Standards · Methodology
How we choose
Every business on a Local List is chosen with the same checks. Nobody can pay to get on a list, change their label or change what we wrote.
We start with every business we can find for a job in a city, keep only open businesses with a phone number and enough real reviews, compare their public records, and label each one we keep by what it does best instead of ranking it. Every list shows when it was last checked.
The method
The checks
We start with the whole market
Each list begins with every business we can find in that category serving the city, from public business listings. Businesses don’t apply, and they can’t opt in.
We check the basics
A business must be open, reachable by phone and have at least ten public reviews with an average of 4.0 or better before it is considered.
We weigh the rating fairly
A 4.9 from a dozen reviews says less than a 4.8 from several hundred, so we adjust each rating for how many reviews it rests on.
We look at the whole record
Alongside the rating we compare review volume, how recently new reviews arrived, years in business and how complete the business’s public details are.
We check the records
Where public sources allow, we look up the state license and business registration, note permit history and the dates on an insurance certificate the business sends us. Each profile shows every check with its source and date.
We label, and say why
Each business we keep gets a label for what it does best and a short description based on its record. We never invent reviews, awards or prices.
Labels, not ranks
What our labels mean
We don’t number businesses. The right company for one job is a poor choice for another, so labels tell you what each one stands out for.
- Editor’s Pick
- The strongest overall record on the list across all our checks. One per list.
- Reader Favorite
- The business with the most customer reviews on the list, among those that passed our checks.
- Longtime Local
- The longest-established business on the list.
- Best for Value
- The most affordable price level on the list.
- Best for Premium Projects
- The highest price level on the list, for bigger or more custom jobs.
- Rising Star
- A younger business with a strong rating.
Keeping lists current
How often we check, and when a business leaves a list
Ratings, review counts and contact details are rechecked regularly, and each list shows the date it was last updated.
A business leaves a list if it closes, stops answering its listed phone or no longer meets our basic checks. We never remove a business because it declined to buy anything from us.
How we make money
Who pays us, and what they can’t buy
Labelled sponsored placements, optional enhanced profiles and quote referral fees. None of them can buy a place on a list, a better label or a changed sentence. More on how we make money.
Tools
What software does here
We use software to gather public records, review counts and opening hours, to apply the checks above the same way for every business, and to help draft descriptions from those records. Every description is based only on the record; if a fact comes from a data source, the page names the source.
When we get it wrong
Corrections and complaints
Readers and businesses can report errors at any time on our corrections page. We check every report against the source and fix what’s wrong. Businesses can also claim their profile to keep their details current.
Readers ask
Questions about how we choose
Do your editors visit every business before it makes the list?
No, and we won’t pretend otherwise. Our editors read the public record: ratings and the reviews behind them, years in business, and license and registration lookups. When something in the record raises a question, we check it before the business goes on the list.
Why is a business on one edition’s list and gone from the next?
Each edition starts again from the whole local market. A business drops off if it closes, stops answering its listed phone, slips below our review threshold or no longer passes a record check. Nobody leaves for declining to buy something.
Does the list change from one neighborhood to the next?
A city list covers the whole edition, but each entry says whether the business is based nearby or only serves the area. Where we have enough businesses, we print neighborhood notes of their own.
When is the best time to read a new edition?
Every list carries the date it was last checked. For seasonal work, read it a month or two before the busy season starts, while good companies still have openings.