Electricians in Birmingham have an average review rating of 9.82/10 – the highest of anywhere in Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Homeowners in Birmingham have the best chance of securing the services of an electrician with excellent reviews, new research from SGS Engineering has found.
SGS looked at the number of specialist tradespeople listed on TrustATrade, CheckaTrade and Rated People and calculated where in the UK the most highly rated plumbers, builders, electricians and painter/decorators are based.
In Birmingham there are currently 305 electricians listed online in total, with an average rating of 9.82 out of 10 – the highest score of anywhere in the UK.
London was close behind, with its electricians earning a very high average rating of 9.7 out of 10. At the bottom of the table is Cardiff.
| City | Number of Electricians Listed | Average Rating |
| Birmingham | 305 | 9.82/10 |
| London | 1,158 | 9.70/10 |
| Nottingham | 193 | 9.20/10 |
| Sheffield | 168 | 9.20/10 |
| Swansea | 28 | 9.20/10 |
| Preston | 126 | 9.19/10 |
| Coventry | 281 | 9.16/10 |
| Glasgow | 34 | 9.15/10 |
| Liverpool | 143 | 9.14/10 |
| Manchester | 191 | 9.14/10 |
Across the UK, the rating is reassuringly high, sitting at an average of 9.12/10. Perhaps unsurprisingly, London is home to the most builders with 1,158 listed.
Many homeowners are reportedly facing a battle to secure a highly rated tradesperson in their area, as over a third of households (35%) tackle a major renovation project this year.
The average spend on a home makeover is coming in at £15,461 per property in 2021, with the most popular jobs being replacing the kitchen (40%), renovating bathrooms (38%), and redesigning the living room/reception spaces (31%).
Though the cost of work is the most common concern when booking a tradesperson (67%), the majority (51%) also specifically look for ‘highly rated workers with plenty of positive reviews’.
Other aspects that are taken into consideration before booking a professional include the quoted start and completion dates for the project (42%), the tradesperson’s proposed hours of work (25%), and available payment plans (19%).
Dave Gordon, General Manager at SGS Engineering comments: “The way that we live was turned on its head when the coronavirus pandemic first hit and spending more time at home triggered a desire to adapt and improve our living spaces.
“It is encouraging to see that the British public are choosing to opt for tradespeople with great references. It’s also encouraging that so many tradespeople up and down the country are clearly doing great work and earning excellent reviews from their clients.”
SGS’ top tips on securing a highly rated tradesperson:
- Read online reviews
Check out what other people are saying about them first. That doesn’t mean that you should panic at the sight of a single bad review, but if a tradesperson is consistently receiving a wave of bad reviews, it is a red flag.
- Ask for recommendations
Asking friends and family for recommendations can be a great way to identify a potential tradesperson. The best way to hear about how a tradesperson handles a project is from someone who has experienced their work first-hand. If you can, go and see the work for yourself to assess the quality of finish, and ask questions about if the project finished on time, budget etc.
- Get multiple quotes
It makes sense to source a number of different quotes before deciding on a tradesperson. This is beneficial because receiving different quotes gives you a good idea of what a competitive price for the job is likely to be, and it also gives you a chance to gauge whether each tradesperson sounds trustworthy and credible before offering them the job.
