British homeowners vetting a tradesperson in 2026 hit a surprisingly crowded market. Three platforms dominate the "find a trusted trader" search — Checkatrade, MyBuilder, and Rated People — and each runs a structurally different extraction model. Checkatrade charges a flat monthly subscription whether tradespeople win work or not. MyBuilder charges per introduction, only when the tradesperson bids. Rated People layers both: tiered monthly subscriptions on top of per-lead credits, backed by Permira private equity since their 2023 acquisition. All three collect Gas Safe / NICEIC / TrustMark credentials at signup. None of the three check those credentials live at the moment a homeowner is matched. That last gap is where the homeowner experience actually breaks — and it's the gap this comparison is about.
Quick verdict table
| Dimension | Checkatrade (as of 2026) | MyBuilder (as of 2026) | Rated People (as of 2026) | AskBaily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Private equity-backed | Independent | Permira private equity (acq 2023) | Independent |
| Tradesperson cost mechanic | Flat subscription ~£40+/mo | Pay-per-bid £15-£70 per introduction | Tiered subscription £35/£95/£225/mo + £4-£25 per lead | $0 up-front; take-rate on closed jobs |
| Tradesperson paying when? | Every month, regardless of work | Only when bidding on a job | Every month AND per lead contacted | Only when a job closes |
| License verification | Self-reported at signup + 12-point vetting | Self-reported at signup | Self-reported at signup; tier-gated badges | Live Gas Safe / NICEIC / TrustMark check at match-time |
| Homeowner experience | Directory-style browsing + contact | Post-a-job + tradespeople bid | Post-a-job + tradespeople contact | 1 AI-scoped introduction |
| Typical tradesperson responses | 3-5 after homeowner messages | 3-7 bids | 3-8 contacts | 1 introduction |
| Best for small jobs (<£500) | Reasonable | Reasonable — bid model works | Reasonable | Out of scope |
| Best for major renovation (£10K+) | Weak — no scope discipline | Weak — pool skews trade-specific | Weak — no scope discipline | Purpose-built |
| Gas Safe / NICEIC live verification | No | No | No | Yes |
| Party Wall / Building Regs / Planning awareness | Not platform-level | Not platform-level | Not platform-level | Integrated |
How Checkatrade works
Checkatrade, documented at https://www.checkatrade.com, runs a flat-subscription membership directory. Tradespeople pay roughly £40+/month (Checkatrade's own tradesperson-signup pages disclose subscription pricing) and undergo a 12-point signup vetting that includes documentation checks. Homeowners browse the directory, filter by trade and postcode, and contact tradespeople directly. Tradespeople pay the subscription regardless of whether they win any jobs through the platform — the economic relationship is between Checkatrade and the tradesperson, and the homeowner is essentially a visitor to that directory.
How MyBuilder works
MyBuilder, documented at https://www.mybuilder.com, runs a pay-per-bid marketplace. A homeowner posts a job; tradespeople browse jobs that match their trade and area; when a tradesperson bids, MyBuilder charges a per-introduction fee (reportedly £15-£70 depending on job size). Homeowners see 3-7 bids; MyBuilder's fees only apply to tradespeople who actively choose to bid, so the tradesperson pool self-selects based on interest level. MyBuilder's structure has produced relatively high tradesperson satisfaction among three UK platforms because tradespeople only pay when they've deliberately engaged.
How Rated People works
Rated People, documented at https://www.ratedpeople.com, layers two revenue mechanics. Tradespeople pay monthly subscriptions tiered at reportedly £35/£95/£225/month for different placement and feature bundles, then pay reportedly £4-£25 per lead contacted. Rated People was acquired by Permira private equity in 2023 and the subscription-plus-lead structure post-acquisition is tighter than the pre-acquisition model. Homeowners get 3-8 tradesperson contacts inside 24 hours — the highest of the three.
Head-to-head: structural advantages
- Checkatrade wins on directory depth and homeowner browsing experience. The 12-point vetting at signup creates a credible baseline (ID, insurance, references, trade documentation) — it's the most thorough signup check of the three. Tradespeople paying flat subscription without per-lead fees means no lead-fee tax in quotes. Works well for directory-style homeowner research where you want to browse tradespeople, not bid-out work.
- MyBuilder wins on tradesperson incentive alignment. Paying only when the tradesperson chooses to bid means low-quality tradespeople opt out rather than bid on jobs they can't win. The pool self-curates. Tradespeople report the highest satisfaction of the three — they're not paying for unfruitful subscriptions or leads they can't convert.
- Rated People wins on homeowner contact speed — the subscription + credit stack means more tradespeople have paid to be in the pool and have incentive to contact fast. PE-backed infrastructure gives it the slickest homeowner UX of the three.
Head-to-head: structural weaknesses
- Checkatrade can suffer from stale listings — tradespeople paying £40+/mo whether they win work or not create a cohort of directory-listed tradespeople with no real throughput. The 12-point vetting is at signup only; there's no live re-verification of Gas Safe, NICEIC, or TrustMark status at the moment a homeowner inquires.
- MyBuilder can produce low bid volume on niche trades — tradespeople pay per bid, so small or specialized jobs may not attract enough bids for the homeowner to have choice. The per-bid cost moves with job size, so bigger jobs attract more bidders, but the cost-per-bid can be a friction for tradespeople on edge-case work.
- Rated People has the highest combined tradesperson cost load of the three — monthly subscription plus per-lead credit. That cost has to be recovered in quotes. Homeowners on Rated People see quote prices that reflect that tax.
