See which trades were busiest last spring, where the biggest jobs were, and how competitive each category is — data-backed insights for Australian tradies.
Spring is traditionally the busiest stretch of the year on ServiceSeeking — homeowners come out of winter hibernation, gardens need sorting, and reno projects that got put off all winter suddenly become "must do now." With this year's spring season now underway, we went back to last spring's numbers to see exactly which trades were in demand, where the real money landed, and where the competition was toughest. It's a solid benchmark for what to expect over the next few months — here's what tradies should take from it.
1. The busiest trades last spring
By raw job volume, the top of the leaderboard won't surprise anyone who's been on the tools for more than a season:
| Rank | Category | Jobs Posted | Jobs Hired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gardener | 543 | 203 |
| 2 | Handyman | 375 | 163 |
| 3 | Electrician | 319 | 120 |
| 4 | Plumber | 292 | 99 |
| 5 | Painter | 213 | 116 |
| 6 | Cleaner | 172 | 71 |
| 7 | Plasterer | 162 | 70 |
| 8 | Tiler | 152 | 79 |
| 9 | Carpenter | 151 | 82 |
| 10 | Concreter | 128 | 73 |
Gardening led by a wide margin — no surprise given spring clean-ups, mowing catch-ups and garden makeovers all land in this window. If this year follows a similar pattern, expect the same trades to top the volume table again. But volume alone doesn't tell you where the money is, and it doesn't tell you how hard you'll have to fight for the job.
2. Where the real money was (it's not always where the jobs are)
Painters posted "only" 213 jobs last spring, but between them they won $2.1 million worth of work — more than any other category, including trades with double the job count. Here's how the top categories stacked up on total value won:
| Category | Value of Jobs Won | Avg Value per Job Won |
|---|---|---|
| Painter | $2,100,295 | $18,106 |
| Concreter | $1,097,285 | $15,031 |
| Fencing & Gate Company | $929,541 | $17,876 |
| Plumber | $774,020 | $7,818 |
| Electrician | $514,582 | $4,288 |
| Bathroom Renovation | $516,100 | $13,233 |
| Builder | $471,900 | $12,754 |
| Earthworks Contractor | $352,220 | $20,719 |
High-volume categories like Gardener and Handyman are great for keeping the calendar full, but the average job value is modest ($1,600–$1,700). If your trade sits in painting, concreting, fencing, or renovation work, last spring showed those categories deliver bigger-ticket jobs, even though there are fewer of them to go around.
3. Where the competition was toughest
Not all categories were equally crowded. We looked at quotes submitted per job posted — a rough proxy for how many tradies were chasing the same lead:
| Category | Quotes per Job |
|---|---|
| Painter | 13.7 |
| Bathroom Renovation | 11.4 |
| Tiler | 8.1 |
| Builder | 8.0 |
| Concreter | 7.1 |
| Rendering | 6.9 |
| Landscaper | 6.9 |
| Electrician | 6.1 |
| Plumber | 6.1 |
Painting was both the highest-value and the most competitive category last spring — almost 14 quotes for every job posted. If you're a painter, that's a strong sign your quote, profile, and photos need to stand out this year too; homeowners have plenty of choice.
By contrast, categories like Carpenter (3.7 quotes/job), Window & Glass Installation (2.1), Paver (3.2) and Locksmith (2.3) saw far less competition per lead — good news if that's your trade, since it suggests you don't need to out-market anyone, just show up and respond fast.
4. Who actually won the jobs they quoted on
Job volume and competition are only half the story — conversion rate (hired ÷ total jobs posted) shows who closed the deal:
| Category | Conversion Rate |
|---|---|
| Builder | 90.2% |
| Landscaper | 84.0% |
| Bathroom Renovation | 81.2% |
| Kitchen Renovation | 80.6% |
| Flooring | 68.6% |
| Rendering | 66.7% |
| Bricklayer / Paver | 65.5% |
| Earthworks | 60.7% |
| Concreter | 57.0% |
Builders and renovation-focused categories converted at a very high rate — likely because these jobs tend to be more considered purchases with fewer, more serious inquiries, rather than casual "just checking prices" leads. Compare that to Plumber (33.9%) and Electrician (37.6%), where a much higher share of quotes never converted to a hire — probably a mix of urgent/emergency call-outs, price-comparison shoppers, and higher quote volume diluting the win rate.
5. Ratings did the heavy lifting
Across almost every category, average ratings sat between 4.5 and 4.9 — customers were broadly happy with tradies on the platform. A few categories stood out:
- Air Conditioning & Heating Technicians and Arborists lead the pack at 4.9
- Cleaners sit lowest among high-volume trades at 4.1
- Concreters (4.3) and Kitchen Renovation (4.5) have a bit more room to lift satisfaction
If you're in a category with a lower average rating, that's actually an opportunity — a handful of great reviews can meaningfully separate you from the pack when the category benchmark is soft.
Find your trade, then plan this spring around what last year showed
You already know your niche — the useful question is what last spring's numbers suggest for how you play this one. Find where you sit below:
If you're in a high-volume, lower-value trade (Gardener, Handyman, Cleaner, Rubbish Removalist): Your game is efficiency and repeat business, not big margins per job. Average job value here sits at $1,500–$2,700, so the money is in quoting fast, turning jobs around quickly, and converting one-off spring clean-ups into recurring maintenance work (garden runs, regular cleans). With hundreds of jobs posted, being the quickest, most responsive quote often beats being the cheapest.
If you're in a high-value, high-competition trade (Painter, Bathroom Renovation, Tiler, Builder): You're fighting for fewer, bigger jobs against 8–14 other quotes. This is where your profile does the work before you even quote — strong before/after photos, a full set of reviews, and a fast first response matter more here than in any other category. A generic quote gets lost in the noise; a specific, itemised one with photos of similar past jobs stands out.
If you're in a lower-competition trade (Carpenter, Paver, Locksmith, Window & Glass Installation): You're seeing 2–4 quotes per job instead of 6–14. That means winning isn't about beating a crowd — it's about being one of the few to respond, and responding well. Don't leave leads sitting; in a low-competition category, slow response time is often the only thing costing you the job.
If you're in a category with a lower conversion rate (Plumber 34%, Electrician 38%, Gardener 37%): A lot of your quotes aren't converting — likely a mix of emergency/urgent enquiries, price-shoppers, and high quote volume diluting each individual win rate. Worth reviewing: are you quoting on jobs unlikely to convert (pure price-comparison enquiries), and could a faster or clearer quote lift your share of those genuinely ready to hire?
If your category's average rating is below the platform norm (Cleaner 4.1, Concreter 4.3): The bar in your category is lower than most, which means a handful of strong, detailed reviews can separate you from the pack faster than in a category where everyone's already sitting on 4.8–4.9.
Spring is a short window, and one season's data is a guide, not a guarantee — but the patterns above (which trades run hot on volume, which carry bigger dollars, which see less competition) tend to repeat year on year. Match your approach to your own numbers above and you'll likely get more out of this season than treating every lead the same way.
Note: figures throughout are based on ServiceSeeking job data from September–November 2025.
