Most UK roofing contractors are paying for leads from multiple sources simultaneously — a Checkatrade subscription, a MyBuilder credit account, maybe some Google Ads — without a clear picture of what each channel actually costs per customer won. The headline numbers look very different from the real numbers once you factor in conversion rates, shared leads, and the annual cost of subscriptions spread across the actual enquiries generated.
This guide does that maths for you. We break down every major lead source for UK roofers — Google Ads, Google Maps/local SEO, Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People, and Local Services Ads — by real cost per lead, lead quality, exclusivity, and what a contractor who is serious about scaling their business should actually be spending money on.
The numbers below are based on 2026 market rates, industry conversion benchmarks, and direct contractor feedback. They are ranges rather than fixed figures because local competition, review counts, and campaign management quality all affect outcomes significantly.
Why "cost per lead" is a misleading number
A lead platform might advertise that they supply roofing leads at £25 each. A Google Ads agency might tell you leads cost £65 through their campaigns. On the surface, the platform looks cheaper. But cost per lead ignores two critical variables that determine the actual economics of your marketing spend:
1. Lead exclusivity. A Google lead goes to one company: yours. A MyBuilder lead is simultaneously sent to between three and five other roofers. If four of you quote and one wins, the effective cost per won job for the winner was five times the cost per lead — and the other four paid for nothing. For shared leads, you need to multiply the cost per lead by your win rate to get the real number.
2. Lead quality and intent. A homeowner who searched Google for "emergency roofer [town]" and called you directly has made an active, individual choice. A homeowner who posted a job on MyBuilder and let the platform distribute it to whichever contractors paid to respond is in a different — and much earlier — stage of the decision process. Quality differences translate directly to different close rates, different average job values, and different margins.
Channel by channel: the real numbers
Google Maps / Google Business Profile (Organic)
Free local search visibility — the highest-ROI lead source available to a UK roofer
When a homeowner searches "roofer near me" or "roofer [town]", the three businesses shown in the map pack at the top of Google results are pulling from Google Business Profile listings. These are not paid positions — they are earned through profile quality, review count, proximity, and relevance signals. Getting into the map pack costs nothing in ongoing ad spend; it costs time and expertise to set up correctly and maintain.
Leads from Google Maps are exclusively delivered to the one business the homeowner clicks on. There is no sharing, no auction, no per-lead cost. A homeowner who saw your listing, read your 80 reviews, looked at your photos, and called your number has done their own research and decided to contact you specifically. These leads convert to jobs at 40–65% — substantially higher than any paid or shared source.
The limitation is that ranking in the map pack is competitive and takes 3–9 months of consistent effort to achieve in a competitive local market. It is not a switch you can flip overnight, which is why most roofers supplement it with paid channels while building their organic position.
Google Ads (Search Campaigns)
Paid search — exclusive leads from homeowners with active buying intent
Google Ads search campaigns put your ad in front of homeowners who are actively searching for a roofer right now. You pay per click when someone searches a relevant keyword and clicks your ad. The lead is exclusively yours — the homeowner found you and contacted you directly, not through a platform that distributed the same request to competitors.
Cost per click for roofing keywords in the UK ranges from £2–£5 in smaller towns to £8–£15 in London and major cities. At a landing page conversion rate of 5–10%, the cost per lead comes out at £25–£90 in most UK markets. This is higher per lead than most platform options, but the close rate on exclusive, high-intent direct leads (35–55%) keeps the cost per job won competitive.
The key variable is management quality. A poorly structured Google Ads campaign — wrong match types, no negative keywords, weak landing page — can easily waste 50–60% of spend on irrelevant clicks. A well-managed campaign concentrates spend on genuine buying-intent searches and achieves significantly lower cost per lead.
Checkatrade
UK's largest trade directory — subscription model, verified reviews
Checkatrade is a subscription directory that vets and lists tradespeople and collects verified customer reviews. Annual membership for roofing contractors costs £1,200–£1,800+ depending on trade, location, and the specific package chosen. Checkatrade earns its keep by ranking well on Google for trade searches in many local markets — a significant proportion of Checkatrade's inbound traffic comes from homeowners who searched Google and clicked through to the directory.
The critical variable is how many enquiries your listing generates. Checkatrade provides statistics on how many profile views you receive, but profile views do not equal enquiries — and enquiries do not equal jobs. A contractor with 50+ detailed positive reviews and a fully optimised profile in a moderately competitive area might generate 30–50 enquiries per year from Checkatrade. A contractor with 8 reviews and a thin profile might generate 6–10. The subscription cost is fixed regardless.
