How we find, verify, score, and rank contractors — with full transparency about every step.
Our Core Principle
No contractor can pay to rank higher. No sponsored placements. No pay-to-play. Rankings are 100% data-driven.
We collect contractor data from public sources including Google Maps, state licensing databases, and business registries. We focus on contractors actively operating in each city with a verifiable online presence.
Every contractor is cross-referenced against their state's contractor licensing board. We verify that the contractor holds an active license in the appropriate trade category. Unlicensed contractors are excluded from our listings.
We calculate a quality score using a weighted formula: Google rating × log(review count + 1). This rewards contractors with both high ratings and a meaningful volume of reviews — preventing contractors with a single 5-star review from outranking those with hundreds of verified reviews.
Contractors are ranked within each trade and city by their quality score. The ranking is purely algorithmic — no contractor can pay for a higher position. Featured placement is reserved for contractors who meet additional verification criteria.
Contractor data is refreshed periodically. License status, ratings, and review counts are updated to reflect current standing. Contractors whose licenses lapse or whose ratings fall below our minimum threshold are removed or flagged.
Our editorial team reviews contractor profiles for accuracy and completeness. We do not accept payment for editorial coverage, placement, or removal. Our rankings reflect data, not business relationships.
This formula balances rating quality with review volume. A contractor with a 4.9 rating and 200 reviews will score higher than one with a 5.0 rating and 2 reviews — because a larger sample of verified reviews is a stronger signal of consistent quality.
We use the natural logarithm to prevent review count from completely dominating the score. A contractor with 1,000 reviews doesn't score 10× higher than one with 100 reviews — the marginal value of additional reviews diminishes over time.