This page is the full dataset behind WhatToCharge.co.uk. The figures are indicative market ranges for competent, insured sole traders doing standard work in normal hours — built from market observation, trade body publications, job platform data, and direct conversations with UK tradespeople, and reviewed annually. The full method, including what a “typical range” does and doesn’t cover, is on the methodology page.
Table 1 — What UK trades charge in 2026 (national typical ranges)
| Trade | Hourly rate | Day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | £45–£75/hr | £200–£350/day |
| Electrician | £45–£85/hr | £200–£380/day |
| Builder | £27–£48/hr | £180–£350/day |
| Roofer | £19–£35/hr | £150–£270/day |
| Gas Engineer | £50–£85/hr | £220–£380/day |
| Carpenter / Joiner | £28–£46/hr | £170–£260/day |
| Plasterer | £35–£55/hr | £150–£280/day |
| Tiler | £30–£50/hr | £160–£260/day |
| Painter & Decorator | £25–£45/hr | £140–£220/day |
| Kitchen Fitter | £35–£55/hr | £200–£300/day |
| Bathroom Fitter | £35–£55/hr | £200–£320/day |
| Landscaper | £25–£45/hr | £140–£240/day |
| Groundworker | £30–£50/hr | £180–£280/day |
| Scaffolder | £30–£52/hr | £190–£300/day |
| HVAC Engineer | £45–£70/hr | £210–£330/day |
Ranges exclude emergency and out-of-hours premiums (typically 1.5–2× standard rates), specialist or heritage work, and materials unless stated. Every trade links to a full page with job-level pricing — see the trade rate guides.
Table 2 — Day rates by city, 2026
Local ranges for the 10 largest UK cities we track. London runs roughly 40% above the national average; Nottingham is the most affordable of the ten at around 11% below.
| Trade | London | Bristol | Manchester | Edinburgh | Birmingham | Leeds | Glasgow | Liverpool | Sheffield | Nottingham |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber | £275–£485 | £215–£395 | £215–£375 | £210–£375 | £200–£355 | £190–£335 | £190–£340 | £185–£315 | £185–£320 | £170–£320 |
| Electrician | £280–£535 | £225–£415 | £210–£415 | £210–£395 | £200–£375 | £190–£365 | £185–£365 | £180–£345 | £185–£350 | £175–£335 |
| Builder | £245–£500 | £205–£390 | £190–£370 | £185–£360 | £175–£360 | £180–£335 | £170–£335 | £160–£330 | £155–£320 | £165–£320 |
| Roofer | £205–£375 | £165–£295 | £160–£295 | £155–£275 | £150–£280 | £140–£270 | £140–£255 | £135–£255 | £140–£250 | £125–£245 |
| Gas Engineer | £315–£530 | £245–£425 | £240–£400 | £230–£405 | £225–£380 | £210–£370 | £200–£365 | £195–£355 | £195–£345 | £190–£345 |
| Carpenter / Joiner | £240–£360 | £180–£285 | £180–£275 | £175–£280 | £165–£260 | £165–£260 | £155–£245 | £155–£235 | £160–£240 | £150–£240 |
| Plasterer | £205–£390 | £165–£305 | £160–£290 | £160–£290 | £155–£285 | £145–£270 | £135–£260 | £135–£265 | £130–£260 | £135–£250 |
| Tiler | £225–£365 | £175–£280 | £175–£280 | £170–£265 | £155–£265 | £160–£250 | £150–£240 | £145–£235 | £145–£240 | £145–£240 |
| Painter & Decorator | £200–£320 | £155–£240 | £150–£230 | £145–£230 | £145–£230 | £135–£215 | £125–£210 | £130–£200 | £120–£210 | £130–£205 |
| Kitchen Fitter | £280–£420 | £220–£340 | £210–£315 | £205–£315 | £200–£300 | £185–£295 | £190–£290 | £185–£275 | £180–£265 | £180–£275 |
| Bathroom Fitter | £280–£445 | £220–£345 | £215–£335 | £210–£330 | £200–£330 | £190–£315 | £195–£305 | £185–£300 | £180–£295 | £175–£290 |
| Landscaper | £200–£335 | £150–£270 | £145–£265 | £145–£260 | £140–£245 | £140–£240 | £130–£220 | £135–£220 | £120–£215 | £120–£215 |
| Groundworker | £255–£395 | £200–£310 | £190–£290 | £185–£295 | £175–£280 | £175–£270 | £170–£270 | £170–£255 | £155–£260 | £160–£245 |
| Scaffolder | £265–£415 | £210–£330 | £205–£330 | £195–£305 | £185–£300 | £175–£300 | £175–£285 | £175–£275 | £175–£275 | £160–£270 |
| HVAC Engineer | £295–£455 | £235–£375 | £225–£360 | £215–£355 | £210–£335 | £200–£310 | £190–£320 | £195–£310 | £195–£305 | £180–£295 |
Table 3 — What that actually means in take-home pay
A day rate is not a salary. The model below takes the midpoint of each trade’s national day-rate range, assumes 207 billable days (260 weekdays minus holiday, sickness, training, and admin/quoting days) and £10,000 of annual overheads (van, insurance, tools, phone, accountancy — a mid-range figure; real overheads run £8,000–£15,000+), then applies 2026/27 income tax and Class 4 National Insurance.
| Trade | Mid day rate | Gross year (207 days) | Take-home after tax & NI | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber | £275 | £56,925 | £37,993 | 67% |
| Electrician | £290 | £60,030 | £40,290 | 67% |
| Builder | £265 | £54,855 | £36,461 | 66% |
| Roofer | £210 | £43,470 | £28,036 | 64% |
| Gas Engineer | £300 | £62,100 | £41,529 | 67% |
| Carpenter / Joiner | £215 | £44,505 | £28,802 | 65% |
| Plasterer | £215 | £44,505 | £28,802 | 65% |
| Tiler | £210 | £43,470 | £28,036 | 64% |
| Painter & Decorator | £180 | £37,260 | £23,441 | 63% |
| Kitchen Fitter | £250 | £51,750 | £34,163 | 66% |
| Bathroom Fitter | £260 | £53,820 | £35,695 | 66% |
| Landscaper | £190 | £39,330 | £24,972 | 63% |
| Groundworker | £230 | £47,610 | £31,100 | 65% |
| Scaffolder | £245 | £50,715 | £33,397 | 66% |
| HVAC Engineer | £270 | £55,890 | £37,227 | 67% |
Worked example: a groundworker charging the mid-range £230/day grosses about £47,610 over 207 billable days — and takes home roughly £31,100 after overheads, income tax and NI. That gap is why pricing from “target salary ÷ 260” systematically undercharges: it ignores a fifth of the calendar and all of the overheads.
Working out your own rate? These are market ranges, not recommendations. Your rate should cover your costs and income target — the free day rate calculator does the full calculation, including tax, in about a minute.
Using this data
Journalists, bloggers, and researchers are welcome to reuse these figures — tables, individual numbers, or the CSV — with attribution. For questions about the data or a breakdown we haven’t published, contact Sam via stellarcoredesigns.com.
Published June 2026 · Figures reviewed annually each April · How these numbers are calculated