Most people search the wrong word
Method version 1Someone with a wet ceiling looks for a plumber when the job needs a roofer. Someone whose aircond blows warm air books a service when the unit needs a capacitor. The gap between how a fault gets described and what the trade calls it is where time and money go missing.
So we write the problem list before we write a single company profile. Every problem sits in the database with a recommended trade, alternatives when the cause is unclear, related problems, the cities where that trade is listed, and the guide worth reading before hiring anyone.
Two signals sit on this site and they stay apart. Best rated comes from public Google review data with the date we checked it. Local Elite comes from our own assessment and a named editor's approval. Averaging them would hide what each one means.
How a company gets into the register
Four stagesFor each city and trade we build a first list of ten to fifteen companies. Not by rating alone. Established names, strong review histories, strong portfolios, local specialists and newer companies all get a place.
We record what can be checked: registration details, address, service areas, services, project records, public reviews, official social accounts, licences and certificates. Each field carries its source.
Six weighted criteria produce a score out of 100. Local Elite needs 85 or above, plus an eligibility gate and a named editor's approval. Insufficient data means no level, not a low one.
Rating data gets rechecked inside 90 days. Every record shows the date it was last reviewed. Companies and customers can send corrections at any time and we log what changed.
The assessment, weighted
Six criteria, 100 points| Criteria | Weight | Evidence we read |
|---|---|---|
| Customer feedback | 25% | Public reviews per platform, read separately, never averaged |
| Work evidence | 20% | Project records with scope, date and location |
| Local presence | 20% | Address, service areas, years working in the city |
| Transparency | 15% | Registered name, registration number, contact routes |
| Digital presence | 10% | Official website and social accounts, kept current |
| Data freshness | 10% | Completeness, no conflicts, recent check date |