Marketing Budget for a UK Trades Business: How Much to Spend and Where
Most small UK trades businesses spend either too much on the wrong marketing or too little on the right things. Here is a framework for deciding what to spend and where to spend it.
The General Rule: 5–10% of Revenue
Most marketing guidance for small businesses suggests a marketing budget of 5–10% of annual revenue. For a sole-trader tradesperson turning over £80,000, that means £4,000–£8,000 per year. That sounds like a lot until you compare it to the value of a single new boiler installation, a bathroom refit, or a week’s commercial contract.
The more important question is not how much to spend overall, but which channels produce the best return for your specific trade and market.
Highest-ROI Channels for UK Tradespeople
Google Business Profile (free) consistently produces the best return of any marketing channel for local trades businesses — but only if maintained with regular reviews and accurate information. Google Local Services Ads (paid per lead) are the highest-quality paid channel for most trades. Checkatrade and TrustATrader generate leads at a fixed monthly cost. Direct mail — particularly door-drops in target neighbourhoods — works well for landscapers, painters, and other property maintenance trades.
What Not to Spend On
Yellow Pages/Yell.com have very limited return for most trade businesses now. Generic social media advertising without a targeted local strategy produces poor results for most trades. SEO agencies charging large monthly retainers are rarely justified for sole traders and small teams — the basics (Google Business Profile, a simple website) can be handled without external agencies. FMB’s marketing guidance covers digital marketing for UK builders and trades.
The Hidden Marketing: Quote Quality and Speed
The most effective marketing for a trades business is not advertising — it is the quality of how you respond to enquiries. A professional, fast, branded quote converts a higher percentage of the leads you already receive. That improved conversion rate effectively reduces your cost per acquired customer without spending a penny more on marketing.
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Download CoreQuote Free on Android5–10% of revenue is the general guideline, but the more important question is channel mix. Google Business Profile with consistent reviews produces the best ROI for most trades.
Google Business Profile (free) with active review-building is the foundation. Google Local Services Ads are the highest-quality paid channel. Checkatrade/TrustATrader supplement this.
Instagram works well for visually-led trades (tiling, landscaping, painting) where before/after content drives engagement. Facebook is useful for neighbourhood groups and referrals. Generic paid social ads have poor ROI for most trades.
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