Britain’s most expensive locations for home improvement revealed
The cost of hiring a tradesperson is highest in Berkshire, research from the tradesperson comparison website HaMuch.com reveals.
HaMuch.com looked at the current average cost of hiring a tradesperson for those DIY jobs in the house, looking at the hourly cost of a builder, plumber, heating engineer, electrician, carpenter, painter, gardener, cleaner and car mechanic and how this differs across each area of the UK
Across Britain, the most expensive area is Newbury in Berkshire at £47 per hour. Other costly areas in the county are Reading at £43 and Bracknell Forest at £42.
These areas are well above the national average, which is £31 per hour.
Costs by profession
Of course, the price of tradespeople also varies depending on what they do.
Locksmiths are the most expensive professional by hourly rate, charging £43.
In second place is heating engineers at £41, followed by plumbers at £40.
The cheapest tradespeople are cleaners at £18, with painters costing £24 and gardeners £26.
London isn’t the most expensive
In London, the average cost of a tradesperson is £41, higher than average but not the highest, despite the astronomical cost of housing in the city.
It’s important to note that many of those who work in the city commute from surrounding areas, while it may be that competition between tradespeople is particularly high in London, driving the price down.
The cheapest areas
The cheapest area is Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales at just £21 per hour – £26 cheaper than in Newbury.
Other lower-priced areas, where tradespeople typically cost £23, are both North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland, as well as Kingston-upon-Hull in Yorkshire.
Founder and CEO of HaMuch, Tarquin Purdie, commented:
“Hiring tradespeople will always involve a cost but our research shows that it can cost more than twice as much in some areas and this is largely due to factors such as the cost of living, as well as the demand for each profession and the number of tradespeople available to carry out the work.
“Nowadays thanks to the internet it’s easier than ever to find affordable and qualified people and while costs will differ depending on the type and scale of the work required, doing your research and comparing a number of quotes is always the recommended way to find the best balance of professionalism and affordability.”
|
Highest average hourly cost by trade
|
|
|
Trade
|
Average Hourly Rate
|
|
Locksmith
|
£43
|
|
Heating Engineer
|
£41
|
|
Plumber
|
£40
|
|
Car Mechanic
|
£37
|
|
Electrician
|
£32
|
|
Builder
|
£28
|
|
Carpenter / Joiner
|
£27
|
|
Gardener
|
£26
|
|
Painter
|
£24
|
|
Cleaner
|
£18
|
|
Highest average hourly cost by city
|
|
|
Location / Area
|
All Hourly
|
|
Newbury
|
£47
|
|
Basingstoke & Deane
|
£43
|
|
Reading
|
£43
|
|
Bracknell Forest
|
£42
|
|
Gloucester
|
£41
|
|
Reigate & Banstead
|
£41
|
|
Elmbridge
|
£41
|
|
London
|
£41
|
|
St Albans
|
£40
|
|
Wokingham
|
£40
|
|
Lowest average hourly cost by city
|
|
|
Location / Area
|
All Hourly
|
|
Carmarthenshire
|
£21
|
|
North Lincolnshire
|
£23
|
|
Kingston-upon-Hull
|
£23
|
|
Dumfries & Galloway
|
£23
|
|
North East Lincolnshire
|
£23
|
|
Pembrokeshire
|
£24
|
|
Breckland
|
£24
|
|
Lisburn
|
£24
|
|
Gwynedd
|
£24
|
|
Belfast
|
£24
|
You May Also Enjoy
5 trends driving London’s landscaped gardens
Six in 10 tenants say Renters’ Rights Act improves their housing protections and conditions
West Oxfordshire tops list of first-time hotspots defying national trend
ONS Private Rent and House Prices Index- May 2026
Cyprus in demand as international property inquiries spike
