How we rank
How we rank
The checks we make, the firms we leave out and the exact weightings behind every Top 5 on the site.
Last updated 3 November 2026
The short version
For every service and city we find the firms people actually see when they search, check whether each one is a real, licensed local business, and score the genuine ones out of 10 using the same weighting. The five highest scores make the Top 5. Rankings are based on our own research. Companies cannot pay to be included or to change their position. Any sponsored or featured placement would always be clearly labelled.
Step 1: building the shortlist
We start with every business that appears in Google's local results for the service in that city, for example "house clearance Glasgow". For some services, such as office clearance, where local results are dominated by other types of business, we also search for specialists with a real base serving the city.
Step 2: checking each firm
- Is it real and local? We look for a trading address, a Companies House record where the firm is a limited company, and evidence of a yard, depot or local team.
- Is it licensed? We look for a published waste carrier number (Environment Agency in England, SEPA in Scotland, Natural Resources Wales in Wales), site permits and insurance.
- What do customers say? We record the Google rating and number of reviews, and check other platforms such as Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? Trusted Traders and TrustATrader, including negative themes.
- What happens to your waste? We note recycling, reuse and donation claims, and treat them as the company's own claims unless they are independently certified.
- How transparent is it? Published prices, clear terms and a clear list of what it can and cannot take all count in a firm's favour.
Step 3: who we leave out
- Booking sites, brokers and lead generation networks that pass your job to another firm.
- Companies that are dissolved, and listings we cannot tie to a real business, including listings that trace back to the same serviced office.
- National firms with no depot or team serving the city.
- Separate brands of the same company are treated as one firm.
- We may also leave out any company at our editorial discretion.
Step 4: scoring out of 10
Each firm is scored out of 10 using the same weighting for every city. The weighting differs slightly by service, because what matters for an office clearance is not the same as for a skip.
Skip hire
| Weight | Factor | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer reviews | Rating and volume on Google, plus Trustpilot, Checkatrade and others where available |
| 25% | Operator and licensing | Own skips, lorries and yard; published waste carrier and site permit numbers |
| 15% | Recycling | Own sorting facility and stated recycling or landfill diversion |
| 15% | Service and transparency | Size range, wait and load, published prices, clear terms |
| 10% | Track record | Years trading, company records and accreditations |
House clearance
| Weight | Factor | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer reviews | Rating and volume on Google, plus Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? and TrustATrader where available |
| 25% | Licensing and insurance | Published waste carrier number, insurance cover and real premises |
| 15% | Reuse and recycling | Charity donations, resale and stated landfill diversion |
| 15% | Service and transparency | Probate, bereavement and hoarder work, fixed quotes, published prices |
| 10% | Track record | Years trading, company records and accreditations |
Junk clearance
| Weight | Factor | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer reviews | Rating and volume on Google, plus Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? and TrustATrader where available |
| 25% | Licensing and insurance | Published waste carrier number, insurance cover and real premises |
| 15% | Reuse and recycling | Sorting, donation and stated recycling or landfill diversion |
| 15% | Service and transparency | Published prices, same day or next day slots, single item collections, clear quotes |
| 10% | Track record | Years trading, company records and accreditations |
Office clearance
| Weight | Factor | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer reviews | Rating and volume on Google, plus Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? and TrustATrader where available |
| 25% | Licensing and insurance | Published waste carrier number, insurance, accreditations such as ISO, CHAS and SafeContractor, real premises |
| 15% | Reuse and recycling | Furniture reuse, resale and donation, WEEE recycling and stated landfill diversion |
| 15% | Commercial capability | Dedicated office service, IT and data disposal, confidential waste, out of hours work, certificates |
| 10% | Track record | Years trading, company records and accreditations |
Garage clearance
| Weight | Factor | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| 35% | Customer reviews | Rating and volume on Google, plus Trustpilot, Checkatrade, Which? and TrustATrader where available |
| 25% | Licensing and insurance | Published waste carrier number, insurance cover and real premises |
| 15% | Reuse and recycling | Donation of tools, bikes and furniture, scrap metal recycling and stated landfill diversion |
| 15% | Service and transparency | Garage clearance service, clear rules on awkward items, published prices, same or next day slots |
| 10% | Track record | Years trading, company records and accreditations |
What our scores are, and are not
Scores are our judgement, based on the evidence we could find on the date shown on each page. Licence numbers are as published by each company or listed on review platforms; we have not checked every one against the regulator's register, so we always recommend that you check it yourself before you book. Our guide to checking a waste carrier licence shows you how.
Rankings change as firms change. If you think a ranking is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will look again. See our editorial policy for how we handle corrections.