Edinburgh revealed as one of the most expensive UK cities to hire a tradesperson

From home improvement to last-minute plumbing emergencies, hiring a tradesperson can be costly and depending on which area in the UK you live the cost can differ.

To find out, Capital on Tap analysed the salaries of 16 trades across the UK to reveal which are the cheapest and most expensive UK cities to hire a tradesperson.

The findings revealed that Edinburgh is the seventh most expensive UK city to hire a tradesperson, costing on average £31.13 per hour. Glasgow topped the list with the hourly rate at £50. London ranks second and Reading follows in third, £41.31 and £40.63 respectively.

Kingston-Upon-Hull is the most affordable city to hire a tradesperson with an average hourly cost of £25.56. Swansea is the second lowest-earning city for trades, with a marginally higher hourly wage of £25.88, followed by Leicester, £26.19, and Coventry at £28.25.

A handyman is the most expensive trade to hire in Edinburgh, charging an average of £42 per hour, according to the Capital on Tap analysis.

Alex Miles, chief operating officer at Capital on Tap said: “Whether you're a tradesperson just starting out, or a small business owner looking to expand your offering, understanding the pricing landscape is crucial for success. You should start by being aware of your costs — including all expenses and hidden costs like insurance — to calculate your profit margin.

“You’ll also need to research your market to figure out how much customers are willing to pay, which you can do by looking at what your competitors are charging and considering the value of your service. You could also gather feedback from customers on this.

“At the end of the day, your goal is to make money – so you need to charge enough to cover your costs and make a profit. If you're not making enough money, consider offering discounts or packages. On the other hand, if you're not able to keep up with demand, consider raising your prices.”

Locksmiths are crowned the highest-earning tradespeople in the UK, with an average hourly wage of £44.65. They’re also the most highly-rated, boasting an average rating of 4.97 out of 5. The urgency and critical nature of their job, as well as a less saturated market due to the specialised skill set and specific training required, enables them to charge more for their work.

Heating engineers and gas fitters follow closely in second, with average earnings of £41 per hour. Carrying out repairs on heating is a vital and often emergency service, putting them in a position to charge higher fees.

Plumbers come in third with an average hourly wage of £39.25, followed by bathroom fitters (£39.15) and painters and decorators (£38).

Plasterers and screeding contractors are the lowest-earning tradespeople, with workers paid just £23.45 an hour on average. Tilers follow in second, with average hourly earnings of £24.50, followed by double-glazing installers at £26.60.

These trades all have relatively low barriers to entry, meaning there is a large pool of workers available, which can drive down wages. Demand for these services can also vary depending on the season, leading to periods of lower earnings.

To uncover the best-rated tradespeople, Capital on Tap created a seedlist of trades, then used a trade comparison website to find out each trade's average rating in the UK. They then created a seedlist of the 20 biggest cities in the UK and looked at the average ratings earned by all the trades in each city.

To uncover the best-paid trades, Capital on Tap used HaMuch to find out the hourly fee that each trade charges. They then used ONS statistics to find the average number of hours worked per week in the UK (36.6 hours per week is the average taken from the figures given when Jan 2023 to December 2023 is selected). From there, they created an average monthly salary for each trade based on the earnings we found and the average number of hours worked in the UK.