Checkatrade Or Your Own Website — Which Wins Direct Enquiries?
Lead platforms like Checkatrade bring you work — but they're a rental, not an asset. Here's an honest look at the costs, benefits and trade-offs so you can decide where to put your time and money.
Checkatrade vs Your Own Website — Side By Side
Both can bring in work, but they work very differently. Here's the honest trade-off.
Checkatrade / Lead Platforms
Your Own Website
No — you're renting your profile. Miss a payment and your leads and history disappear.
Yes — the website is permanently yours, with your domain and content.
Subscription fees (often £80–£150+/month depending on trade and plan).
One-off £399 build; optional £49/month hosting & support after launch.
You typically pay per qualified lead or per month, and the customer contacts you through the platform.
Customers contact you directly — no platform commission and no middleman.
Your listing sits alongside competitors on the same platform, using its design.
Full control over your design, messaging and how you present your business.
You can rank on the platform's site, but competitors often appear on the same page.
Optimised to rank on Google for local searches — a long-term asset.
Your profile and leads stop. You rebuild from zero if you return.
Your website keeps working and stays live — nothing is taken away.
Platform reviews are valuable trust signals, gathered through their system.
You can display your own genuine reviews from Google and other sources.
Costs rise, competition rises, and you're dependent on their rules.
You have to keep the site updated and maintained (hosting & support helps).
When Checkatrade Makes Sense
- You rely on it as your main source of new jobs today and can't pause that flow
- You want quick, pre-qualified leads without waiting for a website to rank
- You value the trust of a recognised, vetted platform brand
- You use it alongside other channels and treat it as one of several sources
When The Platform Holds You Back
- You're paying more as leads get more expensive or less qualified
- You have no control over how your business appears or what it's compared to
- You want enquiries that come directly to you, not through a middleman
- You'd rather own a marketing asset you keep building year after year
The Honest Answer: They Work Best Together
Most successful trades businesses don't have to choose. Many use Checkatrade for immediate, recognised lead flow while building a website for their long-term, owned presence. The website is the asset you keep — even if you switch platforms later.
Why A Website Matters Even Alongside Checkatrade
The platform cost keeps rising
Subscription and lead fees can creep up every year. A website is a one-off £399 build you own outright — its ongoing cost (optional £49/month) is predictable and fixed.
Your website builds on Google
A well-structured website can rank for local searches like 'roofer near me'. That's ongoing, direct traffic you don't rent and can't lose to a subscription change.
You control the experience
On your own site, you decide the design, the trust signals, the reviews you show and the offer. Customers contact you directly, not through a lead-capture flow.
Best of both worlds
Keep the platform you're happy with, and add a website you own. You diversify where your work comes from instead of depending on any single channel.
Checkatrade vs Website FAQs
It depends on your trade, your area and how competitive the leads are. Many tradesmen find it a useful source of work; others find the costs and competition squeeze their margins. The key is to treat it as one channel rather than your only option.
Add An Asset You Own To Your Lead Sources
£99 to start, your draft in 48 hours, and the £300 balance only when you approve. A website that's permanently yours.
Questions About Adding A Website?
Not sure whether to invest in your own website alongside Checkatrade? We're happy to talk it through.