What Rated People does

Rated People is a UK-based online marketplace founded in 2005 that connects homeowners with vetted local tradespeople. The platform enables homeowners to post jobs for free across 32+ trade categories — including bathroom fitting, electrical work, plumbing, gas engineering, roofing, building, carpentry, and gardening — and receive quotes from rated tradespeople operating in their locality. Coverage extends across all four UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), supported by an extensive location-page SEO footprint, native iOS and Android applications, and content marketing assets including DIY advice centres, cost guides, and trade advice resources.

The core product is a two-sided digital marketplace that combines job posting, lead generation, profile/reputation management, and review accumulation. The platform's most significant technical asset is its rating and review engine, which has accumulated over 1 million ratings (with 88,000 5-star ratings in the trailing 12 months) and functions as the primary trust and quality signal for both sides of the market. Tradespeople are also supported with a dedicated self-serve sign-up portal, and homeowners can browse or search the directory of rated professionals.

Rated People operates a product-led growth, freemium marketplace model. Homeowners use the service at no cost, while tradespeople (10,000+ on the platform) pay on a pay-as-you-go basis to access qualified job leads — a marketplace commission / lead-generation revenue mechanic. The company is privately held (Rated People Ltd., UK), has raised approximately $23.2 million across four disclosed rounds (2011, 2014, 2018, 2022) from investors including Frog Capital, Channel 4 Ventures, Downing Ventures, Western Technology Investment, and Martin Port, and currently employs 101–250 people. No AI/ML capabilities or international expansion have been disclosed; the strategic focus remains on deepening UK penetration and category coverage.

Name

Rated People

Legal name

Rated People Ltd.

Website

https://ratedpeople.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rated People is a UK online marketplace, founded in 2005, that connects over 3 million homeowners with 10,000+ vetted tradespeople across 32+ trade categories. Homeowners post jobs free; tradespeople pay per lead via a pay-as-you-go model. Coverage spans all four UK nations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Lead Generation for Tradespeople: Tradespeople pay for access to job leads from homeowners. Homeowners can post jobs for free. The platform operates on a marketplace model where service providers pay to connect with potential customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rated People operates an online marketplace that connects UK homeowners with local, vetted tradespeople for home improvement and repair jobs. Homeowners post jobs for free across 50+ trade categories (bathroom fitting, plumbing, electrical, roofing, etc.) and receive quotes from 10,000+ rated tradespeople. The platform is accessible via website and mobile apps and includes ratings, reviews, cost guides, and tradesperson profile pages.

Product overview

Rated People is a single-product online marketplace platform that connects homeowners with tradespeople across the UK. The core offering is a job-posting and quote-request service where homeowners can post jobs for free and receive quotes from over 10,000 vetted tradespeople across 32+ trade categories including bathroom fitting, electrical work, plumbing, gas heating, roofing, and general construction. The platform also includes mobile apps for iOS and Android, cost estimation guides, and a directory of trade professionals with ratings and reviews. The products work together as a unified marketplace ecosystem where job matching, contractor vetting, and payment processing form the primary service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rated People Online Marketplace Core online marketplace where homeowners post home improvement and repair jobs for free and receive quotes from 10,000+ vetted tradespeople across 50+ trade categories in the UK.
• Rated People Homeowner Mobile App
• Cost Guides

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 rated tradespeople available on the platform
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bark.com: Global services marketplace that matches customers with local professionals across many trade and professional categories; directly comparable marketplace lead-gen model with broader service scope.
• MyBuilder: UK online marketplace where homeowners post jobs and tradespeople submit quotes; overlaps directly with Rated People in trade categories, lead generation, and review-based trust model.
• Thumbtack: US-based home services marketplace connecting consumers with local professionals for hundreds of project types; comparable two-sided lead-generation model at larger scale.
• Checkatrade: UK-based home services marketplace connecting homeowners with vetted tradespeople via ratings and reviews; one of Rated People's most direct and largest UK competitors.
• TrustATrader: UK directory and marketplace for vetted tradespeople, focused on connecting homeowners with local trades via reviews; directly comparable in geography, model, and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Houzz: Global home design platform with a professional directory of trades and home improvement pros; comparable in connecting homeowners with pros, though anchored in design content rather than job posting.
• Angi (formerly Angie's List): Large US home services platform combining marketplace lead generation with paid pro memberships and advertising; broader portfolio but overlapping on the homeowner-to-pro matching use case.

Emerging players

• Porch: US home services platform helping homeowners find and book home improvement pros; comparable marketplace model with a focus on vetted pros and project-based job posting.
• TaskRabbit: TaskRabbit connects customers with local taskers for handyman and home services; overlaps with Rated People on the handyman and small-job segment and competes for the same homeowner demand.

Regional players

• Hipages: Australia-based marketplace connecting homeowners with tradies across dozens of categories; comparable model in a different geography, useful proxy for unit economics in trade marketplaces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ratedpeople
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rated-people
• Xx.com/RatedPeople

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

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 Rated People