If you’re a plumber in Bristol, a builder in Leeds, or a joiner in Norwich wondering why the phone's not ringing like it used to, you're definitely not alone. Across the UK, from Glasgow to Guildford, tradespeople in every field have been noticing a sharp and sustained drop in enquiries. And no, it’s not just the usual summer slump or a quiet January, this downturn has been brewing since 2022, and it's now more of a slow leak than a sudden burst pipe.
According to the Rated People 2024 Home Improvement Trends Report, 48% of UK homeowners have postponed non-urgent maintenance or renovation work due to financial strain. This includes everything from replacing timber windows to fitting new radiators or getting driveways resurfaced. People are holding off unless something is actively broken or unusable.
We’ve seen the same across the hundreds of trade websites we manage at Local Trade Websites. For example, joiners, carpenters, and glaziers saw a 23% average drop in enquiries between 2022 and 2024. That trend hasn’t let up, 2025 is following the same pattern, and in some regions, enquiries have dropped by as much as 35%. For businesses relying on steady domestic jobs, that’s not just frustrating, it’s threatening the bottom line.
“The volume of traffic hasn’t disappeared entirely, but user intent has changed. Homeowners are browsing, not booking. You need a website that persuades them to act now, not later.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert
One Kent-based landscaper told us,
“My quotes are getting approved, but weeks later than before. It feels like customers are unsure whether to commit or just keep researching.”
This hesitation is understandable. With inflation, rising mortgage rates, and the general cost-of-living squeeze, a new front door or a conservatory conversion starts to feel like a luxury rather than a necessity. What used to be a quick yes has now turned into a months-long maybe.
The slowdown is affecting businesses of all sizes, from solo tilers in the Midlands to multi-van electrical contractors in London. But it’s hitting particularly hard in areas that rely on middle-income family homes. These were once prime targets for upgrades like garden decking, new boilers, wooden flooring or heritage joinery. Now, those clients are either delaying work or looking for bargain options, leaving many reliable trades stuck in a holding pattern.
But here’s the good news, the market isn’t disappearing, it’s evolving. People are still searching, still browsing, and still planning. The difference? You need to be visible when they’re ready to commit. The tradespeople who adapt their marketing now will be the ones still thriving five years down the line.
According to Aimee Lycett:
“It’s not a drop in demand, it’s a drop in visibility. The trades who show up online with clear services, strong reviews and updated websites are still thriving. It’s everyone else who’s wondering where the leads have gone.”
If you’ve relied on word-of-mouth until now, or haven’t updated your website in years, the slump may not be in the industry, it might just be in your visibility.
The UK’s ongoing cost-of-living crisis has hit trades across the board like a tonne of bricks. Whether you're a roofer in Reading, a heating engineer in Huddersfield, or a joiner in Jersey, chances are you’ve seen work dry up for reasons completely out of your control. And it's not because people don’t need you, it’s because they can't afford you right now.
According to a recent ONS survey, over 60% of UK households reduced non-essential spending in 2023. That includes everything from timber sash window overhauls to driveway installations and even smaller upgrades like underfloor heating, lighting rewires, and decking repairs. If it’s not leaking or broken, it’s going on the maybe later list.
This shift has forced a change in mindset across the country. Where homeowners once saw trades like joinery, plumbing, and bespoke carpentry as long-term investments, ways to add value, comfort, or curb appeal, the mood has shifted dramatically. As mortgages creep up and inflation eats away at disposable income, the conversation has moved from “What will this add to my home?” to “Can I actually afford this right now?”
“We’re seeing homeowners browsing and bookmarking but not buying. SEO and web visibility are more important than ever, because when they are ready, you need to be top of mind.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert
And here’s where it gets even trickier, you’re not just competing against rising prices. You’re also competing against a growing number of other tradespeople who are jumping into digital marketing and local search just to stay afloat. From newly qualified electricians to seasoned plumbers now offering cheaper rates, the competition for enquiries has never been fiercer.
A carpentry client of ours in South London put it bluntly:
“A few years ago, I was booked three months out just from regulars. Now I’m chasing jobs and finding myself up against firms offering crazy cheap quotes. Half of them don’t even have websites.”
That last bit is telling. The businesses that look professional online and rank well in local search aren’t necessarily the cheapest, but they’re the ones customers feel safest contacting.
The modern customer is wary. They’re cautious with spending and hyper-selective about who they choose. If your business doesn’t build instant trust, display your value, and feel credible from the first click, you're losing jobs before you've even had a chance to quote.
In short, while you can’t control the economy, you can control your visibility. And that’s exactly what SEO and a professional website give you a fighting chance to stand out, even in a tough market.
Ask most tradespeople how they got started, and the response usually goes something like this:
“Oh, I built everything through word of mouth.”
