Roofers Guide 2026
How to Get More Roofing Leads Without Paying Checkatrade or MyBuilder Fees
To get more roofing leads without paying Checkatrade or MyBuilder fees, build your own website and a free Google Business Profile, gather Google reviews, and add a click-to-chat WhatsApp button. Google handles around 92% of UK searches, and its local "near me" results rank your own site and profile — not a directory. That turns recurring per-lead and membership costs into free, repeat enquiries you actually own.
- Lead-gen platforms rent you leads: stop paying Checkatrade or MyBuilder and the work stops overnight, because you never owned the channel.
- A Google Business Profile is free and, alongside your own website, is what shows up in local 'near me' roofing searches and Google Maps.
- Reviews are the currency of local roofing search — the same social proof directories charge you to display, you can collect for free on Google.
- A WhatsApp click-to-chat button turns a phone browser into an enquiry without the customer having to call, and it comes as standard on a Brightray site.
- —Lead-gen platforms rent you leads: stop paying Checkatrade or MyBuilder and the work stops overnight, because you never owned the channel.
- —A Google Business Profile is free and, alongside your own website, is what shows up in local 'near me' roofing searches and Google Maps.
- —Reviews are the currency of local roofing search — the same social proof directories charge you to display, you can collect for free on Google.
- —A WhatsApp click-to-chat button turns a phone browser into an enquiry without the customer having to call, and it comes as standard on a Brightray site.
- —A fixed £500 website plus a free profile is usually cheaper in year one than a single year of Checkatrade membership — and it keeps working after you've paid for it.
Why roofers resent lead-gen fees
Ask any roofer about Checkatrade, MyBuilder or Rated People and you'll get the same grumble: you pay, and pay again, and never own a thing.
The models differ, but the trap is the same. Checkatrade charges a membership. MyBuilder, Rated People and Bark sell you leads one at a time. Either way, the moment you stop paying, the enquiries stop dead. You've been renting other people's customers.
Worse, the leads are rarely yours alone. On pay-per-lead sites the same job is sold to several trades at once, so you're bidding against three or four other roofers before you've even climbed a ladder. That drags prices down and turns you into the cheapest quote instead of the trusted local name.
There's a better route, and it's one you keep. This guide shows how an owned website plus a free Google Business Profile turns those recurring costs into inbound enquiries that come to you directly.
What Checkatrade and MyBuilder actually cost
Exact fees vary by trade, postcode and job size, and the platforms change them often, so treat these as representative 2026 figures rather than a fixed quote. The pattern, though, is consistent.
| Platform | How you pay | Typical UK cost (2026) | What you're left with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkatrade | Membership, billed annually | Nothing you own — stop paying, leads stop | |
| MyBuilder | Pay per lead / shortlist | ~£3–£30+ per lead, scales with job size | A shared lead you compete for on price |
| Rated People / Bark | Credits / pay per lead | ~£2–£70+ per lead | The same job sold to several trades |
| Your own website + Google Business Profile | One-off build; the profile is free | £500 one-off + ~£70/year running | An asset you own that brings repeat work |
Look at the last column, not the first. The money you hand a directory buys you access this month and nothing next month. The money you put into your own site and profile builds an asset that keeps earning after the bill is paid.
The alternative: a website you own plus a free Google Business Profile
Here's the part directories don't advertise. The single most powerful roofing-lead tool in the UK is free, and it's run by Google.
A Google Business Profile is the box that appears on the right of a Google search, and the pin that shows on Google Maps, when someone searches "roofer near me" or "roof repair [your town]." It costs nothing to set up. It shows your phone number, your reviews, your photos and a direct route to your website.
Around 92% of UK searches happen on Google. When someone's gutter is hanging off or a tile has blown loose in a storm, they don't open Checkatrade — they Google it. Local results surface Business Profiles and real websites, not directory listings buried three clicks deep.
Pair that free profile with a proper website and you've built the channel the platforms rent to you — except you own this one. Your site is where the profile sends people to see your work, read your services and get in touch. That's exactly what Brightray's websites for roofers are built to do: look professional, load fast on a phone, and turn a visitor into an enquiry.
How to set up your Google Business Profile
You can do this yourself in an afternoon. It's the highest-return hour a roofer can spend.
