MyBuilder is a UK website where homeowners post building, repair and home improvement jobs, and tradespeople compete to be chosen for them. Posting a job is free for the homeowner; the tradesperson pays when they are shortlisted, which is the point at which they can see the customer’s contact details.
How MyBuilder works
A homeowner describes the job, such as a bathroom refit, a fence repair or a rewire, along with its location and rough timing. Tradespeople registered in the matching trade and area see the lead and can express interest with a short message. The homeowner reads the profiles of those who replied and shortlists the ones they like.
At the time of writing (October 2026), a tradesperson pays a fee when shortlisted rather than a flat fee for every lead seen, and the amount varies with the job. MyBuilder has adjusted its pricing over time, so check its current terms rather than relying on older reviews or forum posts.
After a job, the homeowner can leave feedback. A tradesperson’s profile shows their ratings and written comments, and those build up into the main thing new homeowners judge them on. Profiles also include the trades covered, the area served, photos of past work and some verification details.
Why it matters
For a trade business, MyBuilder is a source of leads that does not depend on your own website or advertising. That makes it useful for a new business with no reviews or search visibility yet, or for filling gaps in the diary. It sits alongside other UK platforms such as Checkatrade, Rated People and Bark, each with its own way of charging.
It also has an SEO side. Your profile is a listing that carries your business name and area, so it works as a local citation. Profiles on well-known platforms often appear when people search for a business by name, so a strong one supports your reputation beyond the platform.
The trade-off is dependence. Leads on a shared platform go to several competitors at once, the customer is often comparing on price, and the platform sets the rules and charges. Some tradespeople use it to build a base of customers and reviews, then shift towards work that comes to them directly.
Common mistakes
- Not tracking cost per job. Shortlist fees add up. Without recording how many shortlists turn into paid work, you cannot tell what each job really costs.
- Chasing every lead. Expressing interest in jobs outside your trade or travelling distance wastes fees and time.
- Slow follow-up. Homeowners often decide quickly. A call the same day usually beats a better quote two days later.
- Feedback that never leaves the platform. Reviews on MyBuilder do not appear on your Google profile, so happy customers are worth asking twice.
- Mismatched details. A different business name or phone number on your profile from the one on your website weakens the citation.
How to act on it
If you use MyBuilder, keep a simple log: each job you express interest in, whether you were shortlisted, the fee, and whether it became paid work. After a few months, compare the real cost per job with what you would pay through Google Ads or other platforms.
Make your profile match your other listings exactly, add photos of real recent work, and reply professionally to any poor feedback. When a MyBuilder customer is pleased, ask them for a Google review too, because that builds the asset you own rather than the one the platform owns.
In the long run, aim to get more work from your own Google Business Profile and website. My SEO for trades and home services is built for exactly that shift.