Our one rule: no business can buy its way into a Top 5. The organic five are chosen on merit alone. The only paid option is a clearly-labelled Featured placement, shown separately above the list — it never changes who makes the Top 5.
How we research every list
Our method is the same for every trade in every town, so a plumber in Gloucester is judged the same way as a roofer in Norwich. For each list we work through five steps:
- Map the local market. We identify the businesses actually trading in the area for that trade — who's genuinely operating locally, not just who buys the most directory ads.
- Weigh the reviews. We read verified reviews across Google, Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders, Trustpilot and TrustATrader, looking at consistency, volume and recency rather than a single star rating — and we factor in social-media recommendations and genuine word of mouth.
- Check the credentials. Where accreditation matters we verify it: Gas Safe for plumbers and boiler engineers, NICEIC or NAPIT for electricians, FMB membership and insurance for builders, and workmanship guarantees and public-liability cover for others.
- Look for real local evidence. An established website, a real trading history, photos of completed work and a clear service area all count. Cold-callers and businesses with no verifiable footprint do not.
- Make the call — only five. We publish the five businesses we'd genuinely recommend to a friend. No more, no less.
What we don't do
- We don't sell your enquiry to multiple companies, like a lead-generation site.
- We don't let businesses pay for an organic Top 5 spot.
- We don't publish star ratings we can't stand behind, and we don't game review platforms.
Featured placements, kept separate
We offer one Featured placement per page for a local business — always clearly labelled and shown above the organic Top 5. It's how we keep the lights on, and it's completely separate from the research. A Featured business has no influence over who appears in the Top 5, and the Top 5 is never sold.
How often we update
We aim to review every list at least once every three months, and each page shows when it was last reviewed. Trades change — businesses close, standards slip, new firms emerge — so a list is only useful if it's kept current.
Spot something wrong?
If you think a listing is out of date or inaccurate, or you're a business that believes it should be considered, please get in touch and we'll look into it promptly.
Who's behind Top5Trades
Stu Clark
Stu spent over 15 years in the trades — as a plumber, then running his own plumbing and bathroom-renovation company and a team of eight. He built Top5Trades to give homeowners the kind of shortlist you'd get from someone who actually knows the industry. More about us →