Our method, in full How we
rank.

Every firm in every table gets the same checks, scored the same way, from sources anyone can look up. The table is the score, highest first. Nothing else moves it.

14 trades 3 scored checks Method last updated 4 November 2026
The three checks Where the data comes from
A research desk at night with a laptop, printed review pages and a ticked checklist beside a rainy tenement window

The short version

Each firm is scored on reviews (4 points), vetting and registration (2.5 points) and track record (2 points). That gives a total out of 8.5, which we scale to a score out of ten. Nobody can pay for a place, and we confirm registrations with the register itself rather than trusting a logo.

The three checks

These three checks are scored for every firm in every table. House clearance adds a fourth check for recycling, explained below.

A fourth check, responsiveness, will test how quickly and clearly firms reply to a real enquiry. It has not been run yet, so current scores come from the three checks here, scaled to ten.

How each check is scored

Reviews

We count reviews on the platform where the firm has the most, usually Google, Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders or Trusted Trader. Volume matters because a 5.0 from twelve reviews tells you much less than a 4.9 from five hundred.

Review points on the main platform. Checkatrade scores out of ten are halved to compare with Google.
ReviewsVolume pointsAverage ratingRating points
600 or more2.45.01.2
400 to 5992.24.91.1
200 to 3992.04.80.95
150 to 1991.84.70.8
100 to 1491.64.60.65
80 to 991.4
60 to 791.2
40 to 591.0
20 to 390.7

A second independent platform adds 0.4 points with 50 or more reviews averaging 4.8 or higher, or 0.2 points with 10 to 49. A poor showing on a second platform takes 0.2 points off.

Vetting and registration

What earns full marks depends on the trade, because some trades have an official register and others do not. We search each register or directory by company name ourselves.

What earns full marks on our second check, by trade
TradeFull marks for
ElectriciansConfirmed on the SELECT or NICEIC register
Gas engineersConfirmed on the Gas Safe Register
PlumbersConfirmed on the Gas Safe Register or the SNIPEF directory
LocksmithsConfirmed on the Master Locksmiths Association directory
Window fittersConfirmed on the Glass and Glazing Federation member directory
House clearanceWaste carrier registration confirmed on the SEPA public register
Builders, joiners, kitchen and bathroom fitters, tilersIndependent vetting, plus credit for a named registration or approval and a second vetting scheme
Plasterers, roofers, painters and decoratorsIndependent vetting, plus named qualifications, trade bodies or manufacturer approvals

Below full marks, independent vetting by Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders, Trusted Trader or TrustATrader scores 1.6, with small additions for a named registration and a second scheme. A firm that names no vetting or trade body at all scores 1.0.

Track record

  • 10 years or more, confirmed by Companies House or a membership date: 2.0
  • 7 to 9 years: 1.7. Claims on a firm's own website are capped here.
  • 4 to 6 years: 1.4
  • Under 4 years: 1.0
  • Unknown: 1.2

We take points off for overdue filings or liquidation (0.3), an active proposal to strike off (0.6), a dissolved company still trading under its name, a website that no longer works, or claims that contradict each other.

House clearance: the recycling check

House clearance tables add a fourth check worth 3 points for recycling, so the total is out of 11.5 and then scaled to ten. A published rate of 90% or more recycled or kept out of landfill scores 3.0, 80 to 89% scores 2.4, a recycling policy with no figure scores 1.2, and nothing at all scores 0.6. Rates are as published by each firm; we cannot audit them.

Ties

Firms on the same rounded score are split by the unrounded score, then by review count.

Where the data comes from

For each trade we build a long list of 30 to 50 firms working in Glasgow, then check the strongest 15 to 20 in depth. Every figure on a table is dated, and the sources are public, so you can check them yourself.

  • Reviews: Google Maps, Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders, the Trading Standards backed Trusted Trader scheme, TrustATrader, MyBuilder and Trustpilot.
  • Registers: the Gas Safe Register, NICEIC, SELECT, SNIPEF, the Master Locksmiths Association, the Glass and Glazing Federation and the SEPA register of waste carriers.
  • Company records: Companies House, for incorporation dates, filing status and insolvency notices.
  • Firm websites: for services, areas covered and published claims, which we treat as claims until we can confirm them elsewhere.

When a source blocks our checks, for example with a CAPTCHA, we say so in the method note on that table rather than guessing.

Who we leave out

  • National firms and call centres that pass jobs to subcontractors, because their reviews do not tell you who will turn up.
  • Suppliers and merchants that sell products but do not do the work.
  • Specialists in a different trade, such as a door company on the window fitters table.
  • Firms we cannot verify, with no independent reviews or no way to confirm they trade from the address they give.

Independence

No firm can pay to be listed, to move up or to see its score before it is published. Some firms pay to be on platforms such as Checkatrade or Which? Trusted Traders. That counts in our scoring only because those schemes check identity, insurance and references, not because the firm paid.

Every table is reviewed once a year. Any firm can ask to be assessed through our free assessment page, and anyone can send a correction through our contact page.

Questions

Can a firm pay to be ranked or to move up?

No. A place in a table cannot be bought, and firms cannot pay to change their score. Getting assessed is free.

Why do some tables have lower scores than others?

Trades with an official register, such as gas engineers and electricians, can earn full marks on our second check when we confirm them on that register. Trades with no register, such as plasterers or locksmiths, rely on vetting schemes, which score less.

Why is a firm with more reviews below a firm with fewer?

Reviews are one of three checks. A firm with fewer reviews can rank higher if we confirmed its registration and it has a longer track record.

What happens if you get something wrong?

Tell us through the contact page, with the page and what needs correcting. We check every correction against the original source and update the page if we were wrong.

Run a trade in Glasgow?

Send us your registrations and where we can read your reviews. Getting assessed is free. Getting ranked is earned.

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