The number of homeowners searching for female tradespeople has increased significantly over the past few years – according to research conducted by My Local Toolbox.
It says that some search queries are seeing triple digit growth year-on-year with ‘lady plumber near me’ up 450%, ‘lady painter and decorator near me’ up 125% and ‘female carpenter near me’ up 100%.
The company also undertook its own research via a survey of homeowners that have used My Local Toolbox. The survey had 348 respondents and indicated that 26% of homeowners have hired a female tradesperson before and 96% of homeowners say they’d be willing to hire a female tradesperson
After a 15-year career in veterinary, Hannah Lewis (pictured above) wanted a new challenge in her life and so began training to become a plumber. In 2009 she created her own business, Plumbing Bird. She shared this advice for women just starting their careers in the trades industry.
“It may seem daunting to begin with but if you enjoyed learning the theory and practical workshops of the trade throughout college and did well compared with your male peers, there’s nothing holding you back! You will gain valuable experience through making mistakes, but this is part of getting it right and becoming an expert. As long as you come back and remedy ongoing problems, your customers will appreciate your work and honesty.”
Adam Clark, Founder of My Local Toolbox said: “It’s fantastic to see the number of women interested in trades and construction increasing and stereotypes being challenged.”
“From a consumer perspective, the current increase in interest for tradeswomen will only continue to grow. The number of search queries relating to homeowners looking to hire female tradespeople will no doubt be much higher in the future.”
