Approved Code vs TrustMark vs Checkatrade
Written by James Walker · Last reviewed 16 August 2026
James Walker has 2 degrees in construction (BSc (Hons) Building Surveying · MSc Environmental Design of Buildings) and an extensive background in issue resolution, resolving over £4 billion of consumer issues.
The short answer
- Checkatrade sells you leads. It is marketing, not accreditation.
- TrustMark is a government-endorsed quality scheme, joined through a scheme provider.
- An Approved Code is an audited consumer standard with binding independent redress.
- They are not alternatives. Plenty of businesses hold more than one.
- If you are choosing one to start with, ask whether you need work or credibility.
On this page
What each one actually is
| What it is | What it gives you | |
|---|---|---|
| Checkatrade | A directory with vetting | Leads, and a profile customers can review |
| TrustMark | Government-endorsed quality scheme | A recognised mark, and access to grant-funded work |
| Approved Code | Trading Standards approved consumer standard | An audited mark, and binding independent redress |
Checkatrade is marketing
Nothing wrong with that, but be clear about what you're buying. You pay for visibility and enquiries, and the vetting exists to make the directory credible rather than to certify you.
The economics are lead-generation economics. If the leads convert, it works. If they don't, no amount of profile improves it.
TrustMark is about the work
Government-endorsed, and joined through a scheme provider rather than directly, which surprises most applicants. Assessment covers technical competence, trading record, insurance and customer care, usually including a site inspection.
The strongest reason to hold it is access: retrofit and energy efficiency grant funding routinely requires it, and so does a lot of local authority work. If you want that work, the decision is already made.
An Approved Code is about the customer relationship
A code covers how you sell, contract, take money and handle complaints, and it commits you to independent dispute resolution whose decisions bind you.
That last part is what a homeowner is actually buying. Not that someone checked your qualifications, but that if it goes wrong there's a route that doesn't depend on your goodwill.
It's also the only one of the three where impersonation is a criminal offence.
Which to hold
They stack rather than compete, but if you're picking a starting point:
You need work, Checkatrade or a directory, and accept it as marketing spend.
You want grant-funded and public sector work, TrustMark.
You want to win the hesitant customer comparing three quotes, an Approved Code. It's the one that answers "why should I trust you with my money" rather than "are you qualified".
The overlap that confuses people
TrustMark and Approved Codes both involve Government in some way, which is why trades conflate them. They're separate systems with separate governance. TrustMark is a licensed scheme with scheme providers; Approved Codes sit under the Consumer Codes Approval Board with code sponsors.
Holding one doesn't get you the other.
Related guides
Common questions
- Can I hold all three?
- Yes, and larger businesses often do.
- Which do customers recognise?
- Checkatrade has the most consumer advertising; Trading Standards has the most authority.
- Which is hardest to get?
- The code, because you are audited against a standard rather than assessed once.
- Do any guarantee work?
- Only the directory generates leads, and it does not guarantee they convert.