Northants Recommends
The best rated local businesses in Northamptonshire, picked from thousands of real customer reviews. Find trusted trades, services and places to eat in your town.
Find trusted local businesses in Northamptonshire
Finding a good plumber, electrician or roofer you can trust is harder than it should be. Search results are full of adverts and directories that list anyone who pays. Northants Recommends is different. We look at what real customers say on Google and only list businesses that consistently get great reviews.
Every list covers one trade in one town, from Northampton and Kettering to Corby, Wellingborough, Daventry and Towcester. Each one shows up to 12 of the best rated local businesses, with their star rating, number of reviews, the areas they cover and a map so you can see who is nearest to you.
NorthantsLife has been covering Northamptonshire for years, and these lists are built by the same local team. Nobody can pay to be included, and we check every list each month so it stays up to date.
Browse by town
Pick your town to see every category we cover.
Northampton
22 categories of recommended local businessesKettering
8 categories of recommended local businessesCorby
9 categories of recommended local businessesWellingborough
10 categories of recommended local businessesDaventry
11 categories of recommended local businessesTowcester
11 categories of recommended local businessesBrowse by trade
Looking for a particular type of business? Pick the trade and then your town.
Accountants
Beauty salons
Cafés
Car garages
Carpets & flooring
Chimney sweeps
Cleaning companies
Electricians
Estate agents
Furniture companies
Gardeners
Hairdressers
Plasterers
Plumbers
Printers
Restaurants
Roofers
Solicitors
Taxis
Window cleaners
How we pick our recommended businesses
Nobody can pay to get on a list or to move up it. Here’s how a business earns its place.
How to choose a good local business
Our lists are a great starting point. These checks will help you pick the right one for your job.
Read the recent reviews
A high star rating is a good start, but read the last few months of reviews too. They tell you how the business is doing now, not three years ago.
Get more than one quote
For bigger jobs, ask two or three businesses to quote. It helps you understand a fair price and what should be included.
Check the right accreditations
Gas engineers must be Gas Safe registered. Electricians should be NICEIC or NAPIT registered. Look for TrustMark or trade body membership too.
Ask about insurance
Any trade working in or on your home should have public liability insurance. A good business will happily show you proof.
Get it in writing
Ask for a written quote that sets out the work, the price, the timings and what happens if something changes.
Be wary of big upfront payments
A deposit for materials can be normal, but paying most of the cost before work starts is a risk. Pay in stages for larger jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What is Northants Recommends?
Northants Recommends is a free guide from NorthantsLife to the best rated local businesses in Northamptonshire. It covers trades and services such as plumbers, electricians, roofers, gardeners, estate agents, solicitors and hairdressers across six towns.
How do you choose which businesses to list?
We only list businesses with a Google rating of 4.5 stars or higher and at least 10 reviews. We then rank them using both their rating and how many reviews they have, so a business with hundreds of great reviews ranks above one with only a handful.
Can a business pay to be listed or to rank higher?
No. Nobody can pay to be included or to move up a list. Businesses can pay for a featured listing with extra details, but that never changes where they rank.
How often are the lists updated?
We check every list each month. Businesses that drop below our standards are removed and new ones that qualify are added.
Which towns do you cover?
We currently cover Northampton, Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Daventry and Towcester, along with the villages around them. We plan to add more towns and trades over time.
How can I get my business listed?
If your business meets our review standards it may already be on a list. You can claim your listing, ask about a featured listing or tell us about your business on our get listed page.
I have spotted a mistake. How do I tell you?
If a business has closed, moved or has the wrong details, let us know through the get listed form and we will check and update it.
Run a local business?
Find out how to get listed or claim your listing on Northants Recommends.