Checkatrade and FatRank offer different approaches to generating work for tradespeople. Checkatrade focuses on membership, customer reviews, business visibility, and enquiries, while FatRank uses a performance-based lead generation model. The better choice depends on factors such as cost, lead quality, competition, geographic coverage, and how much financial risk a trade business wants to take.
Checkatrade vs FatRank at a Glance
The biggest difference is the business model. Checkatrade connects homeowners searching its platform with approved tradespeople. FatRank focuses on generating search-driven enquiries through digital properties that it owns and operates.
| Factor | Checkatrade | FatRank |
| Primary model | Trade directory and lead marketplace | Performance-based lead generation |
| Typical payment structure | Membership and lead-based plans | Performance or commission-based arrangements |
| Public business profile | Yes | Not the central proposition |
| Customer reviews | Core part of the platform | Not the main lead-generation mechanism |
| Leads generated through | Checkatrade searches, profiles and related products | Search-engine-driven digital assets |
| Brand visibility for the trade | Stronger | Depends on arrangement |
| Upfront marketing cost | Usually required through membership | Positioned around limited or no conventional upfront retainer |
| Suitable for | Trades wanting visibility, reviews and ongoing enquiries | Businesses prioritising measurable lead-to-revenue performance |
Checkatrade currently advertises plans starting from £59 per month, although actual costs can depend on the trade, postcode areas and lead requirements selected. Its membership system allows businesses to choose the areas and categories from which they want enquiries.
FatRank describes its model differently. The company says it builds and ranks its own digital properties and operates primarily on a “no win, no fee” basis, with payment linked to enquiries that become revenue for clients. Its own published material says arrangements can commonly involve a commission based on contract value.
How Checkatrade Generates Work for Tradespeople
Checkatrade gives tradespeople access to customers already searching for local services. After completing the required checks, a member can create a business profile, collect reviews and receive enquiries based on their trade and chosen geographic areas.
Customers may contact trades through phone calls, quote requests or bookings from a Checkatrade profile. Membership plans can also be configured around the number of enquiries a business wants during the year.
The platform therefore combines several forms of marketing:
- A public trade profile
- Customer reviews
- Local search visibility
- Direct enquiries
- Booking capabilities
- Sponsored placements
- Additional leads through its Opportunities Board
- Business administration and payment tools
That combination can appeal to a plumber, electrician, roofer or builder who wants more than a source of customer contact details.
There is also a reputation component. A tradesperson can accumulate reviews on their Checkatrade profile over time, creating a record that future customers can examine before making contact.
What happens when a Checkatrade lead arrives?
The precise process depends on the membership product. Checkatrade says enquiries are distributed according to factors including trade, location and plan.
The platform also operates an Opportunities Board. Tradespeople can browse additional local opportunities and choose whether to unlock them. According to Checkatrade, some opportunities reach this board after first being offered to relevant paying members, while excess opportunities may appear there immediately.
That distinction matters because a Checkatrade enquiry should not automatically be treated as a guaranteed job. A business still needs to respond, quote competitively and persuade the homeowner to hire them.
How FatRank Generates Leads
FatRank takes a different approach. Instead of primarily asking a tradesperson to compete through a public trade marketplace, the company says it builds websites and other digital assets designed to rank in search engines for commercially valuable searches.
When a potential customer submits an enquiry through one of those assets, the lead can then be routed to an appropriate business.
FatRank describes itself as operating across hundreds of UK industries and says its philosophy centres on generating leads before charging clients for marketing performance.
For a tradesperson, the practical appeal is straightforward: marketing expenditure can be tied more closely to measurable commercial results rather than paying a conventional SEO agency every month regardless of whether the campaign produces jobs.
However, businesses should still examine exactly what constitutes a payable result. A “lead”, a qualified opportunity, a booked appointment and a completed job are very different outcomes.
Before accepting any performance-based arrangement, establish:
- When a fee becomes payable.
