- TrustATrader charges a flat annual membership paid in advance, not published; tradespeople's reports range from £240–£750 a year (Local Search North, northern England quotes) to £600–£1,000 a year (Trade Pixels), with one quoted joining figure of £699 plus VAT.
- Membership includes a profile, online payment facility, free text and email enquiries, and no commission on jobs; joining requires five references, proof of insurance and paperwork, taking two to three weeks.
- Its distinguishing rule is a cap on traders per category per area, which is why members in uncrowded areas rate it. It still shares enquiries among the members it does list.
What TrustATrader costs
No public price list, so the figures come from tradespeople. Local Search North's 2026 comparison puts the flat annual fee at £240–£750, payable in advance, from quotes shared by trades in northern England. Trade Pixels reports £600–£1,000 a year and gives one worked example of £800 a year, which it breaks down as £67 a month or £2.40 a day. An electricians' training site quotes £699 plus VAT to join. Take the spread as the range you might be quoted, by trade and region.
| What | Reported |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat annual membership, paid up front |
| Reported fee | £240–£750 a year (Local Search North); £600–£1,000 a year (Trade Pixels); one quote of £699 + VAT |
| Per-lead charges | None; no commission on jobs |
| Included | Company profile, online payment facility, text-a-trader (free text and email enquiries) |
| Joining | Minimum five references, proof of insurance, paperwork; two to three weeks |
| Listing cap | Traders per category per area are capped to avoid saturation |
| Enquiries shared? | Yes, among listed members; the cap limits how many |
What you get, and the cap
Membership buys a vetted profile on the site, an online payment facility, and free enquiries by text and email through the platform. There is no commission on won work. The rule that sets TrustATrader apart from Checkatrade is the cap: it limits how many traders it lists per category in a postcode area so that, in its words, everyone gets a share of enquiries. For a member that is the whole pitch. Being one of a handful of plumbers listed in your area is worth far more than being one of forty.
Is TrustATrader reliable?
Reviews from tradesmen are thinner than for Checkatrade, which itself tells you something about scale. What there is splits the same way: members in uncrowded areas who answer enquiries fast say it pays; members who joined in a quiet season say the fee bought little. The up-front annual payment sharpens both reactions. Homeowners recognise the brand less than Checkatrade's, so it does less work as a trust badge on jobs that came from elsewhere.
The head-to-head with Checkatrade covers the brand-size question; the Checkatrade cost breakdown gives you the other side of the price comparison.
How to decide
Ask three things on the sales call: how many traders in your category are currently listed for your area, what the fee is for your postcode, and whether you can pay monthly. Then compare the annual fee with what a booked job is worth to you and how many you would need to break even. Whatever you pick, the enquiry is still shared with the other members listed, and the first to answer usually wins.
If you would rather not pay for visibility at all, MyTradeBuddy generates demand for one business per area, answers and chases every enquiry, and charges per booked survey with no annual fee and no contract. It suits survey-led work more than call-outs, and one business per area means your patch may already be taken; pricing here.
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Frequently asked questions
TrustATrader does not publish prices. Tradespeople report a flat annual fee paid in advance, from £240–£750 a year in some regions to £600–£1,000 in others, with one quoted joining figure of £699 plus VAT.
No. Membership covers enquiries, and there is no commission on jobs won.
TrustATrader caps the number of traders listed per category per area and takes a flat annual fee up front. Checkatrade is the larger brand, charges monthly, and members report higher bills. Both share enquiries among listed members.
Two to three weeks, after supplying a minimum of five references, proof of insurance and completed paperwork.
It depends on how many traders are already listed for your trade and area and how fast you answer. Ask for the current count on the sales call and compare the annual fee with the value of a booked job.