MyBuilder is, in shape, a close cousin of Rated People — a UK trade marketplace where consumers post jobs and tradespeople bid. The differentiator is a tighter shortlisting model: customers see fewer bidders, and tradespeople pay only when they're shortlisted. Whether that produces better outcomes depends, as ever, on the job.
A consumer posts a job. Interested tradespeople express interest. The customer reviews their profiles and shortlists a smaller number — usually three. Only then do those tradespeople pay to access the job and submit a detailed quote. After the work is complete, customer feedback is collected and published on the tradesperson's profile.
MyBuilder positions itself as higher-quality lead generation by virtue of its shortlist mechanic — tradespeople aren't paying to view a lead they may not win. The economics push tradespeople to invest in their profile (photos, completed-job history, response speed). Reviews are tightly integrated into the bidding flow.
MyBuilder is the marketplace that has solved Rated People's "too many phone calls" problem by introducing the equally British problem of "I have to make a decision before I have a quote". The platform's bet is that a smaller number of better-prepared bidders is what consumers actually want, and on the evidence, it is broadly right. The trade-off is that the curtain comes down before some perfectly good tradespeople have had a chance to wave through it.
MyBuilder is a credible alternative to Rated People, particularly for jobs where you'd rather see three serious quotes than eight thin ones. The reading habits are the same: distribution over headline score, recent feedback over old, written detail over star count. As ever, layer trade-specific regulator checks for higher-risk work.
They pay when a customer shortlists them and they choose to engage. The exact pricing varies by trade and tier.
Reviews are tied to jobs booked through the platform, which is a stronger verification model than open posting.
The shortlist mechanic. Customers narrow the field before tradespeople pay to engage, which produces fewer but higher-intent bids.
No. It is a private marketplace. Trade-specific regulators (Gas Safe, NICEIC) apply on top.
Possibly — for a larger or higher-risk job. For smaller jobs, one marketplace is usually enough.