Trade Leads: Where UK Trades Get Jobs and What They Pay
Where UK trades get job leads: 18 services' prices, VAT, sharing, tie-ins and bad-lead terms from their own pages, plus free routes. Checked 6 Nov 2026.
UK trades get job leads from six kinds of paid service. Marketplaces such as Bark and MyBuilder charge you to respond or when a customer picks you, directories such as Checkatrade charge a monthly or yearly membership, lead sellers charge for each enquiry they deliver, pay-per-job services take a fee or a share of work that goes ahead, endorsement schemes such as Which? Trusted Traders charge for vetting and a badge, not for leads, and marketing agencies charge to send enquiries to your own website. The free routes, a Google Business Profile, reviews, referrals and trade scheme listings, cost time instead.
We read the pages of 18 of these services, POCKLA included, on 6 November 2026. Few publish a price per lead in pounds, and each charges at a different step. They differ most on how many trades get the same lead, what ties you in and what happens to a bad one, so that's what the table below sets out.
What kinds of trade lead service are there?
| Kind | What you pay for | Services in our table |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplaces | To respond to a job, to unlock it, or when a customer picks you | Bark, MyBuilder, MyJobQuote, Rated People |
| Directories and memberships | A monthly or yearly fee, sometimes with leads on top | Book a Builder UK, Checkatrade, Houzz, TrustATrader |
| Lead sellers and pay-per-lead ads | Each enquiry delivered or accepted | Google Local Services Ads, Leads 2 Trade, Leads Do Work, POCKLA |
| Pay per job or commission | A fee or a share of work that goes ahead | Airtasker, FatRank, HomeForce, PromoSEO |
| Endorsement schemes | Vetting and a badge, not leads | Which? Trusted Traders |
| Marketing agencies | Marketing that sends enquiries to your own site | One Base Media |
The difference that matters most is who finds the customer. On a marketplace or directory, the customer posts a job or searches, and you pay to reach them or to be listed. A lead seller runs its own ads or websites and sells you the enquiry. A pay-per-job service charges only when the work goes ahead.
How do UK trade lead services compare?
Here's the full list, grouped as above, with each service's own terms. "Not published" means the pages we read don't say.
Where UK trades get job leads: 18 services
What each charges for and on what terms, as its own pages publish them
| Service | What you pay for, and the published price | Trades per lead | Tie-in and notice | Bad leads | Trades and areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bark | Credits to respond. £1.80 a credit (2 Nov), plus VAT; each lead shows its credits | Up to 5 on a general request | No membership. Credits last 3 months. Credit subscriptions: 30 days' notice | Credits back, not cash, for listed faults: 7 days (terms), 14 days (help centre, 2 Nov) | All services; UK |
| MyBuilder (2 Nov) | A shortlist fee when a customer shares their details. From £7, excluding VAT, shown on each lead | The customer chooses; no cap published | No joining or membership fee | Account credit, not cash, for listed reasons | Local trades alerted to jobs posted near them |
| MyJobQuote | Credits per lead, or a monthly subscription. Lead prices include VAT and show before you accept; subscription price not published | Homeowners are told up to 3 local trades will quote | Subscriptions roll monthly and cancel any time; free first month | Dispute within 48 hours of buying: refund or free lead | Many trades; UK-wide |
| Rated People | Unlocking a lead, or a fixed lead plan. Help page: no price. Its 17 Sep blog: "Membership starts at £30 per month". VAT not stated | Not published | Fixed lead plan: 12 months | Not published | By trade and area; jobs now matched with Checkatrade trades |
| Book a Builder UK | A yearly membership: Lite (15 job accepts), Pro (unlimited) or Pro+ (wider job radius). Free profile to see job leads. Price not published | Not published | 12 months, "an annual contract" | Not published | UK |
| Checkatrade | A monthly plan: £0, £30, or from £59 for Growth, which adds leads on a fixed plan or pay as you go. VAT not stated. Per-lead fees shown only to members (2 Nov) | Not published. A board lead goes to "a limited number of trades" (2 Nov) | Fixed plan memberships: 12 months | Board credits returned for invalid leads where appropriate (2 Nov) | Postcodes and job categories you pick; UK |
| Houzz | A subscription. Basic free; Pro £139 a month after a 30-day free trial; ads from £119 a month. VAT not stated | Not published | 12 months, renewing automatically; 30 days' notice before the term ends | Fees non-refundable; no guarantee leads "reflect genuine interest" | Builders, designers, architects, specialist contractors |
