Case Study - John Doherty and Co Ltd

Monday 21 September 2026

More than 25 years of plumbing and heating, built on people

John Doherty served his apprenticeship with a Clydebank firm, then spent years as a supervisor on commercial projects right across the West of Scotland: schools, leisure centres, new build housing, military sites, council contracts and industrial units.

That grounding left him certain of one thing. The local area deserved a plumbing and heating service built on top quality work and proper standards. In May 1999 he set out to provide exactly that, and John Doherty and Co Ltd has been doing so ever since.

A firm that believes in training

John is a Master Plumber registered with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, a Fellow of that same institute, and a past President of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation. Education, training, mentoring and better standards are what he stands for, and it shows in the work.

The business has trained 19 apprentices over the years, with apprentices 18 and 19 completing their time in the last few months, one as a Plumber and Heating Engineer and one as a Joiner, both achieving SVQ Level 3 alongside other qualifications.

The range of that work is wide. On any given week the team might be servicing a domestic boiler, first fixing pipework on a commercial project, or fitting out a fully accessible washroom.

Joining the West Dunbartonshire Trusted Trader scheme

By the time the firm joined, it had already worked with West Dunbartonshire Council for well over 18 years, and with Scottish Water for almost 16. The vetting was straightforward. John asked clients to submit references, and these were accepted. Being vetted by Trading Standards sat naturally alongside the standards the firm already held itself to, so the scheme felt like a good fit from the start.

What membership has delivered

Membership has exceeded expectations. The business was built on local government contracts, subcontracting to builders, work with the insurance industry, and long relationships with property managers and letting agents. What the scheme has added is something new: a steady flow of private customers, right across the West of Scotland, that the firm simply did not have before.

John is in no doubt about the reason. The reviews coming through the scheme have been excellent, and those reviews are what bring people to the door. The firm has now been recognised for the Most Positive Reviews in the West Dunbartonshire scheme for five years running.

“The reviews have brought us private customers right across the West of Scotland that we never had before.”

Making the most of the scheme

The firm promotes its membership wherever it can. The Trusted Trader logo is on the fleet of 11 vans and on new business cards, the review widget goes out on every email, and review forms still go out alongside the Sage invoices. The scheme certificate is on display in the office. Customers see the accreditation at every turn, which keeps reinforcing that this is a properly vetted, reliable business.

When the firm has needed the team, for something as simple as reordering review forms, help has been easy to come by. Happily there has never been any need for support with a complaint or a review problem.

Looking ahead

The business continues to tender for public contracts, with real success in recent years, and there are plans for a company website to showcase the work. If funding allows, John would love to add to the 19 apprentices the firm has trained so far.

The recognition keeps coming too. Alongside five years of Most Positive Reviews, the firm holds a Contractor of the Decade Award from Craigdale Housing Association.

John Doherty
Director, John Doherty and Co Ltd

Accreditations include: Gas Safe Registered, WaterSafe, SNIPEF, CIPHE (Fellow), Constructionline Gold, Once For All, SEPA Waste Carrier Licence, CSCS Gold, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.

Common questions

What does Trading Standards vetted mean?
The business and its owners have been vetted by Trading Standards before being admitted to the scheme. Trading Standards vet the business and its owners, they do not check, inspect or approve the quality of the work carried out.

What areas does John Doherty and Co Ltd cover?
John Doherty and Co Ltd is based in Old Kilpatrick and works across West Dunbartonshire and the wider West of Scotland, for private customers as well as councils, housing associations, builders and property managers.

What services does John Doherty and Co Ltd offer?
Plumbing, central heating and gas work including boiler installation, servicing and repair, bathroom refurbishment, disabled adaptations and accessible washrooms, drainage, and joinery, for domestic and commercial customers.

• View John Doherty and Co Ltd's West Dunbartonshire Trusted Trader profile.
• Read John Doherty and Co Ltd's verified customer reviews.
• If you would like to become a Trusted Trader, you can apply here.
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