Is Bark worth it for tradespeople? The lead-fee maths (2026)

Bark sells leads. You buy credits, spend them to unlock a customer's contact details, and then compete with the other professionals who bought the same lead. You pay whether or not you win the work.

Typical lead prices run £5 to £40 depending on category and job size.

The break-even maths

The only number that matters is: cost per lead ÷ conversion rate = cost per won job. Compare that to your margin.

Cost per lead	You win 1 in 5	1 in 10	1 in 20
£8	£40 per job	£80	£160
£15	£75	£150	£300
£30	£150	£300	£600

On a £120 cleaning job with a £60 margin, a £15 lead at a 1-in-10 conversion costs you £150 to win £60. You lose money on every job and the volume makes it worse.

The model only works if:

your average job value is high (several hundred pounds or more), and
you answer within minutes, every time, and
your close rate on answered leads is genuinely above 20%.

Most sole traders meet none of those conditions, which is why the recurring complaint from professionals is buying leads that were never real: customers who do not answer, jobs already booked, or details that go to five other pros the same minute.

If you are already on Bark

Ask for the conversion rate in your category and postcode, in writing, before buying more credits.
Track every lead in a spreadsheet: date, cost, answered yes or no, quoted, won, value.
Stop at 20 leads and do the arithmetic above. Do not let a sunk-cost feeling carry you past that.
Check the refund policy for leads with wrong numbers, and how long you have to claim.

The better model: pay only when you win

On Taskerama the risk is turned around. Quoting is free, we never sell leads or credits, and a service fee is deducted only when you are actually paid. A job you do not win costs you nothing, so a quiet month can never put you out of pocket.

The fee falls as you earn. It starts at 20% plus VAT and drops to 12.5% plus VAT as your rolling 30-day earnings rise. Your tier is on your dashboard.
Your own clients cost 0% commission. Send them a payment link and only a 2.9% plus 20p processing and protection charge applies.
You get paid. The customer's payment is held when they accept your offer and released when the job is confirmed done, or automatically seven days after you request it if they go quiet.
Customers choose to talk to you. No cold calling people who are fed up with their phone ringing. They see your offer, your reviews and your badges, and can ask you questions before they hire.

See the fees.

Quick comparison

	Pay per lead	Commission on win (Taskerama)	Subscription
Cost when you lose	Full lead price	Nothing	Fixed monthly
Cost when you win	Full lead price	20% to 12.5% + VAT, falling as you earn; 0% on your own clients	Fixed monthly
Risk sits with	You	The platform	You
Customer payment held	No	Yes	No

Directory subscriptions such as Checkatrade (around £30 to £60 a month) are a fixed cost whether the work comes in or not.

Ready to quote for free? Become a tasker.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Bark cost per lead?

Typically £5 to £40 in credits depending on category and job value. You pay whether or not the customer responds or you win the work.

Is there a free alternative to Bark for tradespeople?

Yes. Quoting on Taskerama is free and we never sell leads. A service fee is charged only when you are actually paid for a job, and it falls as your earnings rise. Customers you bring yourself carry 0% commission.

Can you get a refund on a Bark lead?

Bark operates a credit-return process for some invalid leads. Check the current policy and the claim window before buying credits, and log every lead so you can evidence a claim.