Trades & Home Services
5 industries · 52 businesses scored · Rank 3 of 11
Trades and Home Services sits fifth at 64.7, just above the national average. The headline number masks a dramatic internal spread. Landscaping and Garden Services leads the entire dataset at 71.9, a Strong-tier score driven by exceptional Conversion Efficiency. At the other end, Trades and Emergency Home Services scores 52.5, the second-lowest composite of any industry we track.
Conversion Efficiency at 67.2 is the sector's defining strength, 4 points above the national average. This makes intuitive sense. Trades businesses convert at high rates because the buyer already has a problem. Nobody calls a plumber to browse. The challenge is that this natural conversion advantage masks weaknesses in Retention (62.3) and Brand (64.3) that limit long-term value.
The 19.4-point gap between Landscaping (71.9) and Trades (52.5) is the widest spread of any sector. It reflects two completely different levels of marketing maturity operating under the same umbrella. Landscaping businesses have embraced digital portfolios, Google Business Profile optimisation and review generation. Many emergency trades businesses still rely on Yellow Pages era tactics.
The 19.4-point gap between Landscaping (71.9) and Trades (52.5) is the widest intra-sector spread in the entire dataset. Same sector, completely different eras of marketing.
Dimension breakdown
Trades & Home Services leads on Conversion Efficiency (67.7, +4.5 vs national) and has the most room to move in Retention & Loyalty (62.9, 0.5 vs national).
Industries in Trades & Home Services
Dimension breakdown by industry
Each row is one industry. Each bar shows its score on that dimension. The dashed line marks the sector average.
Does bigger mean better?
Average score by industry and company scale
| Industry | Enterprise | Large | Medium | Small Business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping & Garden Services | — | 73.2 3 businesses | 67.7 1 biz | — |
| Security Services & Systems | — | 73.9 3 businesses | 67.6 4 businesses | 61.3 3 businesses |
| Commercial & Residential Cleaning | — | 76 3 businesses | 65.9 3 businesses | 61 3 businesses |
| Self Storage & Moving Services | — | 71.8 3 businesses | 57.8 4 businesses | — |
| Trades & Emergency Home Services | — | 59.8 1 biz | 52.9 4 businesses | 43.4 1 biz |
Inside each industry
Every scored business, grouped by industry. Taller bars mean higher scores.
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What to watch in trades and home services
Review velocity is the single biggest differentiator in this sector. Trades businesses with 50+ Google reviews and a 4.7+ rating convert at significantly higher rates than competitors with thin profiles. The cost of generating reviews is near zero. The businesses doing it are pulling away fast.
Security Services at 67.6 is an under-the-radar performer. These businesses operate with recurring revenue models (monitoring contracts) that naturally drive higher Retention scores. Other trades verticals could learn from the subscription approach.
What the numbers reveal
Based on 52 scored businesses across 5 industries. Updated as new audits complete.
Conversion Efficiency (67.7) is the sector's edge. Data & Tracking (60.1) is the drag.
A 7.6-point spread between the strongest and weakest dimensions. Conversion Efficiency is 4.5 points above the national average.
1.6 points above the national average of 63.7
Trades & Home Services ranks 3 of 11 sectors. The gap is closeable. These are not structurally weak businesses. They are businesses that have not prioritised digital marketing.
NSW dominates with 22 of 52 businesses
42% of scored businesses in this sector are headquartered in NSW, averaging 65. VIC (20), QLD (7), WA (3) follow.
Absolute Domestics leads the sector at 77.5
12.2 points above the sector average. Scores 9.9 points above its own industry (Commercial & Residential Cleaning). Large scale, based in NSW.
52 businesses scored across 5 industries
Every score uses the same 6-dimension model with up to 150+ data points per business. 2 have multi-source verified data. Evidence depth ratings show the data behind each score.
17 Large businesses score 5+ points above sector average
Simplicity Funerals (InvoCare), Tobin Brothers Funerals, White Lady Funerals (InvoCare), Jim's Mowing, Landscape Solutions, Programmed Outdoor Services, Absolute Domestics, Fantastic Cleaners, Jim's Cleaning, AutoGuru, Tyrepower, Securitas Australia, Swann Communications, Wilson Security, National Storage, Spacer, TAXIBOX prove that large companies can compete with larger peers. Average of 73.9 vs sector benchmark of 65.3.
What people ask about this sector
Top performers in Trades & Home Services
Highest-scoring businesses across all trades & home services industries
Sector rankings
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