UK Tradespeople's Websites in 2026: What 780 Sites Say About Gas Safe, Speed and Getting Called
In short
We tested 780 UK trade websites across 8 trades and 12 cities in November 2026. 50% of independents show a tap-to-call button on the first phone screen, 69% of plumbers, heating engineers and electricians show Gas Safe or an electrical scheme but only 4% show the number, and the median mobile speed score is 68 out of 100. London scored highest of the 12 cities and Cheltenham lowest. Individual scores are private.
I tested 780 UK trade websites in November 2026: 8 independents for each of 8 trades in each of 12 cities, plus 12 franchises and multi-site chains. The full charts, the city-by-city table, the method and the businesses doing it well are on the benchmark page. Here is the short version, and what was different from the US and NZ benchmarks.
The badge is everywhere. The number is not.
69% of the 287 independent plumbers, heating engineers and electricians show Gas Safe, an electrical scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, or a similar registration. Only 4% show the registration number a customer could look up. A trade body or TrustMark-type badge is shown by 13% of independents across all trades, and insurance is mentioned by 26%.
City by city
London had the highest median website score of the 12 cities (63) and Cheltenham the lowest (51). The gap is mostly Google reviews (a median of 56 in London against 10 in Cheltenham) and tap-to-call (52% against 45% with a button on the first phone screen). Every city’s figures are in the city table.
The rest of the picture
- Speed. The median mobile score is 68 out of 100, and 12% of independents score under 50.
- Quotes, not bookings. 82% have a quote form, but only 1% offer online booking or scheduling, and only 7% say how fast they reply.
- By trade. Plumbing scored highest and carpentry and joinery lowest.
- Chains. The 12 franchises and multi-site chains scored a median of 55 against 55 for independents, so there is no big chain advantage in the UK.
- No website at all. Among businesses Google Maps returned, 19% had no website of their own, and the share is highest for painting and decorating.
How it was done, and the limits
Businesses came from Google Maps searches only, drawn at random in each trade and city, so this is a stated sample, not a census, and it leans toward city centres. Each homepage was loaded once on a phone-sized screen with one contact page, and speed came from Google PageSpeed Insights on mobile. I sell web design, SEO and lead-capture help and I run the Top5Trades directory. Both are disclosed on the benchmark page, with the method, weights and limitations.
Check your own site
If you run a trade business, you can get a free private scorecard showing how your site compares and what to fix first, whether or not you were one of the 780 tested. Related: digital marketing for tradesmen and web design for tradesmen.
Frequently asked questions
What did the UK trades benchmark test?
Speed and mobile experience, local SEO, lead capture, trust signals and Google reviews for 780 UK trade businesses across plumbing, heating, electrical, building, roofing, painting and decorating, landscaping and carpentry in 12 cities. AI search visibility is reported separately.
Can I see how my own trade website scored?
Yes. Any business can request a free private scorecard on the benchmark page, whether or not it was one of the 780 tested. It shows your score against the average and your top three fixes, within 5 working days.
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