Crucially, Checkatrade enquiries are not shared leads in the MyBuilder sense — when a homeowner contacts you through Checkatrade, they have specifically chosen to contact your listing. However, the same homeowner has typically messaged two or three contractors from the directory, so competition is still present, just less aggressive than a shared lead platform.
MyBuilder
Pay-per-lead marketplace — shared leads sold to multiple contractors simultaneously
MyBuilder operates a pay-per-lead marketplace model. Homeowners post job requests on the platform and specify what they need. Contractors pay to see the homeowner's details and express interest. MyBuilder then allows the homeowner to select which contractors they want to quote. You are typically competing with three to five other contractors who also paid to respond to the same lead.
Lead purchase prices for roofing on MyBuilder typically run £15–£60 per lead depending on job type and location. This seems competitive until you account for the shared nature. If you pay £30 to respond to a lead and four other contractors also paid £30, the homeowner selects two or three for quotes and awards the job to one — your probability of winning from a paid lead is approximately 20–33% at best. At 25% win rate, a £30 lead costs you £120 per job won, before accounting for the quotes you spent time on that did not convert.
A further complication is lead quality. MyBuilder leads vary significantly — some are detailed job descriptions from homeowners ready to buy; others are vague enquiries from homeowners in early research mode who may not proceed with any contractor for months. There is no upfront way to reliably distinguish them before paying.
Rated People
Similar shared-lead model to MyBuilder — pay-per-lead with multiple contractors competing
Rated People operates on a model structurally similar to MyBuilder. Homeowners post job requests, contractors pay credits to respond, and the homeowner selects from the interested contractors. Up to three contractors can respond to each lead, and the credit cost per lead for roofing is broadly similar to MyBuilder at £12–£50 depending on job value and region.
The same fundamental problem applies: paying for a shared enquiry means paying for the right to compete, not the right to win. With up to three contractors responding, the win rate from any individual paid lead is approximately 33% at best — and the contractor who wins is often the one with the most Rated People reviews, not necessarily the best value or quality proposition.
Rated People has a somewhat smaller reach than MyBuilder in most UK markets, which means fewer available leads but also potentially fewer competing contractors in some areas. In practice, contractor feedback on both platforms is similar: viable for lead volume when starting out, diminishing returns as other channels develop.
Google Local Services Ads (LSAs)
Pay-per-lead Google product for verified local trades — exclusive leads, Google-guaranteed badge
Google Local Services Ads appear at the very top of Google search results — above standard Google Ads and above organic results — and show the contractor's name, star rating, years in business, and a "Google Guaranteed" or "Google Screened" badge. Unlike standard Google Ads where you pay per click, LSAs charge per valid lead (phone call or message) only.
LSAs are only available to contractors who pass Google's background check and verification process — which includes proof of insurance, licence verification (where applicable), and background checks on business owners. In the UK, LSAs for roofing are available in most major cities but coverage is not yet national.
Cost per lead through LSAs for roofing typically runs £25–£70, which is broadly comparable to well-managed Google Ads search campaigns but with less control over targeting and bidding. The Google Guaranteed badge adds a significant trust signal that converts at higher rates than standard ads. A solid option for contractors who qualify and operate in covered areas.
Full comparison: all channels side by side
| Channel | Model | Cost per lead | Exclusive? | Close rate | True CPJW | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Maps (organic) | Free | £0 | Yes | 40–65% | £0 | Best overall |
| Google Ads (Search) | Pay per click | £30–£90 | Yes | 35–55% | £65–£200 | Best paid |
| Google LSAs | Pay per lead | £25–£70 | Yes | 35–50% | £60–£175 | Strong (where available) |
| Checkatrade | Subscription | £30–£120* | Partial | 25–40% | £90–£400 | OK with 40+ reviews |
| Rated People | Pay per lead | £12–£50 | Shared (×3) | 25–40% | £75–£200 | Supplementary only |
| MyBuilder | Pay per lead | £15–£60 | Shared (×5) | 15–30% | £90–£300 | Avoid when established |
| Facebook / Instagram Ads | Pay per click | £20–£80 | Yes | 10–25% | £100–£600 | Testing only |
| Bark.com | Pay per lead | £8–£30 | Shared (×5+) | 10–20% | £60–£300 | Generally poor quality |
*Checkatrade effective CPL based on £1,500 annual subscription divided by typical enquiry volume of 15–50 per year.
