Checkatrade vs MyBuilder vs Rated People: Which Platform Is Best for Finding a London Plumber?
Three major review platforms dominate the search for London tradespeople. Each works differently, vets traders differently, and attracts different types of jobs and contractors. This comparison helps London homeowners choose the right platform and use it effectively.
How Each Platform Works
Understanding the fundamental model of each platform is essential before deciding which to use. The three major UK platforms operate on significantly different principles, and those differences affect the quality of the tradespeople listed, the incentives at play, and the level of protection available to you as a homeowner.
Checkatrade operates primarily as a vetting and review directory. Tradespeople pay a subscription fee to be listed and must pass background and qualification checks before being admitted to the platform. Once listed, customers can leave verified reviews after completed work. Checkatrade has historically positioned itself as a quality standard rather than simply a marketplace, and the vetting process is more rigorous than on some competing platforms. The result is that Checkatrade traders tend to be established businesses with a track record of completed work and at least some minimum verified credentials.
MyBuilder operates as a job-posting platform where homeowners post a job description and receive quotes from interested tradespeople. MyBuilder charges tradespeople per quote or lead rather than a subscription. The barrier to joining is lower than Checkatrade, though MyBuilder does carry out some identity and qualification checks. The platform is particularly strong for London tradespeople because the competitive quoting model suits the high-density urban market where multiple qualified contractors are often available for any given job.
Rated People operates on a similar lead-generation model to MyBuilder, where tradespeople buy credits to purchase contact details for posted jobs. Rated People has a large national presence and a significant London user base. The vetting rigour is generally considered lower than Checkatrade, which is reflected in the wider range of trader quality on the platform.
Review Authenticity and What It Means for Trust
The value of a review platform depends entirely on how confident you can be that the reviews are genuine. All three platforms claim to verify that reviews come from real customers who had actual work done. Checkatrade reviews are considered the most robust because each review requires a verified job reference and is checked against the trader record before publication. The proportion of fraudulent or manufactured reviews on Checkatrade is therefore lower than on platforms with weaker verification processes.
On MyBuilder and Rated People, the review verification is somewhat less stringent. Both platforms have genuine reviews from real customers, but the verification process relies more on the customer confirming the review than on cross-referencing job records. A trader with fifty reviews on MyBuilder has still demonstrated a reasonable track record, but the review methodology is not quite as tightly controlled as on Checkatrade.
For London plumbing and gas safety work specifically, the number of reviews matters as much as the rating. A gas engineer with 120 reviews averaging 9.8 out of 10 on MyBuilder provides substantially more assurance than one with five reviews averaging 10 out of 10, regardless of which platform the reviews appear on. Look at the spread of reviews over time rather than just the total and the average.
Vetting and Qualification Checks Compared
This is where the differences between platforms matter most for gas and plumbing work. For gas work specifically, the only qualification that matters is Gas Safe registration. Any platform listing gas engineers should verify and display Gas Safe registration numbers. Checkatrade consistently displays Gas Safe registration details for listed engineers and cross-references the registration with the Gas Safe Register as part of the admission process. MyBuilder and Rated People list Gas Safe registration numbers where provided but are less systematic about ongoing verification.
For plumbing work not involving gas, the relevant qualifications include Water Regulations accreditation (required for certain notifiable plumbing work) and City and Guilds or NVQ qualifications at Level 2 or 3. Checkatrade is more thorough in verifying these qualifications before listing. On MyBuilder and Rated People, the qualification claims of individual tradespeople are less systematically checked, so it falls more to the homeowner to verify credentials directly with the relevant bodies before work starts.
Pricing Implications for London Homeowners
The subscription model of Checkatrade means that listed tradespeople pay a recurring fee regardless of how much work they win through the platform. This tends to attract established businesses that can absorb the subscription cost from a broader revenue base and are less dependent on the platform for every job. The result is that Checkatrade tradespeople are sometimes slightly more expensive than those found on MyBuilder or Rated People, reflecting their established overhead structures and in some cases a higher level of professional certification.
MyBuilder and Rated People operate on a pay-per-lead model, which attracts a wider range of tradespeople including smaller operators and sole traders who may offer lower prices to win jobs. In the London market, this competition can drive prices down, but it also increases the range of quality. Getting three quotes from MyBuilder and cross-checking each trader against the Gas Safe Register and their review history will usually produce a competitive and trustworthy result for most plumbing and gas jobs.
Which Platform to Use for Which Type of Work
For gas safety certificates and boiler work in London, Checkatrade is the most reliable starting point because the gas registration verification is more robust. For general plumbing repairs and quotes where price competitiveness matters, MyBuilder generates more competing quotes and is well suited to the London market. For larger jobs where you want to compare a wider range of contractors, posting on both MyBuilder and Rated People generates maximum competition and gives you more information for comparison.
Prestige Engineers are listed and reviewed on both Checkatrade and MyBuilder across London. Our Gas Safe registration is publicly verifiable, and we carry out all plumbing and gas work with full documentation and certification.