Best of Houzz is an annual award from the home-renovation platform Houzz, given to the professionals its community rates most highly for design or customer service.
View award source (opens in new tab)Public evidence profile
McGregor Bowes
Awards & recognition
1 independent award
Companies House
Active incorporated business
Trust Score
36out of 100
36 out of 100, with a caution: only 2 reviews held yet. A small public record keeps the evidence thin, and the score reflects that.
- Rated 4.5 from 2 reviews
How this score is worked out
Rating4.5 / 5
Review volumeLow · 2
Independent sources1 independent public source
CredentialsNo credentials shown yet
How this score is made up
What customers say17.8 of 60
Independent checks11.6 of 30
Track record6.3 of 10
See the independent checks
- Licences and credentials0 of 10.3
- Ways to reach them3.4 of 3.4
- Reviewed on more than one site0 of 5.1
- Registered company details5.1 of 5.1
- Photos of their work2.1 of 4.3
- Industry recognition0.9 of 1.7
Missing evidence lowers the score because we can't check it. It doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Claiming a profile never changes the score. Evidence context, not a guarantee of workmanship.
Trust at a glance
2 checksWhat we can verify about McGregor Bowes
Each card sums up one thing we can check from public sources. Open it for the full detail and the named source. This is evidence context, not a guarantee.
Awards & recognition1 independent awardSee detail →Companies HouseActive incorporated businessSee detail →
See the full verification checklist for McGregor Bowes →Independent recognition
Awards & recognition
These are independent third-party awards: recognition earned from review communities and trade bodies, never paid placement.
Companies House registration
ActiveActive incorporated business
McGregor Bowes is linked to a Companies House entry. This shows the business registration, not evidence of workmanship or service quality.
Legal nameMcGregor Bowes
Company numberSC478272
Incorporated
Official checkOn the public register
Why this helps you judge trust: this trader is linked to a registered company with named people who are legally accountable for it, on an official register anyone can check, a layer of accountability an unregistered trader doesn't offer. Around 12 years on the register also points to an established business rather than a brand-new one.
Reviews · public evidence
What customers say
These review totals are published independently on the named public source below, not testimonials this business chose to show. We show the aggregate rating, review volume, and source attribution we hold so you can weigh the evidence yourself.
4.5out of 5
Where these reviews are published
- Houzz2 reviews
Sources
2 named public sourcesWhere this information comes from
Everything on this page is drawn from named public sources. Where a source provides a public link, you can open the original and dig deeper.
Review sources
Business and public registers
Check dates vary by source. Where we hold a date, the check shows it.
About
McGregor Bowes is an award winning, architecture studio and project safety office, committed to conserving architecture, design excellence and considered, proportionate construction safety advice. Operating from Edinburgh, McGregor Bowes provides architectural and Principal Designer services to clients throughout Edinburgh and surrounding districts. The firm was established in 2010 by the principal, Chris Bowes, who has over 30 years' experience working in architectural practice, in firms based in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Hong Kong. Although he has a broad range of experience, Chris has particular expertise and interest in the care, restoration and sympathetic adaptation of historic buildings. Chris has worked on some of Scotland's most significant landmarks, such as: St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle and Fort George.
Services they list
Architects & Architectural DesignersArchitectural Technologists & DraughtsmenCAD Planning
Listed on public sources or the business's own website; check directly that they cover your job before you book.
Independent checks
About this business
How long they've really been tradingIndependent sources agree they've been operating since at least 2014. That's 12 years, confirmed across 2 separate sources.
Website online since2010They say, established2010Company registered2014Award-winning since2017
Your own checks
What to check before you hire
Worth checking yourself
Only a few public reviews are shown. Ask for recent references you can contact.
Their public evidence comes from a single source. Look them up on another site before deciding.
No credentials are shown here and the business has not claimed this profile. Ask to see certificates and insurance directly.
Verify at the sourceCheck them yourself
"Architect" is a title protected by law - only people on the official Architects Register (held by ARB) may use it. Confirm they're on it before you commission a design.
Check the Architects RegisterOnly someone on the Architects Registration Board (ARB) register may legally call themselves an 'architect' in the UK. Ask for their ARB number and check it free at arb.org.uk. An 'architectural designer' or 'technologist' is a different, unregistered role (often capable, but not the same protection).
Agree how they charge before any work starts (a percentage of the build cost, a fixed fee, or an hourly rate) and exactly which stages it covers (concept design, planning application, building-regulations drawings, work on site), so there are no surprises later.
Confirm what they will actually handle versus what is excluded (the planning application, the building-control drawings, and whether they will administer the builder's contract on site), and get it, and a portfolio of similar projects, in writing.
Want an extra legitimacy check? Run the Cowboy Checker on McGregor Bowes before you contact them.
Run Cowboy Checker →Good to know
Common questions about McGregor Bowes
Is McGregor Bowes a legitimate business?
McGregor Bowes has 2 independent public reviews, rated 4.5 out of 5. It is a registered business on Companies House, listed as active, and the public register shows no adverse status (no dissolution, insolvency or strike-off) against it. This is independent public evidence gathered from named public sources (no ads, no paid placement), not a guarantee of workmanship. If anything here is out of date, the business can request a correction.
What do customers say about McGregor Bowes?
McGregor Bowes has 2 public reviews, averaging 4.5 out of 5. The reviews section shows the aggregate rating, review volume, and review source information we hold.
How do I know McGregor Bowes' reviews are genuine?
McGregor Bowes' 2 public reviews come from a named public review source. MyTrustedTraders brings this public evidence together with no ads and no paid placement: we show the review source information and aggregate rating we hold rather than selling rankings, so you can weigh the evidence for yourself.
Has McGregor Bowes won any awards?
McGregor Bowes holds 1 independent award, including Best of Houzz winner (2017). These are third-party awards: recognition that has to be won, not self-issued.
Is McGregor Bowes a registered business?
McGregor Bowes is a registered business on Companies House (company number SC478272), incorporated 23 May 2014, listed as active. This confirms the legal registration of the business, not evidence of workmanship or service quality.
What does McGregor Bowes specialise in?
McGregor Bowes lists specialist services including Architects & Architectural Designers, Architectural Technologists & Draughtsmen, CAD Planning. If your job is one of these, look for it in their listed services or ask them to confirm for your project.
When was McGregor Bowes' website registered?
McGregor Bowes' website has been online since 2010, according to the public domain registry. This dates the website, not necessarily when the business began trading.
Andrew Megginson Architecture
44Trust ScoreBuilding a public recordout of 100
29 reviews
David Blaikie Architects
37Trust ScoreBuilding a public recordout of 100
2 reviews
Bergmark Architects
35Trust ScoreBuilding a public recordout of 100
1 review
block 9 Architects
35Trust ScoreBuilding a public recordout of 100
1 review
EdinHome Roughcasting
34Trust ScoreBuilding a public recordout of 100
18 reviews