How much does a trade website cost?

In the UK in 2026: DIY builders £10–£30/month, freelancers £500–£2,000 one-off, agencies £2,000–£5,000+, subscription trade-website services £50–£200/month with no build fee. See our full price breakdown for the three-year comparison.

Do I need a website for my trade business?

Q: Is a Facebook page enough for a trade business?

A Facebook page is worth having but it isn't enough on its own. It barely appears in Google searches for 'your trade + your town', you don't control what visitors see first, you can't add tap-to-call properly across it, and if the account is ever restricted you lose the lot overnight. A page works best as a supporting channel pointing at a website you own.

Q: I'm on Checkatrade — do I still need my own website?

Yes. Directory profiles rent you visibility: you pay ongoing fees, compete on the same page as your rivals, and the reviews and ranking you build belong to the platform. If you leave, you start from zero. Your own website keeps every review, ranking and lead you earn — and directories themselves convert better when your profile links to a professional site.

Q: What should a tradesman's website include?

Six things: a tap-to-call phone number, the towns and areas you cover on their own pages, photos of real jobs, your Google reviews, a simple quote/callback form, and a way of handling the calls you miss while working — such as missed-call text-back. Fancy design matters far less than these basics.

Last updated: 24 July 2026By: Jamie, founder of TradeSiteHQReading time: 4 min

Almost certainly yes. In 2026 the majority of UK customers find a tradesperson by searching Google for "your trade + your town" — and even the ones referred by a neighbour will look you up online before ringing. No website means you're invisible in the first case and look less established in the second. The three genuine exceptions are at the bottom of this page.

Website vs Facebook page vs Checkatrade — compared honestly

	Your own website	Facebook page	Directory (Checkatrade-type)
Typical cost	£10–£200/month depending on route	Free	Roughly £70–£120+/month for trade memberships, or pay-per-lead
Shows up in Google for "plumber + your town"	Yes — this is the main way local work finds you	Rarely	The directory ranks; your profile competes with rivals on the same page
Who owns the leads and reviews	You	The platform	The platform — leave and you start from zero
Control of what customers see first	Full	Limited	None — your competitors are listed beside you
Handles the calls you miss	Can do (text-back, callback forms)	No	No — you pay for the lead, then still have to answer first

The pattern: Facebook and directories are places you rent attention. A website is the one asset where everything you build — rankings, reviews, leads — stays yours.

Why the referral customer still checks

Word-of-mouth hasn't gone anywhere; it's just grown a second step. "Ask your neighbour, then Google them" is how recommendations work now. When that search returns nothing — or a dead Facebook page last updated in 2023 — a share of referred customers quietly ring someone else. A one-page site with your reviews, your photos and a tap-to-call number converts trust someone else already built for you. That's the cheapest marketing that exists.

The part most trade websites still get wrong

Having a website isn't the finish line — answering it is. Industry call-handling studies consistently find that around 62% of calls to small trade businesses go unanswered, 85% of missed callers won't leave a voicemail, and roughly 78% of customers hire the first business that responds. A website that generates calls you then miss is only doing half the job; the other half is capturing them — an instant text back to missed callers, or a callback form that reaches your pocket. (Full numbers: what missed calls cost a trade business.)

When you genuinely don't need a website

Three honest cases: you're booked solid for months on pure word-of-mouth and want no more work; you're winding down towards retirement; or you subcontract exclusively and never deal with the public. If that's you, save the money. If you're anyone else — especially in the first five years, or in a trade with seasonal dips — the search results in your town are where your next customer is currently choosing someone who isn't you.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Facebook page enough for a trade business?

Worth having, not enough alone. It barely ranks in local Google searches, you don't control the first impression, and a restricted account takes your whole presence with it. Use it as a supporting channel pointing to a site you own.

I'm on Checkatrade — do I still need my own website?

Yes. Directories rent you visibility beside your competitors, and the reviews you earn there stay theirs. Your own site keeps everything — and your directory profile converts better when it links to a professional website anyway.

What should a tradesman's website include?

Six things: tap-to-call number, a page per town you cover, real job photos, your Google reviews, a simple quote form, and a plan for missed calls. Design polish is a distant seventh.

How much does one cost?

£10–£30/month DIY, £500–£2,000 freelance, £2,000–£5,000+ agency, or £50–£200/month subscription with everything included — full breakdown with three-year totals in our pricing guide.

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Written by Jamie, founder of TradeSiteHQ. 20 years self-employed — cleaning firms, photography, manufacturing, interiors, and an all-trades home-improvement company. Every claim on this page comes from running trade businesses, not from an agency slide deck.