Compare Companies reveals the most sought-after tradespeople in 2023
Plumber fixing under the sink in the kitchen
UK households have made more than half a million (580,920)1 searches online for local tradespeople in the first half of this year and now new research reveals the most in-demand trades across the country.
Data experts at Compare Companies, an online business that helps people find a tradesperson to compare prices for their home improvements, analysed search data from across the nation and found that plumbers are the most sought-after.
UK households have made 110,000 searches for plumbers in 2023, which represents almost a fifth (19%) of all online trade enquiries.
In fact, among the top 25 list of tradespeople in the country’s largest towns and cities, plumbers are the most coveted tradespeople with 5400 searches a month in the South, 3600 in the Midlands, 2900 in the Southwest, 1900 searches in the North and 1500 searches in Southeast alone.
The second highest search for a tradesperson online is for a Locksmith (74,000), followed by an Electrician in third (60,500), Roofers in fourth place (40,500) and Landscape Gardeners in fifth place (33,100).
More than 27,100 people often search for a Handyman and 22,200 people often search for Cleaners, Plasterers, or Tree Surgeons. Meanwhile, 18,100 people search for Joiners or Carpenters, respectively.
Andy Royle, Managing Director of Compare Companies, explains: “Thousands of people have turned to professional tradespeople this year to help them turn their home improvement visions into a reality.
“At Compare Companies, we’ve seen a natural increase of 10% in quotes for tradespeople compared to last year, so there’s definitely a rise in demand for home improvement services despite the cost-of-living crisis.
“It’s interesting to see where the most sought-after skills are right now. Overall, we’ve seen the most demand for plumbers and electricians and we put that down to them being available for home emergencies and necessary fixes that won’t wait.”
The most in-demand trades across the UK are:
The most in-demand trades in the UK
| # Trade | Average UK searches Jan-May 2023 | Percentage of all searches for tradespeople |
| 1. Plumber near me | 110,000 | 19% |
| 2. Locksmith near me | 74,000 | 13% |
| 3. Electrician near me | 60,500 | 10% |
| 4. Roofer near me | 40,500 | 7% |
| 5. Landscape gardener near me | 33,100 | 6% |
| 6. Handyman near me | 27,100 | 5% |
| 7. Cleaner near me | 22,200 | 4% |
| 8. Plasterer near me | 22,200 | 4% |
| 9. Tree surgeon near me | 22,200 | 4% |
| 10. Joiner near me | 18,100 | 3% |
| 11. Carpenter near me | 18,100 | 3% |
| 12. Pest control near me | 18,100 | 3% |
| 13. Chimney sweep near me | 14,800 | 3% |
| 14. Architect near me | 14,800 | 3% |
| 15. Painter and decorator near me | 14,800 | 3% |
| 16. Tiler near me | 14,800 | 3% |
| 17. Gas engineer near me | 12,100 | 2% |
| 18. Structural engineer near me | 12,100 | 2% |
| 19. Gutter cleaner near me | 9,900 | 2% |
| 20. Blacksmith near me | 5,400 | 1% |
| 21. Interior designer near me | 5,400 | 1% |
| 22. Welder near me | 5,400 | 1% |
| 23. Stonemason near me | 4,400 | 1% |
| 24. Quantity surveyor near me | 480 | 0.1% |
| 25. CCTV installer near me | 440 | 0.1% |
| 1Total Combined Searches: | 580,920 |
Methodology: SEMRush Search Volume data was analysed between January to May 2023 – comparing search volumes for the top 25 tradespeople over the first half of the year to date.
