Builderscrack, NoCowboys or your own website? Where NZ tradies should get leads

Builderscrack and NoCowboys are, in our view, two of the best-known names for getting work online in NZ. Both can bring in jobs, but they charge in very different ways, and neither is the same as having your own website and Google listing.

Here’s how each works, what it costs (from their own pages, checked 30 October 2026), and how to test whether a lead site is paying its way.

The short answer

• Builderscrack is a job marketplace. Homeowners post jobs, you chase the ones you want, and you pay in tokens when a homeowner accepts your request to connect. You’re usually up against other tradies on the same job.
• NoCowboys is a review directory. You pay a flat yearly fee for a better profile and placement, and customers find you and contact you directly. No fee per job.
• Your own website plus a Google Business Profile is the base everything else points back to. You own it, the enquiries are only yours, and the Google profile is free.

For most tradies it’s not either/or. A lead site can fill gaps in a quiet patch. Your own site and Google profile are what keep working when you stop paying a platform.

Builderscrack: you pay to connect on posted jobs

Here’s how Builderscrack describes it on its How it works page for trades:

1. A homeowner posts a job.
2. Builderscrack sends you lead invites that match your trade, area and settings.
3. You “chase” the jobs you like. The homeowner looks over your profile and decides whether to accept.
4. When they accept, tokens come off your plan balance.

How tokens work. Chasing a job is free. Tokens are only deducted when the homeowner accepts your connection request, and each job has its own token value, worked out mainly by trade category. Once you’re connected, tokens aren’t refundable (Builderscrack: What are tokens and how are they used?).

Tokens expire. Unused tokens roll over while you stay subscribed, but monthly allocations last two months, or three on the “Advantage” plan or higher. If your plan ends, or an invoice is overdue at renewal, any tokens you have left expire (Builderscrack: Do tokens carry over?). You can top up with token packs, but you need an active plan: Builderscrack says token packs are available on all subscription plans, and that they work out more expensive than plan tokens (Builderscrack: Profile). Pack tokens expire after one month (Builderscrack: Do tokens carry over?).

Watch the contract term. New tradies can join on a 6-month introductory pay-monthly plan. Unless you cancel before the renewal date, it automatically rolls onto a 12-month term (Builderscrack: How it works). Put that renewal date in your calendar on day one.

Price. Builderscrack’s public trade and help pages didn’t show plan prices when we checked on 30 October 2026, so we can’t quote one here. Ask them for the current monthly price, the token allocation, and whether the price is + GST before you sign.

Good to know: if you don’t have an active plan, homeowners can’t contact you directly through your directory listing, and Builderscrack says it may show them other available tradies on your profile (Builderscrack: Profile).

NoCowboys: a flat yearly fee for a review profile

NoCowboys works differently. It’s a review site where customers search for a business and read verified reviews. Paid registration buys a better profile and placement.

Price: registration is a paid annual fee. Check nocowboys.co.nz for current pricing, and whether it includes GST, before you sign up.

You’re not paying per job, and customers contact you directly. But you pay the same whether it brings in ten jobs or none, so track what it actually brings in.

Your own website and Google Business Profile

Whether people hear about you from a mate, your ute or a lead site, many will Google you next. What turns up should be yours.

• Google Business Profile is free. Google says creating a profile and listing your business on Google is free, and you can have one without a shopfront if you’re a service-area business, “like a plumber” (Google Business Profile FAQ). Our Google Business Profile setup guide walks through it step by step.
• Your website is where people check your work, your licences and your reviews before they ring. Every enquiry from it is yours alone, and nobody else gets the same lead. If you’re wondering about cost, here’s what a tradie website costs in NZ.

A website doesn’t hand you a job board, though. It works best when you point everything at it: your Google profile, van signage, quotes and lead-site profiles.

Side by side

	Builderscrack	NoCowboys	Your own website + Google profile
How you pay	Plan with tokens, deducted when a homeowner accepts you	Paid annual registration fee	Google profile free. Website cost depends on who builds it
Price shown on vendor page (30 Oct 2026)	Not shown on public pages we could load	Check nocowboys.co.nz for current pricing	n/a
Competing on the same job?	Usually, yes	Customer browses several profiles	No, the enquiry is only yours
Lock-in to watch	6-month intro rolls into 12 months unless cancelled	Yearly fee	Depends on your provider
Best for	Filling the diary, new businesses with few referrals	Building a review trail customers trust	The long game. Everything else points here

How to test a lead site in 3 months (step by step)

Don’t judge a platform on gut feel. Try this.

1. Set a budget and an end date. Decide what you’ll spend over three months and write down the renewal or cancellation date.
2. Ask every new customer how they found you. Write it in your job app or a notebook: Builderscrack, NoCowboys, Google, website, referral, signage.
3. Track three numbers per source. Leads, jobs won, and the money those jobs brought in after materials.
4. Work out cost per job won. Total spent on that platform ÷ jobs won from it. For example, if you spent $600 and won 4 jobs, that’s $150 per job. Compare it to your average margin on those jobs.
5. Look at job quality, not just count. Were they jobs you actually want, in your area, at a price that works?
6. Decide before the renewal date. Keep it, change plan, or cancel. Don’t let it roll over by default.

Tip: if your enquiries are scattered across texts, emails and app messages, it’s hard to track any of this. Here’s how to send website enquiries straight into Tradify or Fergus so they’re all in one place.

Get more out of whichever you pick

• Fill your profile out properly. Real job photos, your licence details and a clear list of the areas you cover. Builderscrack says homeowners look over your profile before accepting you, and on NoCowboys it’s the whole pitch.
• Build Google reviews as well. Platform reviews mostly live on the platform. Google reviews show up when people search your name. Here’s how to get more Google reviews without the awkwardness.
• Link everything back to your website. Wherever you have a profile, make sure people can find your own site too.
• Don’t miss the call. A lead you paid for isn’t worth much if it goes to voicemail while you’re up a ladder. Our AI voice assistant can answer and text you the details.

Frequently asked questions

Is Builderscrack or NoCowboys better for tradies?

They do different jobs. Builderscrack sends you posted jobs and you pay tokens when a homeowner accepts you, usually with other tradies quoting too. NoCowboys is a review profile with a flat yearly fee and no charge per job. Test either one for three months and track cost per job won.

How much does NoCowboys cost for a business?

NoCowboys charges registered businesses a paid annual fee rather than a fee per job. Check nocowboys.co.nz for current pricing and whether it includes GST before you sign up.

How much does Builderscrack cost for tradies?

Builderscrack’s public trade and help pages didn’t show plan prices when we checked on 30 October 2026. You pay for a plan that includes tokens, and tokens come off when a homeowner accepts your request. Ask Builderscrack for the current price and whether it’s + GST before signing.

Do Builderscrack tokens expire?

Yes. Monthly allocations last two months, or three on the Advantage plan or higher. Token packs and free promo tokens last one month, and any remaining tokens expire if your plan ends.

Do I still need a website if I’m on Builderscrack or NoCowboys?

It’s worth having. People often Google you before they ring, and your own website and free Google Business Profile are yours to keep whether or not you renew a platform. Enquiries from your website aren’t shared with other tradies.

Where Readysite fits

Lead sites can be handy for filling the diary, but they’re rented. A website plus a properly set-up Google Business Profile is a solid first step, because it’s yours and it works for every other channel you use.

Readysite sets up AI automation for NZ tradies, around the tools you already use, so enquiries and jobs don’t slip through while you’re on the tools. We’re based in Christchurch and work with tradies right across New Zealand. See our pricing or find out more at readysite.co.nz.