- Whether the lead is exclusive.
- How duplicate enquiries are handled.
- How job value is verified.
- Whether cancelled work still attracts a fee.
- How disputed leads are assessed.
- Whether there are minimum volumes or geographic restrictions.
These terms can matter more financially than the headline percentage or cost per lead.
Which Provides Better Quality Leads?
Neither Checkatrade nor FatRank can guarantee that every enquiry will become profitable work.
Lead quality depends on factors such as the trade, location, customer urgency, job value, lead qualification process and how many competing businesses receive the same opportunity.
Checkatrade users benefit from customers entering a platform specifically designed to find tradespeople. That represents strong commercial intent. Someone searching Checkatrade for an emergency plumber in Manchester, for example, is substantially closer to hiring than someone casually reading a plumbing article.
FatRank aims to capture similarly commercial searches through Google and other search-driven digital assets. Its building lead generation material, for example, describes using landing pages that attract customers searching online for specialist trades.
The more useful question is therefore not “Who generates higher-quality leads?” but:
How many qualified, exclusive and profitable jobs do I receive for every pound I spend?
That figure can differ significantly between two tradespeople using exactly the same platform.
Lead Exclusivity Can Matter More Than Lead Volume
A company promising 100 enquiries is not necessarily better than one offering 30.
Consider a hypothetical roofing business.
Provider A generates 40 enquiries, but each enquiry reaches four competing roofers. The roofer wins 10% of them, resulting in four jobs.
Provider B generates 20 exclusive enquiries. The roofer converts 30%, producing six jobs.
Provider B supplied half as many enquiries but created 50% more customers.
This is why tradespeople comparing Checkatrade and FatRank should ask whether leads are exclusive, limited to a small group or widely distributed.
Checkatrade’s Opportunities Board specifically states that a lead can only be unlocked by a limited number of tradespeople, which is intended to prevent excessive competition.
For FatRank, exclusivity and routing arrangements should be confirmed for the individual agreement rather than assumed.
Compare Cost Per Job, Not Just Cost Per Lead
Cost per lead is useful, but cost per acquired customer provides a better indication of marketing performance.
Suppose a landscaper spends £600 on marketing and receives 30 enquiries.
If six become paying customers:
£600 ÷ 6 = £100 customer acquisition cost
Now suppose the average completed job generates £1,500 in revenue.
The company has acquired £9,000 in work from £600 of acquisition expenditure.
That gives the owner something meaningful to evaluate.
A cheaper source of enquiries can actually be more expensive if those enquiries rarely convert.
Track at least these figures separately for every marketing channel:
| Metric | Why It Matters |
| Number of leads | Shows enquiry volume |
| Qualified leads | Removes irrelevant opportunities |
| Quotes issued | Measures genuine sales opportunities |
| Jobs won | Shows actual conversion |
| Revenue generated | Connects marketing with business results |
| Marketing cost | Establishes total acquisition spend |
| Cost per job | Reveals true acquisition efficiency |
| Gross profit from jobs | Shows whether the channel is commercially worthwhile |
This approach allows a tradesperson to compare Checkatrade, FatRank, Google Ads, SEO, referrals and other channels using the same commercial standard.
Checkatrade May Be Better for Building Public Trust
One of Checkatrade’s strongest advantages is that the platform functions as both a lead source and a visible reputation platform.
Customers can inspect business information, photographs and reviews before contacting a tradesperson. Checkatrade also requires applicants to complete identity and documentation checks before gaining full access to leads.
For a recently established business without many Google reviews or strong local brand recognition, that profile can provide useful credibility.
A Checkatrade membership can therefore create value even beyond individual enquiries. A homeowner may see the business on Checkatrade and later contact it directly, or the profile may reinforce trust after the customer discovers the company elsewhere.
FatRank’s proposition is more directly centred on generating opportunities. Businesses primarily seeking a third-party profile that customers can browse may therefore see greater value in Checkatrade.
