Starting your Checkatrade journey
In this article, you'll find:
Why should tradespeople join Checkatrade?
Checkatrade is making it easier for reputable tradespeople to find work and take on more projects. In 2024 alone, there were over 22 million searches for skilled trade jobs on the Checkatrade website.* It highlights how popular the service has become with British homeowners.
Not only that, Checkatrade is one of the most well-known signs of quality in the industry.
By offering a transparent, verified review system, Checkatrade members can compete for projects on the grounds of quality and needn’t worry about being undercut by rogue traders looking to make some quick money at a homeowner’s expense.
How do tradespeople apply for Checkatrade membership?
It’s a really straightforward application process and we’re here to help every step of the way.
To sign up you need to complete a form, which takes about 2 minutes. Once you complete the form, we’ll work with you each step of the way to take you through our checks.
As long as we approve everything and you meet our quality standards, you will go live on our Checkatrade search!
What questions will I need to answer?
We need to get to know your business a bit better, developing an understanding of whether Checkatrade is a good fit for you.
We will ask about:
- The services you offer
- The types of jobs you have previous experience with
- The areas that you work and cover
During this process, we will also explain how Checkatrade will deliver for you and your business. Establishing this partnership model between us and our members at the earliest stage of interaction helps to maintain our exceptional network and service.
Be aware, right from the start, everyone’s membership is unique. So every experience will be unique as well.
Not sure how becoming a Checkatrade member could benefit your business? Why not speak to us today?
How can I get the most from my Checkatrade membership?
Our membership allows you your very own shop window to showcase your work. To really make your profile stand out from the crowd, you can add your company logo.
Along with that, you can also:
- Upload photos of your work
- Pictures of yourself
- Your company vehicle
- Your wider team (if you have one)
Homeowners are looking for a familiar face. So, alongside the brilliant work you do, showing who you are builds the connection with the homeowner.
Simple practices like this can make your profile feel more personal and is a quick way to start building trust with a potential customer. Of course, it’s then vital to back this up with high-quality before and after pictures of your work.
Any additional tips to make my membership a success?
Reviews are crucial to how Checkatrade will perform for you, so it’s essential that you’re asking for feedback from all customers you can. It’s important to encourage everyone to leave feedback for you.
Hitting 20+ reviews on Checkatrade helps increase your conversion by 25% and goes a long way to showcasing your expertise to potential new customers.
Also, don’t forget to upload your public liability insurance when you come onboard.
This isn’t just there to protect you, but offer peace of mind. It’ll also help you convert more jobs, as this gives further reassurance to any homeowner looking to use your services.
How to collect Checkatrade reviews
In your app you’ll have a direct feedback link you can add to invoices or any emails you send to homeowners, as well as a handy tool that’ll do the work for you.
All you have to do is use either a mobile number or email address and we’ll send them a message on behalf of Checkatrade. We can ask them to provide you with feedback.
We want to make our service as competitive as possible, but nothing influences our internal search tool more than reviews.
The best way to underline good workmanship is with a glowing, verified review, so it is important to make sure you’re getting as many as possible.
Tips from Checkatrade member, Mark
We spoke to Mark Elliott of S4G Drone Services about his experience becoming a Checkatrade member.
Mark joined at the end of 2020, and his ‘first day tips’ include:
- Filling out the profile information
- Adding initial folders for photographs and videos to show work
- Uploading Certifications and verifying
Profile tips
We asked for Mark’s take on the member profile, and this is what he said:
So far I am finding it a great way of generating work. With the Checkatrade profile, I feel one has to ‘work at it’ a bit and keep things fresh, but hopefully, that’s what you’re finding too. That with effort comes rewards?
Generally, his advice would be to ensure your profile page is jam-packed with useful information and pictures that will help customers to choose you over someone else.
What’s next?
There’s a lot that goes into helping tradespeople start their Checkatrade profiles, but it’s only the first part of the journey.
Once we’ve carried out our checks to confirming a tradesperson’s skills, qualifications and capabilities, it doesn’t stop there. The clue is in our name, so we check trades.
Our vetting checks continue through membership.
* Internal search data for users of the Checkatrade.com website in 2024
Alan sear
Steve was very professional in the work he did and he did a very good job. he did the facia flashing ect.
Heather MacDonald
Fair Plumb in Perth, Scotland, gave me a fantastic, reasonably priced service. They showed up on time and carried the job out well to my satisfaction.
Vasile Ursu
Quality work