Summary
- Fourteen of the 60 trade business websites checked in Glasgow published a price for their work.
- At 23.3%, Glasgow had the highest share among the nine cities outside London in Marketit’s study.
*Marketit research | October 2026*
Fourteen of the 60 trade business websites checked in Glasgow published a price for their work. At 23.3%, Glasgow had the highest share among the nine cities outside London in Marketit’s study.
How many Glasgow tradespeople show prices online?
Marketit checked 60 trade business websites in Glasgow in October 2026, covering five trades. 14 displayed at least one concrete price for their own work (23.3%); 46 displayed none. A site counted if it showed a price for a job, hourly work, a day’s work or a call-out. General cost guides and “free quote” prompts did not count.
Which trades publish prices in Glasgow?
| Type of business | Sites checked | Sites showing a price |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers and heating engineers | 12 | 2 |
| Electricians | 12 | 6 |
| Removal companies | 12 | 4 |
| Carpenters and joiners | 12 | 1 |
| Roofers | 12 | 1 |
| Total | 60 | 14 |
Electrical businesses accounted for six of Glasgow’s 14 price-publishing websites, the largest number in any local trade group. Four removal companies showed a price, compared with two plumbing and heating firms, one carpenter and one roofer.
How does Glasgow compare with other UK cities?
The UK-wide sample recorded prices on 117 of 600 websites (19.5%). Glasgow’s result is above that figure, but the differences between Glasgow and most other cities are not large enough to establish a clear ranking. London stood apart at 43.3%.
Glasgow was the only Scottish city sampled. Its figures describe the 60 Glasgow sites checked and should not be presented as an estimate for tradespeople across Scotland.
What do plumbers, electricians and removal firms charge in Glasgow?
The Glasgow sample contains too few like-for-like prices to establish what these services typically cost locally. The wider UK study did, however, find the following advertised examples for relevant services. These are UK-wide reference figures, not Glasgow price estimates or actual amounts paid by customers.
| Service | Median advertised price | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician: first hour or hourly charge | £90 | 14 firms |
| Electrical safety report (EICR) | £195 | 11 firms |
| One person and a van, per hour | £52 | 12 firms |
| Two people and a van, per hour | £65 | 9 firms |
Some businesses advertise starting prices rather than the final cost of a job. A first-hour charge is also not necessarily the same as an ongoing hourly rate. Prices may depend on the scope of the work, and websites do not always make the VAT position clear.
What to check before requesting a quote
When a website gives no price, ask the firm to explain what the quote covers. Check whether it includes VAT, travel, call-out charges, materials and any extra cost for evening or emergency work. For hourly services, ask whether a minimum booking period applies. These points can make two published prices difficult to compare even when both firms display a figure.
About the research
These figures come from Marketit’s UK Tradesperson Price Transparency Report 2026. For Glasgow, 12 businesses in each of five trades were selected from Google Maps listings with their own websites. Up to 21 pages per site were reviewed using an AI-assisted process and a written set of rules. The 600-site study covered ten cities in October 2026. This was not a random sample, prices may have been missed, and the results describe the sampled websites rather than every local business.