Cost per lead visualised — what £300/month buys you on each channel
Here is a concrete comparison of what a £300/month marketing budget generates in terms of leads across the main channels. These figures use midpoint estimates from the ranges above and assume competent but not exceptional campaign management for paid channels.
*Checkatrade figure: £125/month of a £1,500 annual subscription covers approx. 2–5 leads per month at midpoint enquiry volume. Numbers for shared-lead platforms represent enquiries purchased; jobs won from these would be 20–33% of that figure.
The hidden costs most roofers don't count
The sticker prices above do not capture several costs that significantly change the true economics of each channel. Accounting for these gives a more complete picture of what each lead source actually costs your business.
Time spent on lost quotes
On a shared lead platform, you might quote five jobs and win one. The four hours spent quoting the other four — site visits, measurements, pricing — is a real cost that rarely appears in anyone's cost-per-lead calculation. At £50/hour of your time, four lost quotes cost £200 per won job in addition to the platform fees.
Price compression on shared leads
When a homeowner received three or four quotes from different contractors simultaneously, they are in a strong negotiating position. Research consistently shows that job values on shared lead platforms run 10–20% lower than equivalent direct enquiries because homeowners know they have alternatives. Lower average job value means your cost per lead needs to be commensurately lower to maintain margins.
Platform dependency risk
A business that generates 60–70% of its leads from Checkatrade is fundamentally dependent on a third party's pricing decisions, algorithm changes, and continued existence. Checkatrade subscription prices have increased significantly over the past five years. Building your primary lead source on infrastructure you control — your Google ranking and your own website — eliminates this dependency risk entirely.
Opportunity cost of not building owned channels
The £1,500/year spent on a Checkatrade subscription that generates uncertain leads could fund 6–8 months of professional local SEO investment that compounds over time — building map pack rankings that generate leads at zero cost per enquiry indefinitely. This opportunity cost is invisible in a month-by-month comparison but significant in a three-year view.
The recommended lead channel stack for a UK roofing contractor
Rather than treating these channels as alternatives, the right approach is a deliberate stack — channels that serve different stages of your business's development and different roles within a healthy lead mix.
Build the foundation + use platforms as a bridge
In the early months when you have no reviews and no Google Maps visibility, you need leads now — which means paying for them somewhere. Use MyBuilder or Rated People to generate volume while you build your foundation. Simultaneously invest in your Google Business Profile, accumulate real customer reviews, and build or improve your website. The goal is to make platform dependency temporary.
- MyBuilder or Rated People: £100–£200/month while building organic presence
- Google Business Profile: optimise and request reviews from every customer
- Website: get a clean, fast, locally optimised site built
Shift spend to owned and exclusive channels
By 18 months, you should have 30+ Google reviews, a functioning website, and some map pack visibility for your primary keywords. This is the moment to shift budget decisively toward Google Ads search campaigns and double down on local SEO, while reducing or eliminating platform dependency.
- Google Ads search: £300–£700/month, professionally managed or well self-managed
- Local SEO / Google Business Profile management: £200–£400/month or self-managed
- Checkatrade: worth keeping if it is generating 20+ enquiries/year; cut if it is not
- MyBuilder / Rated People: reduce to supplementary as direct lead volume grows
Own your local market — platforms are optional
An established roofer with 80+ Google reviews, strong map pack rankings for their primary local keywords, and a well-managed Google Ads account should have enough direct enquiry volume that platform dependency is not a commercial necessity. At this stage, the question is optimisation: improving conversion rates, adding remarketing, testing Local Services Ads, and systematically building letting agent and landlord relationships as a parallel B2B revenue stream.
- Google Ads + remarketing: primary paid channel
- Local SEO: primary organic channel — ongoing maintenance and content
- Email marketing + referral system: lowest cost per job won of all channels
- Letting agent / landlord outreach: B2B recurring revenue layer
- Lead platforms: optional supplement only, not dependency
How to track your true cost per job won across channels
- 📞Ask every new caller "how did you find us?" — this single question, logged consistently, gives you the attribution data you need. Track it in a spreadsheet: date, caller name, channel, job value if they book, job won or lost. After three months you have real CPJW data by channel.
- 📊Set up Google Analytics 4 goal tracking — any contact form submission or phone click on your website should fire as a conversion in GA4. This shows you which traffic sources (Google organic, Google Ads, direct) are generating the most contact events, even before you account for the phone calls that never touch the website.
