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

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 28/03/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   tlyfe the tenant App gets huge marketing boost from national team tour from the Openbrix team As many will know tlyfe, powered by OpenBrix, is the UK’s most innovative tenant lifecycle app, taking the stress out of the move in process and helping to…
Read More
Breaking News

Over Four Out Of Five Tenants Unaware Of The Renters Reform Bill

OVER four out of five tenants remain unaware of the Renters (Reform) Bill and its contents, according to new research. The data comes from a representative survey of over 2,000 private renters conducted by the TDS Charitable Foundation, which works to advance education about housing rights and obligations in the private rented sector. The Bill…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

What is Property Damage in a Personal Injury Case?

Property damage refers to any damage that affects things instead of a person. This might include damage to your car, house, etc. As such, it is not regarded as a personal injury case. However, when an individual is injured when the accident occurs, the affected person can file a personal injury claim. A typical example…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Rightmove comment on new 99% first-time buyer mortgage product

Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert said: “It’s encouraging to see lenders continuing to try to innovate in the mortgage market, even after the government abandoned its own plans to encourage lower deposit mortgages in the Spring Budget. This new product has the potential to help some first-time buyers who fit the affordability criteria, but are struggling…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 27/03/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Coadjute ahead of the game as they are already licensed to provide digital TA6 Forms to property stakeholders This week, the Law Society announced its TA6 Form will now include Material Information as per the the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News – 26/03/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Sharing Success: The Guild Conference and Awards celebrate Member achievements The QEII Centre in Westminster, London, was abuzz with excitement on Friday, 22 March 2024, as The Guild of Property Professionals hosted its highly anticipated annual Guild Conference and Awards. Under the theme ‘Sharing…
Read More