| TrustATrader | A yearly membership, with "never pay for your leads" and no commission. Price not published | Memberships limited per trade in each area | Signed terms, not published | No per-lead charge. Pro-rata refund if removed after an unresolved complaint | UK; waiting lists in many areas |
| Google Local Services Ads | Each valid call, message or voicemail. Price set by your bid; no list price | Not published | A weekly budget | Disputed leads credited in the US and Canada only; automated credits not for EMEA advertisers | Listed GB categories, including plumbers, electricians, roofers, HVAC, flooring and window repair; solar not listed |
| Leads 2 Trade | Each lead, with no joining or subscription fees. Prices not published | Hot Key 1; Premium up to 3 (its FAQ: you and one other); Qualified up to 4 | 14–30 days' notice; no cancellation fees | Reject within 72 hours, for listed reasons | 16 sectors; postcodes you choose |
| Leads Do Work | Each lead you accept, or a fixed-price weekly pack. Prices and VAT not published | Not published on leads.work; its Local-Quotes site says "up to four" | Pay per lead: "No contracts"; pause any time | Not published | 64 job types; UK |
| POCKLA | Each qualified web lead. Indicative £20–£50 for solar, windows and doors, conservatories, air source heat pumps and flooring; £20–£80 insulation; £100–£300 home extensions | 1: "never shared or sold again" | No setup fee, monthly fee or minimum term | Invalid numbers returned, no time limit | 7 home-improvement sectors; postcodes you choose |
| Airtasker | A service fee on tasks you complete: 10–20% of the task price before tax; 1.9% with repeat customers | Several Taskers make offers | No subscription or credit fees | Not published, beyond cancellation fees | Not published |
| FatRank | A share of each job won. Homepage: "average cost … 10% of contract value". Another page: a percentage agreed per order. VAT not published | "Exclusive leads to each client" | "No contracts and no subscription fees" | Not published; nothing to pay if leads don't become orders | "650+ industries"; UK |
| HomeForce | A fee on jobs that go ahead, "at agreed rates based on the volume of work". No amount published | One accredited trade; urgent jobs go to all qualified trades | Not published | Not published | Edinburgh, inside the city bypass |
| PromoSEO | A share of closed contract value: 10–25% (pricing section) or 10–30% (FAQ). VAT not published | "Never shared with competitors" | No contracts | Not published | Trades, home improvement and renewables; UK |
| Which? Trusted Traders | Assessment, then membership, not leads. £248 assessment, then £69, £89 or £124 a month by staff size. VAT not mentioned | No leads promised | Not published | Not applicable | UK home improvement, repairs or motor; 6+ months' trading |
| One Base Media | A marketing service (landing page, SEO, Google Ads, Google Business Profile), not leads. Price not published | Not stated: enquiries come to your own page | "No long-term contracts"; cancel any time | Not published | 13 trades, from electricians to solar and insulation; UK |
Two things in the table need a second look. Rated People's blog puts membership "from £30 per month" with leads across both sites, while Checkatrade's own pricing page lists leads with Growth, from £59 a month, and none with Approved at £30. Ask Checkatrade which plan you'd be on. And where a service says a lead goes to one trade, check what that covers: our guide to exclusive vs shared leads sets out the questions.
What does a trade lead really cost?
The prices in the table can't be compared with each other, because each service charges at a different step:
- A response: Bark.
- A shortlist: MyBuilder.
- Unlocking or accepting a lead: Rated People, MyJobQuote, Leads Do Work.
- Each lead: Checkatrade's pay as you go, where a lead can be a call, a message, a quote request or a click through to your website (2 Nov); Google Local Services Ads; Leads 2 Trade; POCKLA.
- The month or the year: Checkatrade's plans, Houzz, Book a Builder UK, TrustATrader, Which? Trusted Traders.
- A job that goes ahead: HomeForce, FatRank, PromoSEO, Airtasker.
So the number to compare is what you pay for each job you win:
Cost per won job = (lead spend in the month + fixed fees in the month) ÷ jobs won that month
Each model moves a different part of that sum. A membership fee counts in a month with no jobs. A lead that several trades can reach costs the same whether you win it or not. A commission costs nothing on jobs you lose, but rises with the value of each job you win. And the column for bad leads decides how much of your spend comes back.
Our post on what trades pay on Bark, Checkatrade and MyBuilder runs one invented window fitter's month through five of these models, and shows how one changed assumption reorders them. Our guide to cost per lead vs cost per job sets out the sum stage by stage, and how pay per lead works covers what to agree before you buy trade leads from a seller.
