"I was spending time and money on directories and advertising with mixed results. Since joining the Trades Merchant panel I don't advertise at all. The jobs come to me, they're pre-qualified, and I'm not competing with three other plumbers for the same work. My calendar stays full without the hassle."
Not a directory
How Trades Merchant is different from a trade directory
Most trade platforms ask you to create a public profile, compete for leads and manage your online presence. We work differently.
❌ A typical trade directory
- ✗ You pay for a listing or subscription
- ✗ You build and maintain a public profile
- ✗ You compete against other tradespeople for the same lead
- ✗ Homeowners contact multiple trades at once
- ✗ You handle all quoting and follow-up yourself
- ✗ Lead quality is inconsistent
✓ The Trades Merchant panel
- ✓ No profile setup required
- ✓ We quote for homeowner jobs on your behalf
- ✓ One quote per job — less competition with other tradespeople
- ✓ Jobs are matched to your trade, skills and service area
- ✓ You focus on doing great work — we handle the matching
- ✓ Consistent, pre-qualified job opportunities
"We act as your commercial partner — presenting your best price to a qualified homeowner, so you can concentrate on delivering excellent work."
Why join?
What panel membership means for your business
Panel membership is designed for skilled tradespeople who want a steady pipeline of quality work — without the time and cost of marketing themselves.
Receive matched job opportunities
When a homeowner submits a job request that matches your trade and location, we present their job details to you. If it suits your schedule and capacity, you provide us with your best price and we quote on your behalf.
Your credentials, verified and trusted
Panel members are screened before joining. We request your insurance, relevant trade registrations and business details — giving homeowners the confidence to proceed without you having to sell yourself repeatedly.
Work that fits your availability
You tell us your trade, your service area and your typical capacity. We only send you opportunities that fit — you're never chased for jobs you can't take on, and you're competing less for work against other tradespersons in the same area.
No advertising costs
Panel members don't pay for leads, maintain paid listings, or invest in online advertising. The time and money you would spend on marketing stays in your business — or your pocket.
Build your reputation through completed work
After each job, homeowners provide feedback on their experience. Strong, consistent feedback strengthens your position on our panel and results in more work being directed your way over time.
Support from our team
Our panel management team is available to help with job details, scheduling queries and any issues that arise with homeowners. You're never on your own — we're your point of contact throughout every job.
Getting started
How panel membership works
From your application to your first job — here's what to expect when you join the Trades Merchant panel.
1
Apply and complete screening
Submit your application using the form below. We'll verify your business details, confirm your public liability insurance, and check any relevant trade registrations (Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT etc.). The process typically takes one to three working days. There is no public profile involved — this information is held by us for vetting purposes only.
2
Tell us about your work and availability
Once approved, we'll take a brief from you covering your trade specialisms, the types of jobs you prefer, your service area and your typical weekly capacity. This lets us match you accurately to homeowner jobs — and avoid sending you opportunities that don't suit your business.
3
Receive job opportunities from us
When a homeowner submits a request that matches your profile, we'll contact you with the job details. You'll have the opportunity to indicate your interest and provide your best price. We then quote the homeowner on your behalf — presenting your credentials and pricing without them needing to speak to multiple tradespeople.
4
Complete the job and build your standing
Once a homeowner accepts, we introduce you directly to arrange timing and access. Do excellent work, communicate clearly, and the homeowner's post-job feedback boosts your panel standing — resulting in more and better-matched opportunities over time.
Panel criteria
Who we're looking for
Our panel is deliberately selective. We prioritise quality over volume — because homeowners trust us to match them with the best person for their job, not just the nearest available.
🔒 Insurance & registrations
You must hold valid public liability insurance of at least £1 million. Where applicable to your trade, you must hold current Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT or equivalent registration.
💵 Legitimate trading business
Panel members must be operating legitimately — as a registered sole trader, limited company or partnership. We verify this during the application process.
⭐ Demonstrable track record
We look for tradespeople with a solid work history and, where possible, verifiable references or a history of satisfied customers. New businesses are considered on a case-by-case basis.
📱 Reliability and communication
Panel members are expected to respond to job opportunities promptly, communicate clearly with homeowners, and complete work to the standard agreed. Persistent poor feedback results in removal from the panel.
💡 Don't meet every criterion yet? Apply anyway and explain your situation. We assess applications individually and consider context — particularly for skilled tradespeople who are newer to business ownership.
Panel members
What tradespeople say about working with us
"The panel model suits me perfectly. I'm not tech-savvy and I've always found maintaining profiles on trade directories time-consuming. Trades Merchant just send me a job, I give them my price, and they handle everything else. The homeowners I meet are already expecting me — it's a completely different dynamic."
"What I value most is that the homeowner has already been through the process and chosen us — I don't arrive on site having to justify myself. The screening Trades Merchant does on their end means the homeowners take the work seriously too. It's a professional arrangement from start to finish."
Apply today
Start your Trades Merchant panel application
Complete the short form below and a member of our panel team will be in touch within one working day to discuss your application and walk you through the screening process.
Your questions answered
Frequently asked questions from tradespeople
Our screening process involves verifying your business identity and trading details, confirming that you hold valid public liability insurance, and checking any relevant trade registrations (Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT etc.). The process typically takes one to three working days. Visit our Trust & Safety page for a full explanation. No public profile is created as part of this process — your information is held securely by us for panel management purposes only.
When a homeowner submits a job request, we identify the most suitable panel member for that job based on trade, location, capacity and track record. We contact you with the job details and, if you're interested, you provide us with your best price. We then present that price to the homeowner along with your credentials — without the homeowner needing to contact multiple tradespeople. If the homeowner accepts, we arrange the booking for you.
No. Panel members do not have a public-facing profile on Trades Merchant. Homeowners interact with us — we manage the matching and quoting process on your behalf. Your contact details are shared with the specific homeowner only when access has been arranged (after their job has been matched to you and they have accepted the quote we've submitted).
Yes and no. Trades Merchant provides homeowners with a best-priced quote from our panel — not a list of competing tradespeople. When we match a job to you, you are the sole tradesperson we are organising the booking and quotation process for, but that is provided your price is best. You do not need to be racing to respond first or relentlessly.
Post-job feedback is shared with our panel management team and is used to inform your panel standing. A single piece of constructive feedback does not affect your membership. However, a pattern of issues — particularly around communication, quality or not honouring quoted prices — will be reviewed with you and may result in suspension from the panel. We always aim to discuss concerns directly before taking any action.
Yes. During onboarding we take a detailed brief from you covering your preferred job types, minimum and maximum job sizes, service area, and capacity. We update this regularly so our matching remains accurate. If your circumstances change — busier periods, new specialisms, expanded areas — just let our panel team know and we'll update your profile accordingly.
Ready to join our panel?
Apply today and start receiving quality, matched job opportunities — without advertising, without competing, and without managing an online presence.