Finding work as a tradesperson in the UK — cleaners, plumbers and electricians
If you've moved to the UK with a trade background, demand is firmly on your side — but getting your first clients means being findable. Here's how cleaners, plumbers, and electricians can get started without spending a penny on marketing.
Qualified electricians are in high demand across the UK — EICRs are now legally required every five years for rented properties, creating consistent work beyond one-off installations.
Moving to a new country is hard enough without having to rebuild your professional reputation from scratch. But if you've arrived in the UK with a trade skill — whether you've spent years cleaning homes, fixing boilers, or wiring buildings — the good news is that demand is firmly on your side.
The UK has a well-documented shortage of skilled tradespeople. For expats with the right skills and the right to work, that gap is an opportunity. The challenge is visibility: how do potential customers find you when you have no reviews, no word-of-mouth network, and no marketing budget?
One straightforward answer is TraderStreet UK, a free online directory that connects local customers directly with tradespeople — no commissions, no middlemen, and no upfront cost to list. Below, we look at three of the most in-demand trades right now and how a free listing can help you get your first clients.
You'll need the legal right to work in the UK before taking on paid work. Check your visa conditions carefully. If you're unsure, our visa and immigration guides cover the main routes — including self-employment eligibility.
1. Cleaning
Domestic cleaning is one of the most accessible trades for someone new to the UK. There are no formal qualifications required to clean private homes, and startup costs are minimal — many cleaners begin with supplies they already own. Demand is consistent year-round, driven by busy households, rental turnovers, and end-of-tenancy cleans.
What clients are looking for
Reliability and trust are the two things clients care about most when hiring a cleaner. A clear, complete profile — with a photo, a description of your services, and your working hours — goes a long way toward establishing both before any conversation takes place.
Getting started with a free listing
On TraderStreet, you can set up a Basic profile in minutes. List the services you offer (regular domestic cleaning, deep cleans, end-of-tenancy cleans), your location, and your contact details. Clients in your area can find you directly via the search tool and reach out without any platform fees eating into your income.
As you build up reviews and experience, you can upgrade to a Premium account, which gives you priority placement in search results and a verified "Trusted Partner" badge after five positive reviews — both of which help significantly once competition in your area grows.
If you're self-employed, you'll need to register with HMRC and file a Self Assessment tax return each year. You may also need public liability insurance — especially for end-of-tenancy or commercial cleans. Our Working in the UK guides cover self-employment basics.
2. Plumbing
The UK has a genuine shortage of qualified plumbers, particularly outside London. Waiting times for routine work like boiler services and bathroom installations can run to weeks in many areas, which means a newly arrived plumber with recognised qualifications can find work quickly.
Will my qualifications be recognised?
It depends on where you trained. EU-qualified plumbers who moved to the UK before Brexit may already have had their qualifications recognised under transitional arrangements. If you trained in the EU after Brexit, you'll need to apply for recognition through the relevant UK professional body. Qualifications from outside the EU are assessed case by case.
For gas work specifically — boiler installation, gas pipe work, gas appliance servicing — you must be registered with the Gas Safe Register. Working on gas without this registration is illegal in the UK, regardless of your experience or overseas qualifications. Check Gas Safe Register directly for the assessment and registration process.
Non-gas plumbing work
Cold water, drainage, bathrooms, and general pipework do not require Gas Safe registration and are a good place to start building your UK client base while you work through any qualification recognition process. This is where a free TraderStreet listing is particularly useful — you can be transparent about the scope of work you're offering and let clients contact you directly.
Always be clear in your profile and with clients about what you are and aren't registered to do. Attempting gas work without Gas Safe registration carries serious legal consequences and puts clients at risk.
3. Electrical work
Qualified electricians are in short supply across the UK — the industry body ECA has flagged the skills shortage repeatedly, and demand is growing as older properties need rewiring and new builds continue to expand. For an expat electrician with solid experience, the market conditions are favourable.
Registration and compliance
In England and Wales, most electrical installation work in domestic properties is "notifiable work" under Part P of the Building Regulations. To self-certify your own work (which is the standard way qualified electricians operate), you must be registered with an approved Part P scheme provider such as NICEIC, ELECSA, or NAPIT.
The alternative — submitting every job for local authority inspection — is slow and impractical for commercial work. Registration with a scheme body is the practical route, and it also acts as a quality signal to clients. Scheme bodies assess your competency before admitting you, so registration tells customers your work meets UK standards.
Building your client base
Once you're registered, a TraderStreet listing gives you a straightforward way to reach local homeowners and landlords who need electrical work done. Landlords in particular are a reliable source of repeat business — electrical installation condition reports (EICRs) are now legally required every five years for rented properties in England, with councils able to issue fines of up to £40,000 for non-compliance. That enforcement pressure creates consistent, recurring demand that isn't tied to housing market conditions.
If you trained as an electrician outside the UK, your qualifications will need to be assessed. The Engineering Council UK and individual scheme bodies like NICEIC can advise on the equivalency process. Allow time for this — it's worth doing properly rather than rushing.
How to set up your TraderStreet profile
Getting listed on TraderStreet takes around ten minutes. The Basic account is free and includes a personal profile page, contact details (phone, email, WhatsApp), a description of your services, working hours, and up to three portfolio photos.
- Choose your categories carefully. TraderStreet lets you list your main service areas — be specific. "End-of-tenancy cleaning, Ashford" is more useful than "Cleaning, Kent."
- Write a clear description. Clients want to know what you do, where you work, and how to reach you. Keep it factual and straightforward.
- Add photos from day one if you can. Even basic before-and-after images of completed work build more trust than a blank gallery.
- Set the emergency callout option if you're available for urgent jobs — this flags your profile to customers with immediate needs and can generate early bookings quickly.
- Respond promptly. The in-app messaging feature (available when you create a free account) allows clients to contact you directly. Fast responses build your early reputation.
The Premium account adds search priority, a larger photo gallery, a service area map, and dedicated support — worth considering once you've established a client base and want to grow further.
Building a trade business in a new country takes time, but the fundamentals are the same as anywhere else: show up reliably, do good work, and make it easy for people to find you. A free listing is as low-friction a start as you'll find.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Qualification recognition requirements and registration rules can change — always verify current requirements with the relevant UK authority or scheme body before starting work. movingtotheuk.co.uk is not affiliated with TraderStreet UK.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. You need both the legal right to live in the UK and permission to work on a self-employed basis. The rules vary depending on your nationality and the route you used to come to the UK. Some visas explicitly permit self-employment; others do not. Check the conditions of your current visa carefully, or visit our visas and immigration section for guidance on the main routes.
Yes — the Basic account is free for tradespeople and there are no commissions on jobs. Customers can also search and contact traders for free. A paid Premium account is available for those who want priority placement in search results, a larger photo gallery, and a verified badge after five positive reviews.
Yes. If you're working for yourself in the UK — even part-time — you need to register as self-employed with HMRC and file a Self Assessment tax return each year. You should register as soon as you start working. HMRC's deadline for registration is 5 October following the end of the tax year in which you started self-employment. Failure to register on time can result in penalties.
Not immediately. All gas work on UK domestic properties must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, regardless of overseas qualifications or experience. You'll need to demonstrate competency — typically through an assessment — and register with Gas Safe before carrying out any gas work. The Gas Safe Register website sets out the assessment process for those qualified outside the UK.
Public liability insurance is strongly recommended and, for some types of work, may be required by clients before they'll hire you. It covers you if a client or member of the public suffers injury or property damage as a result of your work. Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if you hire any staff, even temporarily. Tools and equipment cover is also worth considering, particularly if you carry expensive specialist tools.