FatRank May Suit Businesses Focused on Performance-Based Acquisition
FatRank is potentially more attractive when a business wants its marketing expenditure tied directly to measurable outcomes.
Traditional digital marketing often requires businesses to fund SEO, content, link acquisition, web development or advertising before meaningful returns appear. That creates risk for smaller companies.
FatRank says it absorbs more of that initial marketing risk by developing and ranking its own digital assets and charging based on successful results rather than conventional monthly retainers.
That can appeal to established trades that understand their average job value and conversion rate.
For example, a company specialising in £8,000 roof replacements may be comfortable paying a meaningful commission on completed work because the economics support it.
The same arrangement could be unattractive for a handyman whose average invoice is £90.
Performance-based lead generation therefore tends to make the most sense when:
- Average job values are healthy.
- Gross margins can support acquisition commissions.
- The business answers enquiries quickly.
- Sales conversion rates are measurable.
- Capacity exists to take additional jobs.
- Job values can be tracked accurately.
Checkatrade Gives Trades Greater Control Over Their Public Profile
Another difference concerns where brand equity accumulates.
With Checkatrade, the individual trade business maintains a public profile containing reviews and business information. Over time, this can become an identifiable online asset associated with the company.
Checkatrade also states that member profiles can appear in Google search results, potentially providing another route through which customers discover a trade business.
With a third-party lead generation arrangement, customers may initially discover the lead generator’s digital property rather than searching specifically for the trade company’s brand.
Neither model is automatically superior.
If your priority is to develop a recognisable local brand, public reviews and a searchable trade profile, Checkatrade provides clearer benefits.
If your main objective is simply to generate profitable opportunities at an acceptable acquisition cost, the underlying ownership of the ranking website may matter less.
Consider Contract Terms Before Choosing Either Platform
Marketing performance should not be evaluated without reading the commercial terms.
Checkatrade states that its fixed-plan memberships operate on 12-month terms, and its support documentation explains that cancelling a Direct Debit does not itself cancel the contractual membership obligation.
That means a tradesperson should understand the commitment before joining rather than judging the service after only a few weeks of results.
A performance-based provider requires a different type of due diligence.
Ask how commissions are calculated and what happens when:
- The customer changes the job specification.
- The final contract value differs from the original quote.
- A customer cancels.
- The enquiry already exists in your CRM.
- The customer returns months later.
- The customer requests multiple projects.
- Payment is delayed.
- A dispute arises over attribution.
Clear attribution rules prevent disagreements later.
Checkatrade or FatRank for a New Trade Business?
Checkatrade may make more immediate sense for a new tradesperson who needs both customer enquiries and a visible reputation profile.
A new electrician, for example, might value the ability to display verified customer reviews, job photographs and business information in one place while building broader online visibility.
However, the monthly commitment means the business needs sufficient cash flow to sustain membership regardless of how many enquiries turn into jobs.
FatRank’s model may reduce that upfront marketing risk if a suitable performance agreement is available. On the other hand, a very new business must still be capable of responding professionally, quoting work and closing enquiries. More leads will not solve a weak sales process.
Which Is Better for Established Trades?
Established businesses should focus more heavily on economics than brand credibility.
If a roofing company already has hundreds of Google reviews, strong organic rankings and regular referrals, another directory profile may provide less incremental value than it would to a startup.
The owner may instead prioritise an additional source of exclusive, measurable enquiries.
Conversely, an established company that needs predictable local coverage across several postcodes may value Checkatrade’s ability to configure lead volumes and target service areas.
The decision should therefore be based on the gap in the existing marketing system.
Ask:
What capability am I currently missing?
If the answer is “customers don’t trust us yet,” a strong public profile matters.
If the answer is “we have capacity but not enough enquiries,” lead generation matters more.
If the answer is “we receive plenty of leads but don’t win enough jobs,” neither platform fixes the real problem. The company should improve response speed, estimating, follow-up and sales conversion first.
