The short answer
- Approved costs £30 a month + VAT. Growth, the plan that sends you enquiries, starts at £59 a month + VAT and goes up from there.
- It pays if the jobs you win from it are decent-sized. It doesn't if you're paying to fight over small jobs.
- Paid plans tie you in for 12 months and renew themselves.
How Checkatrade works for trades
- You pass their checks (ID, address, finances, qualifications) and get a profile with the Checkatrade tick.
- Homeowners search by trade and postcode, then call you, ask for a quote or book you.
- You pay a monthly fee. How many enquiries you get depends on the plan, your area and how many other trades are on there near you.
What Checkatrade costs in 2026
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | £0 | A profile page to collect reviews |
| Approved | £30 a month + VAT | The Checkatrade tick, review requests, quoting and job tools |
| Growth | From £59 a month + VAT | Customer enquiries, direct bookings, extra credit to show higher in their search |
Source: Checkatrade pricing page, checked 9 November 2026.
"From £59" is the starting point. Your actual quote depends on your trade, how many postcode areas you want and how many leads a year you ask for.
The contract
This is the part most trades get caught out by.
- Most memberships are a fixed 12-month term, and you can't normally leave early.
- It renews automatically for another 12 months.
- You can only cancel in the month before your renewal date, and only by speaking to their team.
- Stopping your direct debit doesn't end the contract.
- The price can go up at renewal.
- When you leave, your profile comes off their public listings, reviews and all.
Source: Checkatrade's cancellation and renewal pages.
What a real quote works out at
One electrician shared the quote they were given:
| Monthly fee | £150 |
|---|---|
| Leads | 4 a month |
| Each lead also sent to | 3 other electricians |
| Contract | 12 months |
Over a year that's £1,800 + VAT (£2,160) for 48 leads. Each lead goes to 4 electricians, so if they win their fair share, that's 12 jobs.
About £180 to win each job.
On a rewire or an EV charger install, £180 can be worth it. On a socket swap, it isn't.
Check your own numbers
Take the last 12 months:
- Add up everything you paid Checkatrade, VAT included.
- Count the jobs you actually won from it.
- Divide the first by the second. That's what each job cost you to win.
Is it worth it for you?
Worth it if
- You land decent-sized jobs from it, not just small fixes
- You can reply fast, because customers move on to the next name
- Your diary has gaps and you need work coming in now
Think twice if
- The jobs are small and you're up against other trades for each one
- Word of mouth already keeps you busy
- You can't get back to enquiries until the end of the day
- You don't want to be locked in: you keep paying for 12 months even once you're fully booked