Why does speed matter more than the price?
Because the bottom of that sum, jobs won, depends on how soon someone calls. We counted what happened to the solar leads we delivered to UK installers from July to early November 2026.
Most enquiries arrive when the office is shut. Of 5,257 solar enquiries between 15 July and 6 November 2026, 57% came in outside weekday working hours (8am–6pm), and 30% at the weekend. Windows and conservatories look the same: 54% of 554 enquiries in our report The out-of-hours gap (2 September–22 October 2026).
A lead first called the next day books less than half as often. That holds in both calling teams whose calls we can see. We compare each team only with itself, because the teams record appointments differently.
Solar leads that booked an appointment, by when the first call came
Within each calling team; don't compare across teams
| Team and first call | Leads | Booked |
|---|---|---|
| Team A, same day | 629 | 23% |
| Team A, next day or later | 60 | 10% |
| Team B, same day | 863 | 21% |
| Team B, next day or later | 151 | 8% |
Team A's leads were delivered from 21 September and team B's from 10 August, both to 29 October 2026, with outcomes counted to 6 November. Both differences are larger than chance would explain, but they show a link, not proof: a team may call its most promising leads first.
Out of hours, the first hour counts most. In team A, enquiries that arrived outside working hours and were first called within the hour (5–60 minutes) booked 37% of the time (23 of 62), against 18% (32 of 177) when the first call came one to 24 hours later. Enquiries that arrived during office hours showed no such gap.
Here's why that can outweigh the price. At the same price per lead, less than half the booked rate means more than twice the cost per appointment. Put the other way, on those figures a lead at half the price, first called the next day, still costs more per booking than one at the full price called the same day.
The first hour often falls in the evening or at the weekend. The same report looked at one UK flooring retailer's AI assistant on WhatsApp: 37% of the 576 messages that 216 homeowners sent it between 6 August and 22 October 2026 arrived while the showroom was shut. Our case study AI that answers and books found that, over the same period, 13 of the retailer's 36 quote requests and 7 of its 17 booked calls came in while the showroom was shut. That's one flooring retailer's line, so read it as a case study, not a figure for flooring or any other trade.
So before comparing prices, ask who will call each lead within the hour, evenings and weekends included. Our guide to speed to lead covers what a useful first reply does.
Can you get trade leads for free?
Not free per job won. But several services cost nothing to join, and four routes cost only time.
Which services are free to join?
- Bark: you see leads free and pay in credits only to respond.
- MyBuilder: no joining or membership fee; you pay a shortlist fee when a customer picks you (2 Nov).
- Rated People: "creating an account is free; you only pay when you choose to unlock a lead".
- Checkatrade Free: £0 a month for "a free profile to collect reviews". Leads come with Growth, from £59 a month.
- MyJobQuote: a free month on its subscriptions, and "a free lead when you verify and add a billable card".
- Houzz Basic: free, with a "profile, directory listing, and lead inbox".
- Book a Builder UK: a free profile "to see job leads in your area"; its paid memberships come with job accepts.
- Airtasker: "No subscription or credit fees" for Taskers, and a service fee on tasks you complete.
Each is free to start, not free per job. The sources are under the table.
How does a Google Business Profile help?
It costs nothing: in Google's words, "You can add or claim your business at no charge." Google ranks local results on relevance, distance and prominence, which is how well known a business is, and says "More reviews and positive ratings can help your business's local ranking." It also says: "There's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google."
If you go to your customers, Google's guidelines say to hide your address, and to keep your service area within about two hours' drive of your base. Your business name can't carry extra information, such as a tagline or a list of services.
How should you ask for reviews?
The same way, every time, for every customer. Google suggests asking customers to "visit a Google link or scan a QR code". Two rules decide the rest:
- Google's contribution policy doesn't allow incentivised reviews, discouraging negative ones, or asking only the customers you expect to be happy.
- Since 6 April 2025, submitting or commissioning a fake review, or a review that hides that it was incentivised, has been a banned practice under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, according to the CMA's guidance.
Reviews count on the marketplaces too. Checkatrade's terms tie lead volume partly to your reviews, and MyBuilder's ranking weighs customer feedback (both 2 Nov).
What about referrals?