And fair play, it worked brilliantly for years. Reputation meant everything, and one good job often led to another. But as we move deeper into 2025, things have changed. Word of mouth is still valuable, but it no longer has the reach or reliability it once did.
Today, if someone hears about your business, the first thing they’re likely to do is Google you. Not text you. Not ring straight away. Not even check Facebook.
They search. And if you don’t appear on page one with decent reviews, an informative website, and a professional online presence, that referral might as well have never happened.
A recent BrightLocal survey shows just how much this shift matters:
In other words, your Google presence is no longer just a marketing add-on, it is your first impression. For trades like electricians, plasterers, kitchen fitters, or sash window restorers, a good-looking, SEO-optimised website is now just as important as your tools.
“These days, your Google profile is your CV. It shows your quality, your reliability, and your reputation all in one go. If you're invisible online, you're invisible full stop.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert
We hear it all the time from trades:
“I’ve got a Facebook page, that’s enough isn’t it?”
No, it really isn’t.
Facebook is fine for building rapport with past clients or sharing job photos, but it is not a search engine. It’s not where people go when their boiler breaks or when they’re frantically looking for someone to fix a leaking roof in the rain. That’s Google’s domain. People use it because it delivers fast, intent-based results and fast is what they want.
And here’s the kicker. According to Backlinko’s study, the number one result on Google receives an average of 27.6% of all clicks. The second result gets around 15%. After that, the numbers nosedive. If your business is not ranking in the top three, you are effectively invisible.
Even worse, your competitors who are showing up are hoovering up those clicks, reviews, and ultimately, the work.
So, if your plan is to just “let the work come in” from recommendations, you’re gambling on luck rather than building a reliable, scalable source of leads. In today’s trade economy, Google is your new word of mouth and visibility is your survival tool.
We speak to all kinds of trades across the UK: plasterers, electricians, bathroom fitters, landscapers, painters, joiners, glaziers and we keep hearing the same thing:
“I had a mate build me a website ages ago. Should be fine, right?”
Well… maybe. But usually not.
More often than not, that “website” turns out to be a one-page wonder. A homepage with vague sentences like “Quality work guaranteed,” a contact form that’s either broken or sends to an old email address, and a gallery filled with pixelated photos from 2014.
It’s not malicious. It’s just outdated thinking.
A passive website won’t generate leads. It’s like buying the most expensive power drill on the market and leaving it in the shed unopened.
Here’s what your website should be doing if you want it to bring in local jobs consistently:
“We still review websites where the only content is a single line that says ‘Reliable Local Builder’. That’s not SEO. That’s a digital shrug. Your website should show what you do, where you do it, and why you’re better than the guy down the road.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Specialist at Local Trade Websites
This problem affects every trade. We’ve seen it with painters and decorators who rely on Facebook alone. We’ve seen fencing contractors with no idea where their contact forms go. We’ve even seen roofers with a five-year-old site that still says “under construction”.
The truth is, many brilliant tradespeople are invisible online, not because they’re doing bad work, but because they’ve not built an online platform that shows it off.
Think of your website as your most tireless employee. It never clocks out, never calls in sick, and if you feed it the right content, it works around the clock to generate you leads. It can show your best jobs, your latest reviews, your availability, and your personality, all while you’re on-site or finally having that tea break.
In 2025, that’s not a luxury. That’s the minimum standard if you want to stand out.
So, ask yourself honestly, is your website just existing, or is it earning its keep?
It’s no secret that the last few years have been a rollercoaster for tradespeople. Between inflation, rising materials costs, and changing customer habits, many trades have been left wondering where all the enquiries have gone. But it’s not just pricing pressures or economic uncertainty at play, it’s a shift in both supply and demand.
Let’s rewind a few years. During lockdowns, homeowners had time on their hands. They were painting walls, replacing sash cords, fixing up draughty rooms, and even calling in trades for major refurbishments. Back then, if you had a van and a half-decent website, you were booked out.
Fast forward to 2025, and that demand has waned dramatically.
Homeowners are facing increased mortgage rates, higher energy bills, and tighter budgets. According to Statista, there has been a significant uptick in self-employed tradespeople across multiple industries, especially construction, carpentry, and glazing, over the past few years.
Meanwhile, Barbour ABI reported a notable decline in residential improvement projects in 2023 and 2024. The renovation boom has slowed, and households are now focusing only on the essentials, boiler replacements, safety-critical electrics, and maybe fixing that leaking roof if it's really bothering them.
What does that mean for you?
More tradespeople chasing fewer jobs.
Search “plasterer in Essex” or “fencer in Sussex” and you’ll see what we mean. Pages and pages of competitors, many of whom have invested in websites that actually work. They’ve got keyword-rich landing pages, customer testimonials front and centre, regular blog posts, and dozens of glowing Google reviews.
