A good website for tradies does one job: it turns a stranger with a leaking tap, a tripped switch or a deck to build into a phone call or a quote request. Picture someone standing in their kitchen with a phone in one hand. They want to know three things fast. Do you cover my suburb, can I trust you, and how do I reach you?
This list covers 9 essentials for plumbers, electricians, builders and other trades, grouped by the job they do. Some are about getting in touch, some are about trust, and some are about being found. A couple come with legal rules, so we've linked to the regulators.
Open your own site on your phone as you read and tick off what you have. The last section explains what all 9 have in common.
Make it easy to call or ask for a quote
1. A click-to-call phone number at the top
Put your number in the header of every page, and make it a link that dials with one tap on a phone. Customers with an urgent job, like a burst pipe or no power, want to talk to someone now, not fill in a form. A number shown inside an image, or buried on the contact page, costs you calls. Keep it on screen as people scroll if you can, and answer it, or send missed calls to a voicemail that says when you'll call back.
2. A simple quote request form
Not every customer wants to call. Some are at work, some want to send photos, and some are planning a job weeks ahead. Give them a short form: name, phone, suburb, what they need, and an optional photo upload. Nielsen Norman Group says cutting unnecessary fields reduces effort and raises completion rates, and recommends no more than one or two optional fields, clearly labelled. Say how quickly you reply, and make sure the form actually lands in an inbox you check. If people visit but don't get in touch, our guide to why a website gets visitors but no enquiries covers the usual causes.
Show where you work and that you're licensed
3. Service areas listed by suburb
Name the suburbs you cover, not just "Sydney" or "the Gold Coast". People search for "electrician Ryde" or "plumber near me", and a plain list of suburbs tells both the customer and Google where you work. Match it to the service area on your Google Business Profile. Google allows up to 20 service areas, says the overall area shouldn't be more than about 2 hours of driving from where you're based, and asks businesses that don't serve customers at their address to remove the address and list only the service area.
4. Your licence number, shown the way your state requires
For many trades, this is a legal requirement, not a nice extra. The rules differ by state, so check yours:
- NSW: NSW Fair Trading says ads, including on the internet, must show the licensee's name, the licence number with the correct category of work, and a business phone number. This applies to residential building work over $5,000 and to specialist work of any value: electrical wiring, plumbing, draining, gas fitting, and air conditioning and refrigeration work.
- Queensland: the QBCC says ads must show the name you're licensed under, state that you're licensed under the QBCC Act and give your licence number, easily legible and reasonably prominent. Websites and social media pages count as ads.
- Other states and territories: each has its own regulator and rules, such as Victoria's Building and Plumbing Commission. Check with yours before your site goes live.
Put the licence details in the footer of every page and on the contact page. If you trade under a business name, show the licensed name as well. A visible licence number also helps customers who check it on the regulator's public register before they call.
Prove you do good work
5. Photos of real jobs
Show your own work: a finished bathroom, a neat switchboard, a new deck, a before and after. Nielsen Norman Group's eyetracking research found people ignore generic stock photos of people, but look closely at photos of real staff. A tidy photo of your van and your team on site says more than a stock image of a stranger in a hard hat. Ask the customer before you photograph their home, and keep house numbers and faces out of shot.
6. Genuine reviews
Show a few real Google reviews near your phone number and quote button, word for word, and link to your profile so people can read the rest. Reviews that mention a suburb or a type of job are the most useful, because they match what the visitor is looking for. Never write your own or edit what a customer said. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews covers how to ask every customer within Google's rules and Australian Consumer Law.
Make your website for tradies fast on phones and easy to find
7. Fast on phones
Customers often look for a tradie on a phone, on mobile data. Google's web.dev guidance says a page has good loading performance when its largest piece of content appears within 2.5 seconds, measured at the 75th percentile of visits, and anything over 4 seconds is poor. Big uncompressed photos are the usual culprit on trade sites. Test your homepage free at pagespeed.web.dev, then check that buttons are easy to tap and text is readable without zooming. Our guide to what counts as a good website loading speed explains the numbers.
8. A link to, and a match with, your Google Business Profile
Your website and your Business Profile should tell the same story. Google says businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results, and that your business name should match the name you use on your website, signage and stationery. Use the same business name, phone number, hours and service areas in both places, add your website to your profile, and link from your site to your Google reviews. If you haven't claimed your profile yet, start with our guide on how to set up a Google Business Profile.
Should tradies put prices on their website?
9. Pricing guidance or "from" prices, if you choose
You don't have to publish prices, but some guidance saves time on both sides. Many trade jobs can't be priced without seeing them, so say so, and explain how quoting works: whether quotes are free, whether there's a call-out fee, and what affects the price. If you do have standard jobs, like a hot water system swap or a safety switch install, a clear price or starting price with what's included can filter out enquiries that were never going to suit.
Be careful with partial prices. NSW Fair Trading says building trade ads can't show part of a price without also clearly stating the full cost, and ads must not be false or misleading. Make sure any price you show says what it covers, and keep it up to date.
What the 9 tradie website essentials have in common
Every item answers a question the customer has before they pick up the phone.
- Do you cover my area? Suburb lists and a matching Business Profile answer this.
- Can I trust you? Licence details, real job photos and genuine reviews answer this.
- How do I reach you? A tap-to-call number and a short quote form answer this.
- Is this going to be a hassle? A fast site and honest pricing guidance answer this before they ask.
None of it needs fancy design. It needs the right details in the right places. For the wider checklist, see what to put on a small business homepage. If you're weighing up a new site, our guide to how much a website costs in Australia sets out typical prices, or read our FAQ.
Key takeaways
- (01)
Put a tap-to-call number at the top of every page and offer a short quote form for people who can't call.
- (02)
List the suburbs you service and keep them, your name, phone and hours matched to your Google Business Profile.
- (03)
Show your licence details the way your state requires, plus real job photos and genuine reviews.
- (04)
Keep the site fast on phones, and if you show prices, say exactly what they cover.
Frequently asked questions
Do tradies need a website if they have a Google Business Profile?
A Business Profile helps you show up in local searches, but it gives you little room to show your full range of services, suburbs, licence details and past jobs. A website holds all of that in one place you control, and Google lets you link the two so each supports the other.
Do I have to put my licence number on my website?
In many cases, yes. In NSW, ads for residential building work over $5,000 and for specialist work like electrical, plumbing and gas fitting must show the licensee's name, licence number and business phone. In Queensland, the QBCC treats websites as ads that must show your licence details. Check your own state's regulator.
What pages should a tradie website have?
At minimum: a homepage, a page for each main service, a service areas page listing your suburbs, a gallery of real jobs, and a contact page with your phone number, quote form and licence details. Separate service pages help Google match you to specific searches.
Should I put prices on my tradie website?
It's your choice. If most jobs need a quote, explain how quoting works and whether there's a call-out fee. If you have standard jobs, a clear price with what's included can save time. In NSW, building trade ads can't show part of a price without clearly stating the full cost.
More answers on price, hosting and timing in our FAQ.