SubbieBook
SubbieBook vs Agencies

How much are agencies really charging you?

We did the maths on Hays, Randstad, ICDS, Hudson Contract and the rest. The numbers will piss you off.

Here's what's actually happening when you book through an agency

The money flow most agencies don't put on their website.

You pay agency
£225/day
Worker actually gets
£180/day
Agency keeps
£45/day
they don't tell you this

Most builders think the agency rate is the worker's rate. It's not. The agency adds 20-30% on top, called the "margin". You see one number on the invoice. The worker sees a different number on payday. The gap is what funds the agency's office, sales team, and marketing.

On a 5-day plasterer booking, that's £225 going to people you've never met. Over a year, doing 10 bookings a month, that's £27,000 — for an introduction service.

We checked. Most agencies don't put their margin on their website. Now you know why.

Side by side

How SubbieBook compares to every option you've got.

National agencies (Hays, Randstad)
Cost per booking
20-30% margin (£36-£54/day on £180 worker)
Speed to fill
2-5 days
Worker pool size
Big national database
Construction-specific
No
CIS calculations
Handled (in their fee)
You see the worker first
No
Worker keeps full rate
No (-20-30%)
Records of bookings
Their system
Verified workers
"Vetted" (CV check)
Local construction agencies (ICDS, GTH)
Cost per booking
15-25% margin
Speed to fill
1-3 days
Worker pool size
Limited regional
Construction-specific
Yes
CIS calculations
Handled
You see the worker first
No
Worker keeps full rate
No (-15-25%)
Records of bookings
Their system
Verified workers
Some
Online platforms (Indeed, Hudson Contract)
Cost per booking
Free + 5-15% premium services
Speed to fill
1-2 weeks
Worker pool size
Massive but generic
Construction-specific
No
CIS calculations
No
You see the worker first
Yes
Worker keeps full rate
Yes
Records of bookings
Limited
Verified workers
No
WhatsApp groups
Cost per booking
Free
Speed to fill
Same day if lucky
Worker pool size
Your contacts only
Construction-specific
Yes
CIS calculations
No
You see the worker first
Yes
Worker keeps full rate
Yes
Records of bookings
None
Verified workers
No
SubbieBook
Cost per booking
£49-199/month flat
Speed to fill
Same day
Worker pool size
Verified construction-only
Construction-specific
Yes
CIS calculations
Auto-calculated + CSV export
You see the worker first
Yes
Worker keeps full rate
Yes
Records of bookings
Yes
Verified workers
CSCS verified

Here's what the maths looks like

Three jobs. One builder. Three months.

Example 1
Plasterer
5-day external rendering job, Hastings
Agency invoice
£1,650
Worker actual pay
£1,200
Agency margin
£450 (27%)
SubbieBook saving
£450
Example 2
Brickie
10-day groundworks, Brighton
Agency invoice
£2,800
Worker actual pay
£2,200
Agency margin
£600 (21%)
SubbieBook saving
£600
Example 3
Sparky
3-day rewire, Eastbourne
Agency invoice
£1,050
Worker actual pay
£840
Agency margin
£210 (20%)
SubbieBook saving
£210
£1,260
Total visible margin extracted from one builder, three jobs.
And this is one builder. Three jobs. Three months. Imagine the year.

We're not here to replace WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is free, fast, and works for the people you know. We don't want to replace that — we want to be there when WhatsApp doesn't work.

You know your usual 20-30 subbies. SubbieBook gives you access to 500+ verified construction workers across Sussex, Kent, and Surrey. You'll still hit up your WhatsApp group first. But when your usual sparky's busy and you need a job done Tuesday, we're who you call.

Use WhatsApp for the people you know. Use SubbieBook for the people you don't.

Every option, taken apart

Where each one falls short — and what we do instead.

Competitor
Hays Construction / Randstad

"Hays charges 25-30% margin on every shift."

Their database is national. They don't know your area. They don't know your trades. They take a margin anyway.
SubbieBook is built for UK construction, region by region. £49-£199/month flat. Forever free for workers. No margin. Ever.
Competitor
ICDS / Local agencies

"Local agencies say they know your market. They charge for it."

ICDS, Construction Recruitment Services, GTH — all charge 15-25%. All have similar databases. All take a clip.
We're built by builders, in Sussex, for Sussex. Same workers. No clip.
Competitor
Hudson Contract / Indeed

"Hudson is for payroll. Indeed is for office jobs."

Hudson runs CIS payroll for you. Indeed lets you post a job. Neither helps you find a brickie tomorrow.
SubbieBook is direct hire built for construction. CIS deductions auto-calculated. CSCS-verified workers. Fast bookings.
Competitor
WhatsApp groups

"WhatsApp is great. Until your usual sparky's busy."

You know 20-30 subbies. We've got 500+ verified across Sussex, Kent, and Surrey.
Use WhatsApp first. Use us when WhatsApp can't help.

See exactly what agencies are costing you

Drag the sliders. See exactly what you're losing to agency margin every year — and what you'd save going direct with SubbieBook.

5 subbies
£180/day
3 days
What you're spending on agencies right now
Monthly labour spend£2,700
5 × £180 × 3 days
Hidden agency margin (~20%)£540/mo
Annual agency cost£6,480
What you'd pay with SubbieBook
Firm plan subscription£99/mo
Annual SubbieBook cost£999
You save
£5,481
per year

While keeping direct relationships with your subbies.

Where the agency margin actually goes

  • · Construction agencies typically charge 15–25% margin on every job
  • · On a £180/day plasterer, that's £36/day skimmed before they see it
  • · On 10 jobs a month, that's £360 a month — £4,320 a year — for an introduction

Common questions

Are you really cheaper than agencies?
Yes. Agencies charge 15-30% margin per booking. SubbieBook is £49-£199/month flat, no per-booking fees. For any builder hiring more than 2-3 subbies a month, we work out cheaper. The savings calculator shows the maths.
Do agencies do anything you don't?
They handle the introduction. We give you the introduction yourself. They charge a margin for the service. We charge a flat sub. That's the only difference, and it's why our model is cheaper.
Are SubbieBook workers as vetted as agency workers?
Yes — and more verifiable. Every SubbieBook worker uploads CSCS, RTW documents, gets rated after every job, and you can see their history. Most agency "vetting" is a CV check. We show you the proof.
What if I already use an agency?
Try us alongside them for a month. £49 (Starter monthly). If we don't save you more than that, cancel. No commitment.
What about IR35?
SubbieBook is a software platform, not an employment business. Workers are self-employed and contract directly with you. The IR35 status of the worker doesn't change because you found them through us — same as if you found them via WhatsApp or word of mouth.
More on pricing, how it works, or back to home.

Stop paying for introductions.

Browse 500+ verified workers. Pay £49/month flat. No margin, no hidden fees.

CSCS verified workers · Cancel anytime