“In 2021, it felt like enquiries were falling into people’s laps. In 2024, they’ve had to get smart. The companies that get found on Google and show up well online are still booked out. The ones waiting on word of mouth are starting to panic.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert at Local Trade Websites
And she’s right.
We see it in our data every day. Clients who have SEO-optimised websites are still pulling in leads, even during quieter months. Clients who rely on a Facebook page and a ten-year-old WordPress site are calling us saying, “The phone’s not ringing anymore.”
So if it feels like you're working harder for fewer leads, it’s not your imagination, it's a market shift.
The pie has shrunk, and more people are queuing up with forks in hand.
But here’s the positive spin: there’s still enough work out there. You just need to make sure you’re one of the first names people see when they search. And that means investing in SEO, smart content, and a digital presence that makes customers want to choose you over the next guy.
Because while demand may have slowed, your visibility doesn’t have to.
Let’s be brutally honest for a second: Being brilliant at your trade isn’t enough anymore.
You could be the best roofer in Manchester, the most meticulous joiner in Surrey, or a painter whose edges are sharper than a new Stanley blade, but none of that matters if your potential customers never pick up the phone. Why? Because before they call, you’ve already been judged and not by your workmanship.
You’ve been judged by your online presence.
It all comes down to psychology. Homeowners, landlords, and property developers alike want to feel confident. And in today’s digital-first world, that confidence comes not from word of mouth alone but from what they can Google about you.
They don’t just want a name anymore. They want to know:
And if your only digital footprint is a dusty Facebook page or a basic listing on a trade directory, you’re already several steps behind.
Take this real-world scenario:
A homeowner is searching for someone to install fitted wardrobes in Eastbourne. They see two results:
Which one would you choose?
“People don’t buy from who’s best, they buy from who makes them feel safest. Your website needs to build trust instantly, or they’ll go back to Google and try the next one.”
- Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert at Local Trade Websites
This is exactly what happens across all trades, window installers, electricians, carpenters, builders, tilers, landscapers, you name it.
Customers are not comparing your skills head to head. They’re comparing who looks most professional online. Who has photos? Who has reviews? Who looks active? Who has a clear, easy-to-navigate site that explains the service and next steps?
If your site doesn’t offer this, they’ll click the next listing. And guess what? That next listing might not even be half as good as you in real life. But they showed up, looked trustworthy, and made it easy to get in touch, so they got the job.
This is especially critical in high-value jobs, things like boiler installs, sash window replacements, full kitchen refits, bespoke carpentry, and external renovations. These are big decisions with big budgets attached. Customers want to feel confident before they commit.
So what can you do?
Treat your website like your showroom.
When you do this, you're not just ticking boxes, you're building trust, removing doubt, and making it nearly impossible for someone to say “no.”
Because remember: it’s not always the best tradesperson who wins the job, it’s the one who looks like the safest bet online.
Whether you're a plumber in Bristol, a carpenter in Canterbury, a roofer in Reading, or a builder in Birmingham, your trade has always been rooted in craftsmanship, reliability and pride in a job well done. But in 2025, that’s only half the story. No matter how skilled you are with your tools, it means very little if customers can’t find you when it matters.
Let’s be clear. It’s not that the work has vanished. People still need their boilers serviced, sash windows repaired, lofts converted, patios laid and walls plastered. The demand hasn't disappeared, it’s simply shifted — and it’s now laser-focused on those businesses who show up first online.
Customers are still hiring, still spending, still planning. But they’re only picking from the top three search results. They are clicking on the websites that load quickly, the ones that explain things clearly, the ones that look trustworthy, modern and local.
This is not a trend. It’s not a temporary dip due to inflation or bad weather or a tough quarter. This is a fundamental change in how people choose who they hire. And the businesses who adapt to this change are the ones who will still be thriving in five years, while others are wondering where the leads went.
The good news? This shift is entirely in your control.
A properly built, SEO-optimised website works hard in the background, bringing in enquiries while you’re on-site doing what you do best. It creates trust before you even speak to a customer. And unlike paid ads that switch off the second you stop paying, organic visibility keeps ticking over, building momentum and bringing in results long after the work is done.
“In the world of trades, the businesses winning are not always the best at what they do. They’re the best at being found.”
— Aimee Lycett, Website and SEO Expert at Local Trade Websites
If you want to stop relying solely on word of mouth, if you're tired of quiet months, and if you’re serious about growing your business in a competitive market, then getting seen online is no longer optional — it’s essential.
You already have the skills. You’ve earned the trust of your past customers. Now it’s time to show the next ones that you’re ready.
Be visible. Be chosen. Be fully booked.
