How the lists are ranked
Every list in this guide comes from the same method, applied by a script to public data. No business can pay to be listed or to move up, and no position is adjusted by hand. Every figure is stored with its source and the date it was read.
Who is considered
Candidates come from Google Maps searches for each trade in each Auckland area (66 searches, Auckland location, checked 6 October and 10 October 2026), plus name searches for businesses that have a referral arrangement with the publisher, so those businesses are measured from the same source as everyone else.
Eligibility: every rule must be met
- A real, operating business: a Google Business Profile whose primary category fits the trade, and its own website that loaded on the check date.
- Offers the service: the business's own website names the service (for example, "borer" for the borer list). Listed businesses are checked by hand.
- Serves the area: for an area list, the Google listing is located in that area, or the business's own website names at least three of the area's suburbs. A general claim to cover "all of Auckland" is not enough for an area list.
- Enough reviews to judge: a Google rating of 4.0 or higher from at least 10 reviews. Newer businesses without enough reviews are not rated yet; they are considered again at each refresh.
- Listed once: a business with several Google listings appears once, using the listing with more reviews.
- Does the work itself: directories, marketplaces and lead-generation websites that pass enquiries to other businesses are excluded, whatever their ratings. Franchise brands are listed when the Google listing belongs to a local outlet; national booking pages that are not tied to one outlet are excluded.
- Passes a hand-check: each business that would appear on a list is checked by hand against its own website (that it offers the service, that the listing and website are the same business, and that it serves Auckland). Businesses that fail are counted, not named, under each list.
The score, out of 100
| Criterion | Points | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|
| Review quality | 35 | The Google rating adjusted for sample size: each rating is pulled toward the average for the trade by the equivalent of 25 reviews, so 5.0 from 6 reviews does not beat 4.9 from 300. An adjusted 4.0 scores 0 and 5.0 scores 35. |
| Review volume | 20 | On a log scale: about 8 points for 10 reviews, 15 for 100 and the full 20 from 500. |
| Verifiable history | 15 | One point per year since the earliest date that can be checked: the NZ Companies Register incorporation date of the company named on the business's own website, or the registration date of its website domain. Maximum 15. Years a business states about itself are shown where relevant but are not scored. |
| Published pricing | 15 | 8 points if the business's own website shows at least one price for this service, 15 if it shows three or more. |
| Industry membership | 10 | Listed in the trade body's public member directory where one exists: PMANZ for pest trades, Master Painters NZ for roof painting. Trades with no such directory are scored out of 90 and scaled to 100. |
| Areas named | 5 | The website names the suburbs or areas it serves. |
Ties are broken by the number of Google reviews. Auckland-wide lists show the top 10 and area lists the top 7; every other eligible business is shown in a table under each list, with its score.
What this guide does not do
- It does not test services, mystery-shop or visit businesses, and it does not claim to have used any of them.
- It does not copy review text. Ratings and review counts are shown as totals, with the date they were read.
- It does not show any business its ranking before publication, and it does not accept payment for placement.
- It does not name individual people. Businesses are described from their own websites.
Public sources
- Google Maps listings (rating, review count, category, location), read through a search data provider.
- Each business's own website (services, areas, published prices).
- NZ Companies Register and public domain registration records.
- PMANZ Find a Professional and Master Painters NZ Find a Painter.
Refresh and corrections
The data is re-checked at least every 3 months and each list shows its check date. Anyone can report an error or ask for a business to be removed; see the corrections and removals policy. Referral relationships are listed on the disclosure page.