Can You Use Checkatrade and FatRank Together?
Yes, using both may be more sensible than treating the decision as strictly either-or.
Tradespeople rarely need to depend on a single acquisition channel. A business could generate enquiries through Checkatrade while simultaneously accepting performance-based leads from another provider.
The advantage is diversification.
If one source suddenly produces fewer enquiries, the business still has another pipeline.
The disadvantage is attribution. If the same homeowner reaches your company through several channels, determining which provider deserves credit becomes difficult.
Use a simple CRM or spreadsheet and record:
- Customer name
- Telephone number
- Postcode
- Enquiry date
- Lead source
- Quoted value
- Job status
- Final revenue
- Acquisition cost
After three to six months, compare the channels based on actual completed work instead of impressions about lead quality.
Checkatrade vs FatRank: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Checkatrade when you place a high value on a recognised trade directory, a customer-facing profile, reviews, defined geographic targeting and an established marketplace where homeowners actively search for tradespeople.
Consider FatRank when performance-based lead generation is more appealing than paying a traditional monthly marketing retainer and you have sufficient margins to accommodate a commission or revenue-linked acquisition model.
For many established trades, testing both channels and measuring cost per profitable job is better than making the decision based on marketing claims.
The important comparison is ultimately:
Acquisition cost + conversion rate + average job profit + lead exclusivity + contractual risk.
Whichever provider produces the best combination of those factors is the better option for your particular business.
Questions to Ask Before Signing Up
Before committing to either provider, get clear answers to the following questions:
- What is the total financial commitment?
- Is there a minimum contract period?
- How many enquiries should I realistically expect in my postcode?
- Are leads exclusive?
- How many businesses can receive each enquiry?
- What qualifies as a chargeable lead?
- Can irrelevant or duplicate enquiries be disputed?
- How quickly must I respond to maximise conversion?
- Which trades perform best on the platform?
- Can I increase or reduce my lead volume?
- How is attribution handled?
- What happens when a customer cancels?
- Can I track completed revenue back to each enquiry?
- What happens to reviews or customer data if I stop using the service?
A provider that can answer these questions clearly is easier to evaluate than one relying only on headline lead numbers.
Conclusion
The choice between Checkatrade or FatRank comes down to how you prefer to acquire customers and manage marketing risk.
Checkatrade provides an established public marketplace where trades can build reviews, improve visibility and receive enquiries through a structured membership model. FatRank offers a different proposition centred on search-generated leads and performance-linked commercial arrangements.
Do not choose purely on monthly price or promised lead volume. Track how many genuine enquiries become profitable jobs, calculate your acquisition cost and understand the contractual terms behind each provider.
A channel that generates fewer but better-converting customers may ultimately be far more valuable than one producing a large number of low-intent enquiries.
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FAQ’s
No. Checkatrade primarily operates a trade directory and customer enquiry platform. FatRank describes itself as a performance-based lead generation company that builds and ranks digital assets to generate enquiries for businesses.
Checkatrade currently advertises plans starting from £59 per month. Pricing can vary according to factors such as trade, location and required lead volume, so businesses should obtain pricing for their own service category and postcodes.
FatRank states that its core proposition does not use the conventional upfront-retainer model. It describes arrangements where payment is linked to business generated from enquiries, although exact commercial terms should be confirmed for each agreement.
No. An enquiry represents an opportunity, not guaranteed revenue. Tradespeople still need to contact the customer, assess the work, provide a quote and win the job.
It can be worthwhile when the revenue and gross profit generated from Checkatrade customers exceed the full cost of membership and lead acquisition. Tradespeople should calculate cost per completed job rather than judging value from enquiry volume alone.
There is no universal best alternative because trade businesses have different job values, locations and customer acquisition strategies. Performance-based lead generation providers such as FatRank represent one alternative model, while businesses can also consider their own SEO, Google Business Profile, paid search, referrals and other trade marketplaces.