The hidden regulatory gap none of the three solves
None of the three platforms verifies live credential status at the moment a homeowner is matched. Gas Safe Register (the statutory UK gas-work register), NICEIC (electrical contractor certification), and TrustMark (government-endorsed quality scheme) all maintain public registers with current engineer / contractor status. A tradesperson whose Gas Safe registration has lapsed, whose NICEIC registration has been suspended, or whose TrustMark accreditation has been withdrawn can still appear on Checkatrade, MyBuilder, and Rated People with the credentials listed from signup. The homeowner is responsible for checking Gas Safe, NICEIC, and TrustMark live. Most homeowners don't.
Beyond statutory credentials, none of the three surface the regulatory overlay that actually matters on specific jobs:
- Party Wall Act 1996 (England & Wales): notice requirements when work affects a shared wall with a neighbour. None of the three flag when Party Wall notices are required.
- Building Regulations approval (via local authority or Approved Inspector): needed for most structural, extension, loft, basement, and many electrical works. None of the three integrate with local authority Building Control.
- Planning permission (local authority): needed for many extension and conversion works. None of the three flag when planning consent is required.
- Gas Safe notification (CP12 Landlord Gas Safety Certificate, etc.): for specific gas work types. Not surfaced at match level.
A homeowner hiring on any of the three platforms for a project that triggers any of these overlays without independent regulatory due-diligence is carrying compliance risk the platform doesn't flag.
When each is the right answer
Checkatrade is the right answer for directory-style browsing when you want to see tradespeople's published work history, ratings, and signup-vetted credentials, and you want to contact on your own timing. Works well for small repair, maintenance, and mid-size project work where the 12-point signup vetting gives you a credible baseline.
MyBuilder is the right answer when you have a specific job scope (plumbing repair, kitchen refit, roofing) and want 3-7 tradespeople to bid on it. The tradesperson self-curation and pay-per-bid economics produce a tighter bid pool than Rated People.
Rated People is the right answer when speed of tradesperson contact matters most — you've got a relatively straightforward job, you don't mind fielding 3-8 contacts fast, and the PE-backed homeowner UX is the smoothest of the three for quick quoting.
The fourth option none of the three mentions
AskBaily is UK-staged (London + Manchester through 2028) and built around a matching mechanic the three incumbents structurally can't offer while their revenue is tied to subscription or lead-sale events. Baily conducts an AI scope interview — project type, scope boundaries, budget range, timeline, any regulatory overlay (Party Wall, Building Regs, Listed Building, planning). The matching engine runs four filters: trade and location match, live Gas Safe / NICEIC / TrustMark verification at match-time, insurance-currency check, and portfolio fit on the specific project type.
One tradesperson is introduced. One. The tradesperson pays zero lead fees, zero subscriptions. AskBaily's revenue is a tiered take-rate on the closed job price, paid by the tradesperson on completion. Incentives align with the project actually finishing, not with a form submission or monthly subscription being monetized.
Party Wall notice requirements, Building Regulations approval pathway, planning permission status — all surfaced in the scope pass so the homeowner and tradesperson can't accidentally start work that triggers an overlay neither addressed.
FAQ
Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Rated People — which is cheapest for tradespeople? Depends on close rate. MyBuilder is cheapest for tradespeople who bid selectively (they pay only when they actively choose to engage). Checkatrade is cheapest for tradespeople doing high-volume work on the platform (the £40+/mo subscription is a flat floor). Rated People is the most expensive because it stacks subscription and per-lead credit. Tradesperson cost ultimately flows into quotes, so homeowner-side "cheapest" isn't straightforward.
Which one verifies Gas Safe, NICEIC, and TrustMark live? None of the three verifies credential status at the moment of match. Checkatrade has the most thorough signup vetting (12-point check), but that's at the point of joining — not at the point a homeowner inquires. Gas Safe, NICEIC, and TrustMark all run public registers; a homeowner should check the tradesperson's credentials live on those registers before hiring.
Is the 12-point Checkatrade vetting actually meaningful? It is at signup, per Checkatrade's documented process — document checks, insurance verification, reference calls, trade-body confirmation. The weakness is currency: a tradesperson whose Gas Safe registration lapses or whose TrustMark accreditation is withdrawn after signup can still appear on Checkatrade until the next periodic review.
MyBuilder charges per bid — does that mean I'll get fewer bids? For small or specialized jobs, yes — tradespeople self-select based on whether the per-bid cost is worth the probability of winning. For mainstream job types, 3-7 bids is normal. The upside is that every bid you receive is from a tradesperson who actively chose to pay to engage with your job.
Is Rated People still a good option after Permira acquired it? Post-2023 Permira acquisition, Rated People's tradesperson cost stack tightened (subscription tiers formalized, per-lead credits structured). Homeowner experience is arguably better on UX but the quote-price effect of stacked tradesperson costs is real.
What about TrustATrader, Bark, and Local Heroes? TrustATrader is philosophically aligned with no-per-lead-fee models (flat £100-150/mo subscription, no per-lead charges). Bark is a cross-vertical bid-based marketplace (not UK-specific). Local Heroes is British Gas' in-house tradesperson scheme for their customers. Different models from the three discussed here.
Is AskBaily live in the UK? London and Manchester are staged for rollout through 2028. If AskBaily isn't yet live in your area, we say so and refer out rather than fake coverage. Checkatrade, MyBuilder, and Rated People have nationwide UK coverage today.
What does AskBaily charge the homeowner? Zero. Revenue is a tiered take-rate on the closed job price, paid by the tradesperson on completion.