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Claim it | Search your business name; if a profile exists, claim it. If not, create one free at google.com/business | Nobody finds an unclaimed profile |
| 2. Nail the basics | Exact business name, phone, service area, hours, and a link to your website | This is what ranks you locally |
| 3. Pick categories | Choose "Roofing contractor" plus any extras (guttering, flat roofs) | Categories decide which searches you show up in |
| 4. Add photos | Upload 10+ real job photos — before/after, your van, finished roofs | Profiles with photos get far more clicks |
| 5. Ask for reviews | Text every happy customer a review link | Reviews are the biggest local ranking factor |
| 6. Keep it fresh | Post updates and reply to every review, good or bad | Google favours active profiles |
The one that moves the needle most is reviews. Social proof is the very thing Checkatrade charges you to display — yet you can collect it for free on Google, and those reviews stay with you forever.
How your website turns clicks into calls
A Google Business Profile gets you found. Your website is what turns a curious click into a booked job — so it has to do three things well.
Load fast on a phone. Most roofing searches happen on mobile, often outdoors in bad weather. A slow or fiddly site loses the enquiry before it starts.
Show you're the real deal. Photos of finished roofs, the areas you cover, your insurance and guarantees, and a few Google reviews pulled through. This is the trust a directory badge used to buy you — now it lives on your own page.
Make contact effortless. A phone number that dials on tap, a short enquiry form, and a WhatsApp click-to-chat button. WhatsApp matters for roofers: a homeowner can fire over a photo of the damaged roof and a message without having to phone and explain it. Every Brightray site comes with WhatsApp for Business built in as standard, so enquiries land straight on your phone.
Do the maths: fees versus a fixed £500 site
Put the numbers side by side and the case makes itself.
A year of Checkatrade membership can run to £1,000–£1,500 or more, and buys you nothing you keep. A fixed £500 website from Brightray costs less than that in year one, needs only around £70 a year to run afterwards, and works alongside a Google Business Profile that costs nothing at all.
Better still, it's done for you and live in about 7 days — no lost evenings wrestling a page builder, no monthly platform to feed. You brief it, it gets built, it goes live, and it starts sending you enquiries that no one can switch off.
This isn't only a roofing story. The same maths works for any local trade tired of renting leads, which is why Brightray runs a whole line of websites for tradesmen built on exactly this approach: get found on Google, look credible, make contact easy, own the lot.
Getting started
You don't have to quit the platforms tomorrow. The smart play is to build your own channel first, then wind the fees down as your website and profile start pulling work.
Claim and complete your Google Business Profile this week. Get a fast, professional website live to send that traffic to. Ask every happy customer for a Google review. Within a few months you'll have a stream of inbound roofing enquiries that come straight to you — free, repeatable, and entirely yours.
Asked and answered.
Can I really get roofing leads without Checkatrade?+
Yes. Checkatrade is one channel, not the only one — and it's a rented one. A free Google Business Profile plus your own website is what shows up when someone searches 'roofer near me,' which is how most UK homeowners actually look for a roofer. Add Google reviews and a WhatsApp contact button and you get inbound enquiries directly, with no membership or per-lead fee. Many roofers keep a platform running while they build this up, then wind the fees down.
How much does a Google Business Profile cost?+
Nothing. Google Business Profile is completely free to set up and run. You claim your business, add your services, service area, photos and opening hours, and start collecting reviews. It's the single most effective free tool for getting local roofing work, because it feeds Google's 'near me' results and Google Maps — where the majority of UK roofing searches begin.
Is a website cheaper than paying for leads?+
Over any real period, usually yes. A year of Checkatrade membership can cost £1,000–£1,500 or more and leaves you with nothing once you stop paying. Pay-per-lead sites charge for every enquiry, often for a lead shared with rival roofers. A one-off £500 website costs around £70 a year to run afterwards and keeps working, so the cost per enquiry falls the longer you own it.
Why does WhatsApp matter for getting roofing enquiries?+
Because a homeowner can send you a photo of the damaged roof and a quick message without having to phone and describe it. That lowers the barrier to making contact, especially on mobile where most roofing searches happen. A WhatsApp for Business click-to-chat button drops the enquiry straight onto your phone, and it comes built into every Brightray site as standard.
How long before an owned website brings in roofing leads?+
A Google Business Profile can start surfacing you in local results within days of being verified and completed. A website adds credibility and a place to send that traffic straight away. Steady inbound flow builds over a few months as you gather Google reviews and Google trusts your profile more. A Brightray site goes live in about 7 days, so you can start the clock quickly.