How we list businesses

Every trade register in the Cotswolds Trades network follows the rules on this page. Each register also has its own copy of this page, with its own figures.

How a firm gets on a register

1. We find the firm on its own website, on Companies House or on a trade register.
2. We confirm that it is trading: a working website, an active company record or a current register entry.
3. We search the public registers and record the date of each check.
4. We check each listing again at least every 90 days.

One firm, one record

A firm is one record in one shared list, tagged with every trade it does. A roofer that also does building work appears on both registers from the same record. So when a firm corrects its details, the correction shows on every register at once.

Where the data comes from

We build the lists from primary sources: firms’ own websites, Companies House and the public registers of trade bodies. We do not copy listings, reviews or photos from other directories. Each firm’s page lists every source we used.

Who we list

We list a firm when it says it does that trade in the Cotswolds and we can confirm it is trading. We leave out firms whose website is gone and whose company is dissolved.

What the checks mean

A check means we found the firm on that register on the date shown. Where the register has a page for each firm, the check links to that record. Where the register has only a search, the check links to that search and says “Search the register”.

We show a check only when the name on the register matches the firm’s name, its registered company name, or another name we can show it uses. If the names do not match, we leave the check off until we can confirm it.

If we did not find a firm on a register, we show nothing for that register. We never say a firm is “not registered”, because a search can miss a firm that trades under another name.

We do not check the quality of the work, prices or insurance. Always ask for proof of insurance and a written quote.

Towns

Every register has a page for each of the same 13 towns. We list a firm on a town page only with evidence that it covers the town: its own website says so, it told us, or it is based there. If fewer than 3 listed firms cover a town, the page says so and links to nearby towns.

Which firms get a page

Every firm we list appears in the lists. A firm also gets a page of its own when we know at least one service it offers and we have a phone number or a website for it.

How we sort listings

On a town page, firms based in the area come first, then firms based nearby, by distance. On other lists, firms found on a trade register come first, then A to Z. Nobody pays for position.

How often we check

We check each listing at least every 90 days. Firms can ask us to correct or remove a listing at any time, on any register.