- MyBuilder has no monthly fee. It charges a shortlist fee, officially from £7 and typically £5–£35 on everyday jobs, £50 or more on large projects, when a homeowner shortlists you and contact details are exchanged. Fees are non-refundable whether or not you win.
- The fee scales with job size, so builders and bathroom fitters see the biggest bills: one tradesperson recorded shortlist fees of £540 and £940 on two large jobs. Pursue 20 jobs in a month and get shortlisted on half, and £100–£300 goes before a job is won.
- Several trades can be shortlisted for the same job. Judge it on cost per won job over a real month, and use the fee preview before you express interest.
How MyBuilder charges
Homeowners post a job; tradespeople express interest; the homeowner shortlists the ones they want to hear from. The fee is charged at the shortlist, when contact details are exchanged, and MyBuilder's own support article explains that it is calculated from the job's size and type. Independent guides put the range at £5–£35 for everyday jobs and £50 or more for large projects; MyBuilder's own line is "from £7". There is no subscription and no commission on the finished job.
The two words that matter are non-refundable and shortlist. You pay when the homeowner picks you to talk to, not when you win, and several trades can be shortlisted for one job.
| What | Figure |
|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None; free to join |
| When you pay | When a homeowner shortlists you and contact details are exchanged |
| Shortlist fee, everyday jobs | From £7 officially; typically £5–£35 |
| Shortlist fee, large projects | £50 or more; examples of £540 and £940 recorded on two big jobs |
| Refund if you lose | No; fees are non-refundable |
| Trades per job | Several can be shortlisted |
| Typical monthly spend, active trade | £100–£300 before a job is won, if you pursue 20 jobs and half shortlist you |
Why the bills vary so much
Because the fee follows the job. A plumber chasing small repairs pays a few pounds a shortlist and can afford to be shortlisted often. A builder chasing extensions pays tens of pounds a shortlist and hundreds on the biggest jobs, and loses the fee on the four he does not win. Noble Leads' example of £540 and £940 on two big jobs is the extreme end, and it is the end builders live at. The Checkatrade vs MyBuilder comparison sets this against a flat membership.
Keeping the fees under control
Read the job description properly before expressing interest; vague posts shortlist widely and convert badly. Check the fee shown before you commit, and set yourself a ceiling per job type. Ring back within minutes of a shortlist, because the other shortlisted trades are doing the same. Track every shortlist for a month: fee paid, spoke to the homeowner or not, quoted or not, won or not. Divide the month's fees by jobs won and you have the only number that matters.
Where MyBuilder fits
It suits trades with spare capacity who want to pick their jobs and can respond fast, and it is the cheapest of the directories to test because nothing is paid until a homeowner picks you. It suits survey-led big-ticket work least, because the fee is highest exactly where losing a shared job costs most. Bark and Rated People are the nearest alternatives on the pay-per-lead side; MyTradeBuddy is the outcome-priced one, generating demand for one business per area and charging per booked survey rather than per shortlist.
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Frequently asked questions
No monthly fee. A shortlist fee, officially from £7 and typically £5–£35 on everyday jobs, £50 or more on large projects, charged when a homeowner shortlists you. Fees are non-refundable.
Free to join and to express interest. You pay when a homeowner shortlists you and contact details are exchanged.
No. Shortlist fees are non-refundable whether or not you win the work.
Several. You are paying to be one of the trades the homeowner talks to, not the only one.
For trades with capacity who respond within minutes and track cost per won job, it can be. For large projects the fees climb fast and are lost on every job you do not win, so run a month and do the sums.