- 📞Use call tracking numbers — a different phone number on each channel (your Google Ads landing page, your Checkatrade profile, your organic site) connects every inbound call to its source without asking the caller. Basic call tracking starts at £20–£40/month and pays for itself immediately in attribution clarity.
- 💰Calculate CPJW monthly, not annually — annual averages hide seasonal patterns and the effect of changes you make. Calculate cost per lead and cost per job won monthly for each channel. When a channel's CPJW rises above a threshold you define (e.g. £300), that is the trigger to reduce spend and reallocate.
- 📋Track quote-to-job conversion rate by channel separately — this is the clearest indicator of lead quality. If your Google Ads leads convert quotes to jobs at 45% and your MyBuilder leads convert at 18%, that quality difference is more informative than any cost per lead comparison.
Want to reduce your dependency on paid lead platforms?
The highest-ROI roofing lead source is a well-ranked Google Business Profile that sends exclusive, high-intent enquiries with zero cost per lead. We help UK roofers build and maintain exactly that — plus well-managed Google Ads campaigns that fill the gaps while organic visibility builds. A free visibility audit shows you exactly where you rank and what the opportunity looks like in your area.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a roofing lead cost on Checkatrade?
Checkatrade charges an annual subscription of £1,200–£1,800+ rather than a per-lead fee. The effective cost per lead depends entirely on how many enquiries your profile generates. A contractor with 40+ reviews generating 30–50 enquiries per year will have an effective CPL of £30–£60. A contractor with 10 reviews generating 10–15 enquiries per year will have an effective CPL of £100–£180. Profile completeness and review count are the primary drivers of enquiry volume on the platform.
How much does a roofing lead cost on MyBuilder?
MyBuilder charges £15–£60 per lead to receive a homeowner's contact details, depending on job type and location. However, because the same lead is typically sold to three to five contractors simultaneously, your true cost per job won is significantly higher — typically £90–£300 or more, depending on your win rate against the competing contractors. This shared-lead model is the fundamental economic problem with MyBuilder for established contractors.
How much does a roofing lead cost through Google Ads?
A roofing lead from Google Ads in the UK typically costs £30–£90 per lead for a well-managed campaign, depending on location, competition, and landing page quality. In London and major cities CPCs run £5–£15 per click; in smaller towns £2–£7. At a website conversion rate of 5–10%, a £6 average CPC translates to roughly £60–£120 per lead. The crucial advantage over lead platforms is that the lead is entirely exclusive — the homeowner found you specifically and contacted you directly.
Which lead source has the highest quality for roofing?
Google Ads and Google Maps organic consistently generate the highest-quality leads for UK roofing contractors, measured by close rate and average job value. These homeowners searched with active buying intent, found you specifically, and chose to contact you — not through a platform that simultaneously sent the same request to competitors. Google Maps organic leads are the highest quality of all, as the homeowner actively researched your reviews before calling. Checkatrade leads are moderate quality; MyBuilder and Rated People leads are the lowest quality due to the shared nature of the enquiry.
Is Checkatrade worth it for roofing contractors in 2026?
Checkatrade can be worth it for contractors with 40+ reviews, a complete profile, and a local market that is not oversaturated with competitors. With those conditions in place, the subscription generates enough enquiries to justify the cost. Without them — or in highly competitive urban markets where many contractors have strong Checkatrade profiles — the economics become marginal. Most experienced roofers find Checkatrade works better as a secondary trust signal for homeowners who are verifying credentials after finding them on Google, rather than as a primary lead generation channel.
What is the best value source of roofing leads in the UK?
Google Maps via a well-optimised Google Business Profile offers the best cost-per-lead ratio — zero ongoing cost per enquiry once established, with close rates of 40–65%. Google Ads search campaigns offer the best controllable, scalable volume of exclusive leads at a predictable cost. Lead platforms like Checkatrade and MyBuilder are useful supplements at early business stages or as secondary trust signals, but should not be the primary lead source for any established roofing contractor due to shared leads, increasing subscription costs, and dependency on third-party infrastructure.
Stop paying for leads you share with four competitors
The shift from platform dependency to Google-led direct enquiries is the single most impactful commercial decision most UK roofers can make. It takes 6–12 months to build, but once established it generates the lowest cost-per-lead and highest-quality enquiries of any channel. Start with a free visibility audit — find out where you stand today.
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