Checkatrade vs TrustMark vs Which? Trusted Traders 2026: Costs from £150 to £1,500/year Compared

Why Trader Schemes Matter

Consumer trust is the number one barrier for new trade businesses. Most homeowners have heard at least one horror story — a cowboy builder, an overcharged repair, a job left half-finished. Before anyone books you, they're making a risk assessment.

An approved trader badge changes that calculation. It shifts the question from "do I trust this stranger?" to "do I want to book now?" A third party has already done the vetting. The customer's guard comes down. That is the entire value proposition of any trader scheme — not the leads, not the directory listing, but the trust transfer.

The question is which scheme delivers the most trust for the least cost in your specific trade and area.

The Main UK Schemes Compared

Checkatrade

What it is: A private review and verification platform. Not government-backed — owned by the HomeServe / HomeAdvisor group.
Cost 2026: Typically £800–£1,500 per year, depending on your trade and area. Urban areas with high competition attract higher fees.
How it works: Background check, ID verification, and trade qualifications are checked before approval. Customers leave reviews after jobs, which are visible on your profile.
Lead quality: Consumer leads in your local area who search checkatrade.com directly. Intent is usually high — they are ready to book a tradesperson.
Who it suits: Domestic tradespeople, particularly plumbers, electricians, and builders. Less relevant for commercial or specialist subcontract work.
Pros: Huge consumer brand awareness. Reviews are publicly visible. Profiles often rank on Google for local trade searches.
Cons: Expensive relative to results in saturated urban areas. The review system can be gamed. Corporate ownership means policy changes without notice.

TrustMark

What it is: A government-endorsed quality scheme, backed by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The only government-endorsed scheme for home improvements in England.
Cost 2026: Approximately £150–£400 per year, paid via an approved Scheme Provider. Significantly cheaper than Checkatrade.
How it works: You must join through an approved Scheme Provider — examples include NICEIC, Gas Safe, NAPIT, and the Federation of Master Builders. The provider does the vetting and adds the TrustMark logo to your registration. You may already qualify through an existing membership.
Lead quality: Indirect. TrustMark does not operate a consumer search portal in the same way as Checkatrade. The badge adds credibility but does not generate direct enquiries in most cases.
Who it suits: Any trade, but especially tradespeople doing energy efficiency work. TrustMark registration is required for PAS 2030 work funded through government schemes.
Pros: Required for ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme — without it, you cannot access government-funded installation work. Government-backed credibility at a lower cost than private schemes.
Cons: Not a lead generation platform. Consumer awareness is lower than Checkatrade. Value is primarily in opening doors to funded scheme work, not domestic direct enquiries.

Which? Trusted Traders

What it is: Which? magazine's trader endorsement scheme. Which? is a long-standing consumer champion organisation with high public trust.
Cost 2026: Approximately £600–£900 per year, making it mid-range compared to the other schemes.
How it works: A Which? researcher interviews you directly, checks your business documents, contacts customer references, and may carry out a mystery shop. The assessment is more thorough and personal than automated background checks.
Lead quality: Consumer leads from which.co.uk/trusted-traders. Volume is lower than Checkatrade but intent tends to be high — Which? readers are typically older homeowners who research carefully before buying.
Who it suits: Established businesses with a strong track record and a customer service focus. Less suitable for new businesses that have not yet built a reference bank.
Pros: Very high-trust brand. Which? endorsement carries significant weight with quality-conscious customers who are willing to pay for a verified tradesperson.
Cons: Harder to get approved — you need solid references and a trading history. Approval can take months. Overall website traffic is lower than Checkatrade, so lead volume is limited.

Rated People / MyBuilder

Important distinction: these are pay-per-lead platforms, not verification schemes. You buy credits and spend them on leads. They do not carry the same credibility signal as Checkatrade, TrustMark, or Which?.

Cost: Variable. Typically £50–£200 per month depending on how many leads you pursue. No fixed annual commitment, which suits businesses with irregular capacity.
Lead quality: Often criticised for duplicate leads — the same job posted to multiple tradespeople simultaneously. Lead quality varies significantly by trade and postcode.
Where they can work: Useful for new businesses that need to build reviews quickly. If you win jobs and collect reviews consistently, the platform profile starts to convert better over time.

