I spent £625on 18 leadsand won nothing.
So I built something better.
Actual experience.
A better solution.
Lead spendEditorial summary
- 18
- qualified leads
- £625.32
- spent inc. VAT
- 0
- jobs won
Total£625.32
Illustrative summary of real spend — not a reproduction of an original receipt.
I run my own construction business in Nottinghamshire. I've been in the trade for years. I know how to build. What I couldn't figure out was why getting decent work felt like buying scratch cards — and why the platform took my money regardless of what happened next.
A couple of years back I was using MyBuilder like most builders do — shortlisting jobs, paying the lead fee, firing off a message, then waiting. Mostly just waiting.
So I sat down one day and added it all up. Over time, across 18 leads — all jobs I was genuinely qualified and ready to price — £521.10 plus VAT, £625.32 in real money out of my account. And that's before you count the time.
Ten of the eighteen.
18
Qualified leads
£625.32
Spent inc. VAT
0
Jobs won
See the detailed lead breakdown+
| Job | Distance | Paid + VAT | Other builders | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HomeownerKitchen/office showroom | 1 mile | £18+VAT | 6 builders paid | Asked 'could you give me an idea of the cost?' — conversation stopped dead |
| Homeowner2-storey extension | 14 miles | £43+VAT | 8 builders paid (~£344 total to MyBuilder) | Never replied after contact details shared |
| HomeownerSingle storey extension | 7 miles | £45+VAT | 8 builders paid | Not a single word exchanged |
| HomeownerDouble storey extension | 7 miles | £27+VAT | 8 builders paid | Silence |
| HomeownerGarage conversion | 14 miles | £8.60+VAT | 2 responses | Message appeared AI-generated. Asked for drawings — nothing back |
| HomeownerSingle storey extension | 2 miles | £29+VAT | 6 builders paid | No conversation |
| HomeownerL-shaped extension | 4 miles | £44+VAT | 8 builders paid | Nothing |
| HomeownerRetaining wall repair | 2 miles | £27+VAT | 1 response | Paid, waited, chased 2.5 months later — no reply |
| Homeowner2-storey side extension | 2 miles | £37+VAT | 2 responses | Message was READ. Never replied. |
| HomeownerGround & first floor extension | 12 miles | £38+VAT | 5 responses | Asked for drawings — no outcome |
Ten leads shown here, £379.92 of the total spent (inc. VAT) — the full picture across all 18 leads came to £625.32. Zero jobs won. In several cases, zero conversations even started. On one job alone, eight builders collectively handed MyBuilder around £344+VAT — for a homeowner who never responded to any of us. On another, I chased up three months after paying and there was no reply. There is no refund for that. MyBuilder's refund policy only covers wrong contact details or duplicate charges — 'homeowner did not respond' is explicitly not a valid reason. You just lose the money.
The Moment It Clicked
That's when it clicked. The lead model rewarded introductions, not good outcomes. Builders carried the cost before a real conversation began, while homeowners still faced uncertainty about scope, quality and what happened next.
I thought: there has to be a better way. So I stopped complaining about it and built it myself.
"I paid £625 in MyBuilder fees across 18 leads and won nothing. Not one job. The platform took my money the moment contact details were shared. What happened after was my problem. ProGrafter exists because that is not how it should work."
— Founder, ProGrafter
Proper work.Proper people.
Built by a working builder, for working builders and the people who hire them.
What ProGrafter Is
£0
Join, get matched and quote without paying for leads. Optional tools are separate.
5%
Capped at £900 per project, charged only when a job completes. Approved variations do not increase it.
| What you get | What it does |
|---|---|
| Live Project Timeline | Every stage, date and update logged in one place — no more 'where are we up to?' |
| Digital Variation Sign-Off | Changes agreed in writing, by the homeowner, before anyone lifts a tool. |
| Homeowner Manual | Plain-English guidance so the customer knows what good looks like. |
| Quote Checker | Available trade-specific modules review the quote document against a fixed standard. |
| Green Grants Checker | Grant eligibility surfaced on the jobs where it actually applies. |
| Dispute Resolution Paper Trail | If it goes wrong, there's documented evidence to put it right fairly. |
ProGrafter Ltd · Company 17124130 · ICO ZC114018
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