Website vs Checkatrade for HVAC Engineers — Which Gets You More Work?

If you're an HVAC engineer deciding where to invest your marketing budget, you've probably wondered whether Checkatrade is enough or whether you need your own website. The answer depends on what kind of work you want — and where HVAC is heading.

Let's break it down honestly.

How Checkatrade Works for HVAC Engineers

Checkatrade lists you in their directory alongside other HVAC companies in your area. You pay a monthly membership fee, collect reviews, and homeowners find you when they search the platform.

What works:

• Trusted brand — homeowners recognise and trust the Checkatrade name
• Verified reviews build credibility
• Good for residential air conditioning and heat pump leads
• No technical knowledge needed to set up a profile
• Vetting process gives you a badge of legitimacy

What doesn't:

• You're listed alongside every other HVAC company in your area
• Homeowners compare you with competitors on the same page
• Monthly fees add up whether you get leads or not
• You have no control over the platform — pricing and rules change
• Commercial clients don't use Checkatrade — and that's where the big money is

How Your Own Website Works

Your website is a piece of digital real estate that you own and control. When someone searches "air conditioning installation [your city]" on Google, a well-optimised website puts you in front of them — and when they click through, you're the only option on the page.

What works:

• Full control over your brand and how you present your services
• No competitors on the same page
• SEO compounds over time — your site gets stronger the longer it exists
• You can target specific services with dedicated pages (air conditioning, heat pumps, ventilation, commercial, residential)
• One-time cost with no ongoing platform fees
• Essential for commercial work — offices, restaurants, and warehouses Google you, they don't Checkatrade you
• Display F-Gas, REFCOM, and MCS certifications prominently

What doesn't:

• Takes 3-6 months to rank organically for competitive terms
• Requires initial investment
• Needs occasional content updates for best results

The Commercial Client Problem

This is where the argument shifts decisively for HVAC engineers. Unlike plumbers or electricians where most work is residential, HVAC has a massive commercial market — and it's growing.

Think about who needs HVAC work:

• Offices installing or upgrading air conditioning
• Restaurants needing kitchen ventilation
• Server rooms requiring precision cooling
• Shops and retail units
• Warehouses and industrial units
• Hotels and hospitality

These commercial clients have budgets that dwarf residential work. A single office air conditioning project can be worth more than ten residential installations. And here's the key point: commercial clients don't use Checkatrade.

When a facilities manager needs air conditioning installed in an office block, they Google "commercial air conditioning installation city]." They look for a professional company with the right certifications and a portfolio of commercial projects. They find that on your [HVAC website, not on Checkatrade.

If you're relying solely on Checkatrade, you're invisible to the entire commercial market.

Certifications Matter More on Your Own Site

HVAC is heavily regulated, and your certifications are your competitive edge. F-Gas registration, REFCOM membership, MCS certification, manufacturer accreditations — these aren't just badges, they're legal requirements and trust signals that win work.

On Checkatrade, your certifications are listed in a standard format alongside everyone else's. On your own website, you can:

• Display certification logos prominently in your header and footer
• Create a dedicated accreditations page explaining what each certification means
• Show your F-Gas registration number (verifiable by clients)
• Highlight MCS certification for heat pump grant eligibility
• List manufacturer accreditations (Daikin, Mitsubishi, Samsung) with approved installer badges
• Link to verification databases so clients can confirm your credentials

For commercial clients doing due diligence before signing a five-figure contract, this level of detail matters. A professional HVAC website lets you present your credentials in a way that Checkatrade's profile format simply can't match.

The Heat Pump Opportunity

Heat pumps are the fastest-growing segment of the HVAC market. Government grants of £7,500 through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme are driving demand, and homeowners are actively searching for qualified installers.

Here's why a website wins for heat pump work:

• You can create a dedicated heat pump page explaining the technology, costs, and grant eligibility
• You can target search terms like "heat pump installer near me," "air source heat pump cost," and "BUS grant installer"
• You can position yourself as the expert with educational content
• You can explain that you're MCS certified (required for grant access) and handle the paperwork

Checkatrade doesn't let you build this kind of specialist content. You get a profile box. Your website lets you build an authority position in the heat pump market — and that's where the growth is.

Cost Comparison

Checkatrade:

• Monthly membership: approximately £60-120/month depending on categories
• Annual cost: £720-£1,440/year
• Leads are shared with other HVAC companies on the platform

Your own website:

• One-time build cost: £497 (hand-coded, SEO optimised)
• Annual domain renewal: £10-15/year
• First year total: approximately £510
• Ongoing years: approximately £15/year

Over three years, you'll spend roughly £550 on a website versus £2,160-£4,320 on Checkatrade. And your website keeps getting stronger, while Checkatrade stays the same.

For commercial work, the ROI calculation is even clearer. A single commercial project won through your website can be worth £5,000-£50,000. That's a return on your £497 website investment that Checkatrade simply can't compete with.

The Smart Approach

The best strategy uses both, but with clear roles:

1. Get a website first — it's your foundation for commercial work, heat pump marketing, and long-term SEO growth
2. Use Checkatrade for residential leads — it's a useful source of homeowner enquiries, especially while your website builds organic traffic
3. Link your website from your Checkatrade profile — HVAC companies with professional websites get more clicks
4. Run Google Ads through your website — send paid traffic to pages you control, with no competitors alongside you
5. Build your heat pump and commercial content — these are growth markets that Checkatrade can't access for you

As your website matures and organic traffic grows, you may find you can reduce or drop your Checkatrade membership entirely — especially if commercial work becomes a larger part of your business.

The Verdict

For HVAC engineers, a website isn't just a nice-to-have — it's essential for accessing the commercial market that represents your highest-value work. Checkatrade serves the residential side reasonably well, but it completely misses commercial clients, heat pump searches, and the certification-driven trust that wins bigger projects.

The HVAC industry is growing fast. The engineers who position themselves professionally — with a proper website, strong Google presence, and visible certifications — will capture the best work at the best margins.

If you want a professional HVAC website built to attract both residential and commercial clients, we can have you online in 7 days. One-time payment of £497, no monthly fees, and built by a developer who understands the HVAC market.

Axel

Full-stack developer specializing in Shopify and Django. Building automated e-commerce solutions.