How do I know if I'm undercharging?

The clearest sign is that you're always busy and always broke: full diary, thin bank balance. If you win nearly every quote you send, your prices are almost certainly too low; the market would bear more. This tool compares your rate to local peers so you can see it in numbers rather than guessing.

Won't raising my rates lose me customers?

You'll lose some price-only shoppers, and that's usually a good trade. If you raise your rate 10% and lose one job in ten, you earn the same money for less work and less wear. The customers who leave over a small increase are rarely the ones you want. Most trades who raise rates find demand barely moves.

How often should I review my pricing?

At least once a year, and any time your costs jump. Materials, fuel, insurance and van costs all creep up quietly; if your rate doesn't move with them, your margin shrinks every month without you noticing. A yearly review keeps you ahead of that drift.

My area is cheaper than the cities, so should I still charge more?

Charge what your local market supports, not a national headline figure. That's why the Pricing Health Check uses your postcode. Rural rates are genuinely lower, but many good tradespeople still sit at the bottom of their own local range out of habit; there's usually room to move up without leaving your market.

Should I quote a day rate or price per job?

Both have their place. A day rate is simple and protects you on messy jobs that overrun. Fixed per-job pricing can earn more when you're fast and efficient. Whichever you use, your day rate is the floor it's built on, so get that right first, which is what the Pricing Health Check is for.

How does Tradehand help me hold better prices?

Your Tradehand assistant quotes every call and message promptly and professionally, so you compete on speed and clarity instead of being forced to drop your price. It also chases the quote, the follow-up that wins the job, so you don't have to undercut to make up for slow replies. Get a free demo and we'll show you how it works on your own rates.

Free Pricing Health Check

Find out if you're charging enough, and how much money you're leaving on the table every year by sitting behind the local market.

Most tradespeople set their day rate once and never revisit it, then watch their margins get squeezed as costs rise. Enter your trade, postcode and current day rate, and this report compares you to local peers on real UK data, telling you whether you're under, over or on the money, and roughly how much extra a year a market-rate correction would put in your pocket.

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Your report

Fill in the details on the left and hit Check my pricing, and your personalised report appears here.

Win more of the jobs you quote.

Tradehand is the software your trade business runs on, with an assistant that answers every call and message, sends your quotes the same day and chases them until they land. The first £10,000 Tradehand collects for a business carries no Tradehand fee. After that, Tradehand earns 5% of collected invoice payments. No monthly fee, setup fee, card fee or contract.

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How to use the Pricing Health Check

1Pick your trade. Different trades sit at very different day rates, so this anchors the comparison.
2Enter your postcode. Rates vary hugely by area; a London electrician and a rural one aren't in the same market.
3Enter your current day rate, the amount you actually charge for a full day, before materials.
4Get your report. It places your rate against local peers (roughly the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile) and flags whether you're behind the market.
5If you're under, use the annual shortfall figure to decide on a rate rise; even a modest increase compounds across a full year of jobs.

Typical UK benchmarks

Typical UK electrician day rate	UK electrician day rates commonly fall around £250-£400 (Checkatrade cost guides 2024)
Typical UK plumber day rate	UK plumber day rates commonly fall around £250-£350 (Checkatrade / MyBuilder cost guides 2024)
Trades that haven't raised rates in over a year	A large share of sole traders hold rates flat despite rising costs (FSB small business research)
Rise in trade input costs recently absorbed	Materials and running costs have risen sharply for trades in recent years (ONS producer price data)

Disclaimer

This tool gives an estimate for general guidance only, based on typical UK figures and the details you enter. It is not a formal quote, survey, or professional advice. Always confirm with a qualified tradesperson before relying on any figure, as regional prices, site conditions, and current standards vary.

You do the job, Tradehand handles everything around it.

Your assistant sends the quotes, chases the invoices, books the work and keeps your customers updated. The first £10,000 Tradehand collects for a business carries no Tradehand fee. After that, Tradehand earns 5% of collected invoice payments. No monthly fee, setup fee, card fee or contract. One office hire costs about £25,000 a year, whether the invoices land or not.

Source: Office manager salary, National Careers Service

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Frequently asked questions

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