Checkatrade

What Checkatrade does

Checkatrade operates a two-sided online marketplace that connects UK homeowners with vetted tradespeople across more than 50 trade categories, including plumbing, electrical, building, decorating, gardening, and emergency repair. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Selsey, the company curates a directory of 48,000+ tradespeople who have each passed a 12-check vetting process covering identification, qualifications (Gas Safe, NICEIC), financial checks, CCJ screening, and ongoing monitoring. The platform is underpinned by 6M+ verified customer reviews and a £1,000 work-completion guarantee, directly targeting the trust deficit that has historically characterised consumer-to-tradesperson transactions.

The underlying technology combines the marketplace core with three applied AI capabilities: a Job Estimate Calculator that analyses millions of completed jobs to provide localised guide pricing, AI-driven rogue-trader detection that screens applicants, and AI-based fake review detection. The product surface has progressively expanded beyond discovery to include Checkatrade Express (fixed-price instant booking for common jobs such as boiler servicing, oven cleaning, TV mounting), a consumer mobile application with 300k+ downloads, and — as of June 2026 — Checkatrade Shop, a curated retail marketplace of 40,000+ home improvement products with exclusive trade pricing for members. Every completed job on the platform is backed by the £1,000 guarantee.

The business runs a dual revenue model. The primary stream is recurring subscription/membership fees paid by tradespeople for lead access and listing rights, while Checkatrade Express generates transaction-based take-rate revenue on instant bookings, and Checkatrade Shop creates an emerging commerce revenue line. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via SEO, the Checkatrade advice blog, the mobile app, and consistent earned media coverage in major UK outlets. The customer base is bifurcated: 48,000+ tradespeople seeking customer acquisition on the supply side and millions of UK homeowners on the demand side across all major UK regions, with operating geography strictly limited to the United Kingdom.

Name

Checkatrade

Legal name

Checkatrade

Website

https://checkatrade.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Checkatrade operates a UK two-sided online marketplace connecting homeowners with 48,000+ vetted tradespeople, combining a 12-check vetting process, 6M+ verified reviews, and a £1,000 work guarantee, with complementary Express instant-booking and Shop retail extensions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home Services Marketplace

akta.pro primary industry

Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms (BPAMAGAH)

Keywords

• Home services marketplace
• Tradesperson directory
• Vetted tradespeople
• Home improvement platform
• Tradesperson vetting

Headquarters

HQ city

Selsey

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tradesperson Membership/Subscription: Tradespeople pay to join and maintain membership on the platform, gaining access to customer leads and the ability to list their services. The specific pricing structure for membership is not publicly disclosed.
2. Checkatrade Express Service Fees: Platform charges transaction fees on instant booking services through Checkatrade Express, where customers book fixed-price jobs directly through the platform

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Checkatrade runs a two-sided online marketplace that connects UK homeowners with vetted, reviewed tradespeople across 50+ trade categories (plumbing, electrical, building, roofing, etc.). Tradespeople pay recurring membership fees to be listed, while homeowners use the platform (web, app, or Express instant booking) to search, request quotes, and book services. A £1,000 guarantee backs every job completed through the platform.

Product overview

Checkatrade operates as a unified home improvement platform offering multiple interconnected services. The core Checkatrade Platform connects consumers with 48,000+ vetted tradespeople who have passed up to 12 background checks and accumulated 6M+ reviews. This core platform is complemented by Checkatrade Express for fixed-price instant bookings on simpler jobs, the Checkatrade App for mobile access with 300k+ downloads, and the AI-powered Job Estimate Calculator for cost estimation. In June 2026, Checkatrade launched Checkatrade Shop as a curated retail marketplace with 40,000+ products, extending its vetting ecosystem to product sellers. All jobs on the platform are backed by the £1,000 Checkatrade Guarantee. The platform covers over 50 trade categories including plumbers, electricians, builders, painters, and heating engineers, primarily serving UK homeowners seeking trustworthy tradespeople.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Checkatrade Shop: A curated retail marketplace offering over 40,000 home improvement products, extending the company's trusted vetting ecosystem from tradespeople to product sellers. Launched at ChannelX World conference.

Products and services

• Checkatrade Platform
• Checkatrade Shop
• Checkatrade Express
• Checkatrade App
• Job Estimate Calculator

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of trades reviewed scored 9.5/10 or above last year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Thumbtack: US-based services marketplace connecting consumers with local professionals, operating the same paid-lead model as Checkatrade Express and offering a comparable value proposition in home services.
• TrustATrader: UK-based vetted trade directory and marketplace connecting consumers with tradespeople, operating the same two-sided model with subscription-based tradesperson membership, directly competing for both supply and demand in the UK.
• Rated People: UK home services marketplace where homeowners post jobs and tradespeople pay to quote; operates a virtually identical proposition to Checkatrade in the same UK geographies and trade categories.
• MyBuilder: UK trade marketplace that lets tradespeople pay to connect with homeowner job postings, directly competing with Checkatrade on lead supply, subscription pricing, and trade coverage in the UK.
• Bark: Global services marketplace where customers request quotes from professionals; competes with Checkatrade on homeowner lead generation across home services and adjacent professional categories.

Broad incumbents

• Angi (Angie's List): Largest US home services marketplace with advertising, lead-gen, and matching services; serves an overlapping homeowner-trade use case with broader portfolio of services and direct lead products.
• Houzz: Home design platform with a built-in marketplace for connecting homeowners with trade professionals; competes with Checkatrade on the inspiration-to-hire journey and on connecting renovation demand with vetted tradespeople.
• Yelp: Local services platform with user reviews and a 'Request a Quote' feature for tradespeople; competes with Checkatrade for high-intent local service search demand across the UK and US.

Emerging players

• TaskRabbit: TaskRabbit operates a marketplace for handyman and home services; competes with Checkatrade Express on simpler fixed-price home tasks and on the homeowner convenience-led segment.

Regional players

• B&Q: UK's largest home improvement retailer, comparable to Checkatrade Shop (40,000+ home improvement products) for category and assortment, with overlapping demand from the same UK homeowner base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Checkatrade
• Facebookfacebook.com/VettedLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Checkatrade