact figure because it is not published. The distinctive feature is that it limits the number of tradespeople listed in each category in each area, so competition for the enquiries it does generate is capped rather than open-ended. It produces fewer leads than the larger directories but they are generally regarded as better qualified. The verdict turns on volume: at roughly 800 a year you need only a handful of won jobs to break even, but you have to actually receive the enquiries.
Flat membership against pay-per-lead, over a year
| TrustATrader | Pay-per-lead platform | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | About 600 to 1,000 | Varies with how much you chase |
| Cost per additional enquiry | Nothing | Full lead or shortlist fee |
| Cost of a quiet month | Same as a busy one | Nothing |
| Competition per enquiry | Capped per area and category | Open, often several trades |
| Best when | You convert well and want volume | Demand is unpredictable |
Step-by-step
- 1
Get the actual quote for your trade and postcode
The price is not published and varies by trade and location, so the 600 to 1,000 range is a guide, not an offer. Phone and get your number before doing any arithmetic, and ask specifically whether your category in your area currently has space, because that determines what you are really buying.
- 2
Understand what capped competition is worth
On an open lead platform, five trades may buy the same enquiry and you are quoting against four people you cannot see. TrustATrader limits how many tradespeople it lists per category per area, so the enquiries that come through are shared among a smaller, fixed group. That is the argument for the fee, and it is a real one, but it only holds while the cap is genuinely enforced in your area.
- 3
Do the break-even on jobs, not enquiries
At 800 pounds a year, a trade clearing 200 pounds of margin per job needs four jobs annually to break even. That is a low bar in absolute terms. The risk isn't the price. It's receiving too few enquiries to clear even that low bar, and a flat fee punishes low volume in a way pay-per-lead never does.
- 4
Compare it against a quiet month, not a good one
The structural weakness of any membership is that it costs the same whether the phone rings or not. If your trade is seasonal, work out what the fee looks like across your worst quarter, not your best. Pay-per-lead costs nothing in a dead month; a membership costs full price.
- 5
Use the reviews beyond the directory
Reviews collected on the platform are worth surfacing on your own website and in quotes, where they persuade customers who never visit the directory. Membership fees are much easier to justify when the reputation you build is working for you in more than one place.
Tips & best practices
- Ask whether your category in your area is full before you sign. The cap is the product, and a full category means the enquiries are already being shared.
- Flat membership rewards high conversion. If you win most of what you quote, it is usually cheaper than paying per lead.
- Put the reviews on your own site too. A directory profile you rent should feed an asset you own.
Common questions
How much does TrustATrader cost?
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Commonly reported at roughly 600 to 1,000 pounds a year, varying by trade and location. The exact figure is not published, so you need to phone for a quote.
Are there lead fees on top?
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No. It is a flat membership, not a pay-per-lead platform, so additional enquiries cost you nothing once you are a member.
How is it different from Checkatrade?
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Both are membership models, but TrustATrader is generally lower cost and limits the number of tradespeople per category per area, so competition for enquiries is capped. Checkatrade carries more advertising weight and typically more volume.
Does it generate many leads?
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Generally fewer than the largest directories, because it advertises less. The trade-off is that the enquiries tend to be better qualified and shared among fewer trades.
Is it worth it for a sole trader?
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It can be, because the break-even is only a few jobs a year and there are no per-lead costs. The question is whether your area produces enough enquiries, which is worth asking directly before committing.