Ask every customer at handover, and again once they've lived with the work. Trades that meet your customers first, such as a roofer for a solar installer, can refer too, so agree up front who contacts whom and any fee. If you email or text past customers, our guide to getting more home improvement customers sets out the ICO's soft opt-in rules.
Do trade scheme listings bring work?
If you're registered with a scheme, homeowners can find you through its search. The listing comes with registration or certification, which has its own conditions, so check each scheme's terms.
- MCS, "the UK's quality mark for small-scale renewables", lets homeowners search by technology, near an address or by region. Listings show your phone number, address, regions covered and certification body.
- NICEIC has a "Find a trusted NICEIC tradesperson" search by postcode or company name.
- FENSA, "a government-authorised scheme" for replacement windows and doors, has a "Find a FENSA Approved Installer" search by postcode, name or registration number.
- TrustMark, "the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme", has a "Find a Business" directory, and says "Many government energy efficiency funding schemes require businesses to be TrustMark Registered."
What about free trade leads lists?
A list of names and numbers isn't a lead. Before anyone calls or messages the people on it, ask where they came from and what they agreed to. Our guide to buying leads legally covers the checks.
What has changed recently?
- Rated People joined Checkatrade Group on 17 September 2026. Every job posted on Rated People is now matched with a tradesperson from Checkatrade's network, former memberships have ended, and members need to sign up with Checkatrade.
- British Gas Local Heroes has closed. It "stopped accepting new jobs on 20th October, 2023", so a list that still includes it is out of date.
- quotatis.co.uk now redirects to local-quotes.co.uk (we checked on 6 November 2026). Leads Do Work calls Local-Quotes.co.uk its main consumer platform, and also generates leads through AllRenewables.co.uk, CombiBoiler.net, DoubleGlazing.com and Conservatories.com.
- Google Local Services Ads gives UK advertisers no lead credits, on Google's own wording. It runs in the UK for listed categories, but Google credits a successfully disputed lead "U.S. and Canada only", and says its automated credits aren't available to advertisers in EMEA. Neither page names the UK. It's also moving to Performance Max with pay-per-lead goals, where you still pay only for valid leads. Accounts outside the US move in 2027.
How do you check a list of the best trade lead sites?
Ask who wrote it, and what they sell. Then check:
- Does it say so? A list that includes its author's own service, or a partner's, should say so before the list starts.
- Who owns the sites that agree? Several lists ranking the same firm first can share an owner. Look for the author and the company behind each one.
- Are the prices dated and linked? A price without a date or a link to the seller's own page can't be checked.
- Is there a method? A ranking with no stated method is an order, not a test.
- Does it mix things up? Review sites and endorsement schemes that promise no leads aren't lead sources.
The same test works for reviews of lead services. Read the recent low-star reviews for how bad leads, cancellations and renewals were handled, check the dates, and remember that reviews quoted on a seller's own site were chosen by the seller.
How we checked
We read each service's own pricing pages, terms and help or FAQ pages on 6 November 2026, and linked every page we used. Where a site refused automated reads that day (Bark's help centre, MyBuilder and Checkatrade's member terms), we use our reading of 2 November, marked "(2 Nov)". We left out GreenMatch and Trustmark Trades because we couldn't read their pages or terms.
We didn't sign up, buy credits, ask for quotes or contact any service. Prices and terms change, so check them before you sign up.
The solar figures are our own: counts produced inside the database the leads are delivered from, to 6 November 2026. No names, phone numbers or call notes were taken out, the installers and calling teams are anonymised, and our contracts allow this analysis.
If you run one of these services and something here is wrong or out of date, email team@pockla.com and we'll correct it.
Where POCKLA fits
POCKLA is a lead seller, and only for some trades. It sells qualified web leads to UK installers of solar, windows and doors, conservatories, air source heat pumps, insulation, flooring and home extensions. It doesn't sell plumbing or electrical leads, or leads for any other trade. If yours isn't on that list, start with the table above.
Each lead is sold once, to one buyer. Indicative prices per qualified web lead are £20–£50 for solar, windows and doors, conservatories, air source heat pumps and flooring, £20–£80 for insulation and £100–£300 for home extensions: ranges, not quotes, with the exact price agreed on a call. There's no setup fee, monthly fee or minimum term, and invalid numbers are returned with no time limit. Each lead goes into any CRM or POCKLA Desk, and we can follow it up in your business’s name on WhatsApp or by SMS. Calling back quickly is still your job, and the research above shows why. Our comparison of UK lead generation companies sets POCKLA beside five other lead sellers, and the pricing page has every band.