How we rank trade suppliers
Our rankings exist to answer one question honestly: which suppliers do Australian tradies actually rate the highest? Here's exactly how that's decided — and why a brand can't buy its way up.
Verified tradies only
Votes count when they come from a verified tradie — confirmed by identity, ABN or a trade licence. No anonymous drive-by reviews.
Recent votes matter more
A supplier is only as good as they are today. Newer votes carry more weight; older ones gently fade, so the table reflects the present.
No paid placement
Position can never be bought. Claiming a page or going Pro adds brand content — it has zero effect on rank. Ever.
1. Who gets a vote
Only verified Australian tradies can shape the rankings. A tradie is verified through identity confirmation, a registered ABN, or a verified trade licence. Each tradie gets one vote per supplier, and a verified tradie's vote is weighted 1.5× a standard one — because skin-in-the-game opinions should count for more.
2. The eight things tradies rate
A single star rating hides too much. Tradies score every supplier across eight dimensions that actually decide a workday:
3. How the score is built
Each supplier's position is driven by a single QuoteScore — a weighted average of every eligible vote:
- Verification weighting — verified tradies' votes count 1.5×.
- Recency weighting — votes under 6 months old count in full, then taper, so stale opinions can't prop a supplier up.
- A minimum threshold — a supplier needs at least 3 verified votes to be ranked. Below that they're listed as "Not yet ranked" rather than given a flattering position off one review.
Note: the star rating shown on a profile is the plain average of all votes — easy to read. The QuoteScore (which decides order) layers the weightings on top.
4. Movement & freshness
Rankings are live. As new votes land, positions shift — and we show each supplier's 30-day movement (▲ up / ▼ down) so you can see who's trending. A supplier earns their spot continuously; no one is grandfathered in.
Our independence promise
QuoteTrades makes money from tools and brand subscriptions — never from ranking position. There is no "sponsored #1", no pay-to-rank, no quietly boosted listings. A brand can claim its page, add its story and respond to reviews, but the order is set by tradies alone. If we ever can't stand behind a number, we don't publish it.