Which Scheme Gives the Best ROI?

It depends on your trade, your area, and how established your business is.

Emergency trades (plumber, electrician, gas engineer): Checkatrade can pay back quickly if you are in a well-populated area with limited local competition. Consumers searching for emergency help convert fast.
Specialist or niche trades: TrustMark combined with a strong reputation and word-of-mouth tends to outperform expensive directory listings. Your qualifications are the differentiator, not the badge.
Energy efficiency installers: TrustMark is not optional if you want access to ECO4 and Great British Insulation Scheme funding. Get it via your existing scheme provider as a priority.
New businesses in year one: Google Business Profile is free and often more valuable than any paid scheme. Build that first before spending money on directories.

Google Business Profile — The Free Alternative

A fully completed Google Business Profile with 50 or more genuine reviews will outperform most paid trader schemes for local search visibility. It is free to set up, verified by Google, and appears directly in Maps results and the local pack on Google Search.

When a homeowner searches "plumber near me" or "electrician [town]", Google Maps results appear before any organic listings. A profile with reviews, photos, correct opening hours, and regular posts signals to Google that your business is active and trustworthy.

No annual fee. No vetting gatekeepers. No corporate ownership that can change the rules. If you have not yet claimed and optimised your Google Business Profile, do that before spending anything on a paid scheme.

Our Recommendation

Get Google Business Profile fully optimised (free). This is the single highest-return action for any tradesperson. Request reviews from every satisfied customer. Add photos of completed work. Keep your details accurate.
If you are in the domestic market, consider Checkatrade after year one. Give yourself time to build reviews and a track record first. You will convert better on Checkatrade if your profile already has strong reviews when you join, and you will spend year one learning which jobs suit your business.
If you are doing energy efficiency work, get TrustMark via your existing scheme provider. The cost is low and the access it unlocks — government-funded scheme work — can be significant. Check with NICEIC, NAPIT, Gas Safe, or your trade body to see if you already qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Checkatrade worth it for electricians?

It can be, but it depends heavily on your area. In cities with many registered electricians, the competition for profile views is high and cost per enquiry rises. In smaller towns or suburban areas, electricians often find Checkatrade cost-effective because demand is consistent and supply of verified electricians is limited. Run the numbers: if your average job value is £400 and you need three extra jobs per month to cover the subscription, assess whether that is realistic in your area before committing.

Can I be on multiple schemes at the same time?

Yes. There is no exclusivity requirement. Many established tradespeople hold TrustMark registration alongside a Checkatrade or Which? membership. The schemes do not compete with each other in terms of eligibility. Just be realistic about the total annual cost and whether the incremental benefit of a second scheme justifies the spend.

What does the vetting process actually involve?

It varies by scheme. Checkatrade checks ID, runs a background check, and verifies trade qualifications — the process typically takes a few weeks. Which? Trusted Traders is more thorough: a researcher contacts you directly, interviews you, checks documents, and speaks to references. TrustMark vetting is done by your Scheme Provider, so the detail depends on which provider you use — Gas Safe and NICEIC have their own inspection regimes. None of the schemes involve a surprise on-site assessment for most trades, though mystery shopping does occasionally occur with Which?.

Do scheme reviews count towards my Google ranking?

Checkatrade profiles do rank on Google and reviews on that profile contribute to your Checkatrade page ranking. However, these are not the same as Google reviews and do not directly improve your Google Business Profile star rating. Google reviews (left directly on your GBP) carry the most weight for local Google Search and Maps rankings. Focus on collecting Google reviews first, then scheme reviews as a secondary priority.

How do I get removed from a scheme if I want to leave?

Each scheme has a cancellation process. For Checkatrade, you typically need to give notice before your annual renewal date — check your contract for the notice period, which is often 30 days. For TrustMark, you notify your Scheme Provider and they remove you from the register. For Which? Trusted Traders, contact their trader support team directly. In all cases, your profile and reviews are removed or marked as inactive once membership ends. Make sure you have collected and saved any testimonials you want to use elsewhere before cancelling.