Manual labour businesses have long been the backbone of the UK trade industry, and there is growing demand across the UK for professions like plumbing, welding, construction, and many more.

In the last 30 days alone, 542,000 Google searches for “plumber near me” and “electrician near me” have risen 39% over the past three months, showing that Brits always need tradespeople. 

With this in mind, a new study conducted by small business comparison site Bionic has examined the number of new manual labour businesses opening across the country over the last five years to reveal the best places to start a trade business in the UK, and Luton tops the leaderboard. 

The top 10 places to be a tradie in the UK 

With the average salary for Luton-based tradesmen being 21.0% above the UK industry average¹, it’s no wonder that the region has seen a 39.84% increase in new business openings over the past five years.

London has dominated the rankings, with six boroughs named the best places to start a trades business in the UK. 

Hackney takes second place in the overall ranking, with 825 manual labour businesses in the borough as of 2024. This shows a steady and strong 39.83% increase in new businesses opening since 2020. 

Other boroughs, including Islington, Camden, Harlow, Westminster, and Hounslow, also made the top 10, recording an average increase of 34.9% in new manual labour businesses being registered since 2020. 

Boston in Lincolnshire comes in third place in the study’s ranking. As of 2024, 165 manual labour and trade businesses call the area home, compared to 120 in 2020. The region has seen nearly a 40% increase in new businesses opening over the last five years.