Builders had the highest annual turnover among self-employed UK tradespeople in 2021, according to new research from Simply Business.
Our data shows that builders had an average turnover of £103,891, but the amount builders can make very much depends on where they live.
The research also reveals the UK regions where tradespeople made the most in 2021, with London coming top – just about.
Which tradespeople made the most turnover in 2021?
The top three trades in terms of turnover earned in 2021 were builders, dry liners and groundworkers.
| Trade | Average turnover in 2021 |
|---|---|
| Builder | £103,891 |
| Dry liner | £96,314 |
| Groundworker | £88,589 |
| Glazier | £81,969 |
| Flooring contractor | £81,855 |
| Plumber | £74,171 |
| Joiner | £71,733 |
| Roofer | £67,761 |
| Electrician | £64,006 |
| Bathroom, bedroom, kitchen fitters | £62,611 |
However, turnover doesn’t equal profit. Tradespeople all over the country suffered supply chain problems throughout 2021, leading to rising costs and project delays. Inevitably this eats into profit and cash flow, causing continued uncertainty.
These challenges look set to continue in 2022, following the outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant worldwide at the end of 2021 and further delays at UK ports.
Last year tradespeople told us that they expect total coronavirus-related losses to reach £18,039 on average. But despite that, they were confident about recovery, with 80 per cent of business owners expecting to continue or restart their existing business.
Where did tradespeople earn the most in 2021?
The top regions in terms of turnover for tradespeople were London, East Anglia and South Central England.
But again, location can make a big difference to overall profit. While London is top, its recent expansion of its ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) might affect the pockets of tradespeople who regularly drive for work, for example.
More cities will be introducing low emission zones throughout 2022.
| Region | Average tradesperson turnover in 2021 |
|---|---|
| London | £79,599 |
| East Anglia | £78,644 |
| South Central England | £74,551 |
| South East England | £73,456 |
| Northern Ireland | £71,169 |
| The Midlands | £67,064 |
| Scotland | £65,978 |
| North West England | £65,762 |
| North East England | £63,833 |
| South West England | £62,599 |
| Wales | £60,123 |
In which towns did builders make the most in turnover?
With location making a big difference in average turnover and ultimately profit, we can also reveal the places in which builders (the top earning trade) made the most in turnover.
Cities and towns in Wales were among the best and worst places in terms of turnover for builders, with Cardiff ranking second and Newport and Swansea being the bottom two.
Top 10 towns by turnover for builders
| Town | Average builder turnover in 2021 |
|---|---|
| Uxbridge | £164,706 |
| Cardiff | £151,087 |
| Edgware | £140,725 |
| Ashford | £140,228 |
| Feltham | £134,633 |
| Dartford | £132,407 |
| Gloucester | £128,822 |
| Edinburgh | £125,476 |
| Northampton | £123,485 |
| Dagenham | £122,012 |
Bottom 5 towns by turnover for builders
| Town | Average builder turnover in 2021 |
|---|---|
| Luton | £67,105 |
| Walsall | £65,000 |
| Hounslow | £64,873 |
| Newport | £63,235 |
| Swansea | £55,894 |
How we calculated the data
We’ve looked at tradespeople who completed our quote form and requested a quote in 2021, only taking into account trades with more than 3,000 submitted quotes. The turnover is the average across the quotes submitted. For the towns, we’ve included towns that had more than 100 submitted quotes for builders’ insurance.
We ran this data on 4 Feburary 2022 and it was correct at time of publishing.
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