Birmingham’s local services: who’s where

A city the size of Birmingham has a properly deep bench of local businesses. Harborne, Quinton, Bearwood, Edgbaston, Deritend and Sparkbrook each have their own cluster of trades and shops, and the directory covers all of them.

667 Birmingham businesses are currently listed on WotsItCalled, heavy on Harborne, Quinton, Bearwood and Edgbaston. You can see everything listed in Birmingham on one page, or drill down by category below.

The local trades you’ll actually need

Most of the listed trades sit in the west-side suburbs. Quinton and Harborne have more than their share of electricians and plumbers, Bearwood and Edgbaston fill in the rest, and Deritend picks up more of the central commercial and workshop work.

Quality varies wildly, and the gap between reviewed firms and unreviewed cowboys is wider here than in most cities. Stick to listings with real review counts, ask for a Gas Safe number up front on boiler work, and get quotes in writing before anyone starts.

• Plumbers: 18 Birmingham plumbers listed, covering everything from boiler swaps to emergency call-outs. BDS Services does both plumbing and air con installs.
• Electricians: 19 Birmingham electricians. ELECSAN LTD in Quinton stands out on review count as one of the most-reviewed domestic sparks on the directory.
• Car mechanics: Birmingham garages. J C Motors and A D H Automotive in Deritend both get strong reviews for MOTs and servicing.
• Builders: Birmingham builders. Euro Housing Builders in Harborne is worth a look for extensions, and the Federation Of Master Builders listing is a good place to start vetting.

In a city this big you’ll nearly always find someone local. If your first three calls go to voicemail, the category pages usually have another dozen in the same postcode area.

Where to eat, drink, and grab a coffee

There’s a lot more to eating out here than balti. The directory has the long-established curry houses, newer cafes in Harborne and Edgbaston, and a good number of pubs that still serve food until 9pm without charging sourdough prices.

Away from the city centre, Harborne, Kings Heath, Stirchley and Moseley each have their own run of independents. The neighbourhood version of Birmingham eating is often the best one, and that’s where most of the listings are.

• Restaurants: Birmingham restaurants, including Keyih Bahri Restaurant for Eritrean food.
• Cafes and coffee shops: Birmingham cafes, including Haven Centre PAYF Cafe and The Coffee Bar Collective.
• Pubs and bars: 25 Birmingham pubs and bars. The Flapper is one of the city’s best-known indie venues, and THE BUG AND BARREL is another.
• Takeaways: Birmingham takeaways in every postcode.

Hair, beauty, health, and wellbeing

Birmingham has a strong spread of beauty salons. Harborne, Quinton and Greet all have several, and barbers and hairdressers are just as well covered. Dentists and gyms make up the health side.

The city also has one of the highest concentrations of dental and aesthetic clinics in the country, partly because it draws patients from across the Midlands. Shop around on price for cosmetic work, because clinics can charge very different amounts for the same treatment.

• Hairdressers and barbers: Birmingham salons and barbers. Strand & Lock in Deritend is the pick for modern cuts and colour.
• Beauty salons: 17 Birmingham beauty salons listed. FOZIA’S HAIR AND BEAUTY in Greet is one of the top-rated.
• Dentists: Birmingham dentists, including Teeth & Face for cosmetic work.
• Gyms: Birmingham gyms. The Pit Gym in the Jewellery Quarter and Jolene Speake Personal Training in Harborne are both well reviewed.

Professional services

As the business centre of the Midlands, Birmingham needs solicitors, accountants and estate agents in volume. Quinton, Harborne and Edgbaston have the most independents.

For small business work, the independent accountants listed tend to be more flexible on fixed fees than the bigger city-centre firms, which is worth knowing if you’re a sole trader or run a small limited company.

• Solicitors: Birmingham solicitors, including ASL Solicitors & Advocates.
• Accountants: Birmingham accountants. TaxAssist Accountants in Quinton is one of the most-reviewed on the directory.
• Estate agents: Birmingham estate agents. Humberstones Homes in Quinton is a strong local independent.

What’s changed lately

Harborne and the Jewellery Quarter have picked up a run of new independent cafes, bars and salons over the past couple of years, and the wider suburbs keep adding trades and services at a steady rate. New listings go up almost daily across the directory.

If you know a Birmingham business that should be on here and isn’t, flag it and it’ll usually be added within a few days, free. The directory only works because people use it.

The short version

• 667 Birmingham businesses listed, weighted toward the west side.
• Harborne, Quinton, Bearwood and Edgbaston are the busiest areas on the directory.
• 265 car mechanics and garages listed.
• Pubs and electricians are well covered too.
• Every listing links through to a real phone number, and you don’t need an account to see it.

WotsItCalled is a free UK business directory. No signup, no catch. Browse everything listed in Birmingham, or find the place everyone’s on about.