Trade work in Bromley: the homes, the businesses and the jobs
This guide is for every trade working in Bromley, or thinking about it: plumbers, electricians, roofers, builders, landscapers, decorators and everyone else. We did the research so you know the ground before you get there.
Bromley at a glance
Bromley became a municipal borough in 1903 and joined Greater London in 1965. It is now London's largest borough by area.
Much of what trades work on today went up between the wars. Hayes alone grew from 222 houses in 1921 to about 2,150 by 1939.
Where the work is heading
- New homes: the London Plan sets Bromley a target of 7,740 new homes over the ten years to 2028/29. 3,790 of those are on small sites, meaning infill plots, conversions and small builds. That's work for builders, and for every trade that finishes and fits out a new home.
- Town centres: Bromley Town Centre is the borough's Metropolitan Centre and has Opportunity Area status, which marks it for growth. Orpington is the borough's Major Centre.
The work: homes
Bromley has 135,828 households (Census 2021). 68.5% are owner occupied, 17.4% are privately rented (about 23,700 homes) and 13.2% are socially rented.
- Plumbers and heating engineers: 82.2% of homes heat with mains gas only, so boilers are the core work. Landlords need a Gas Safe check every 12 months.
- Electricians: landlords need the electrics tested at least every five years, which brings EICRs and the remedial work that follows. Consumer units, new circuits and bathroom work are notifiable under Part P.
- Roofers: where interwar homes still have their original roofs, expect a mix of repairs and re-roofs.
- Loft and extension builders: interwar semis and detached houses are classic hip-to-gable and dormer stock.
- Every other trade: with more than two in three homes owner occupied, most of the work is paid for by people improving a house they plan to stay in.
The work: shops, offices and businesses
In 2020 Bromley had around 15,300 businesses, according to the council's Economic Development Strategy using ONS data. More than 86% of them employ fewer than five people. The biggest employers are health and social care, retail and admin services. Construction is one of the most common business types in the borough, so you won't be the only trade there, and how you present yourself matters.
Bromley Town Centre is the borough's Metropolitan Centre and has Opportunity Area status, and Orpington is its Major Centre. Commercial premises need fit-outs, maintenance, electrical testing, commercial gas work, signage and repairs, and many owners want a trade they can call back. If you do commercial work, say so plainly on your website and Google profile, because a business owner searches differently from a homeowner.
How Bromley customers search for trades
Our Google Keyword Planner research covering August 2025 to July 2026 shows:
- Plumbing: around 5,000 searches a month, about ten times any other trade we tested.
- Electricians, roofers, builders, loft conversions and kitchen fitters: around 500 searches a month each.
Plumbing is also the most competitive trade for ads in Bromley. That's why a strong Google profile, real reviews and a proper local page matter as much as advertising. Whatever your trade, Bromley customers are searching for it every month.
Want the full picture? We've mapped the click costs and competition for every major trade in Bromley. Book a free audit and we'll show you the numbers for yours.
Planning rules that affect the job
- Bromley has 47 conservation areas, where visible changes face extra controls.
- Article 4 directions apply in named areas, including parts of Beckenham, Chislehurst and Bickley, Petts Wood, Penge, Park Langley, West Wickham and Biggin Hill. Some remove permitted development rights for roof alterations and upward extensions.
- The council won't give informal advice on permitted development. It points people to a lawful development certificate instead.
- In practice: check the address on the council's Article 4 map before you price a loft, roof or extension job.
Where the work is
Most of Bromley sits in the BR postcodes, plus SE20 (Penge) and TN16 (Biggin Hill):
- BR1: Bromley, Bickley, Sundridge, Plaistow
- BR2: Hayes, Shortlands, Bromley Common, Keston
- BR3: Beckenham, Eden Park, Park Langley, Elmers End
- BR4: West Wickham
- BR5: Petts Wood, St Mary Cray, St Paul's Cray
- BR6: Orpington, Farnborough, Chelsfield, Green Street Green
- BR7: Chislehurst, Elmstead
How we help trades get found in Bromley
- Google Business Profile: service areas that match the parts of Bromley you actually cover.
- Your website: a Bromley page naming your areas and the jobs you do there, for homes, businesses or both.
- Reviews and photos: from real local jobs.
- Google Ads: targeted to the postcodes you want, with call tracking so you know what each job cost to win.
We know the ground you work on, so your marketing speaks your customers' language.
Working in Bromley, or want to be?
Get a free audit and we'll show you how you're showing up there.
