How to Check a Contractor's Reviews and References the Right Way

Start with Google Business Profile, but read past the star average

Google Business Profile reviews are usually the first thing homeowners see, and they are a reasonable starting point, but the overall star rating is the least useful number on the page. A contractor with 4.6 stars from 12 reviews and one with 4.6 stars from 200 reviews are not comparable businesses. Volume matters as much as the average.

• Sort by most recent and check whether reviews are still coming in regularly, not clustered from years ago
• Read a handful of the one and two star reviews specifically, and see how the business responded
• Look for reviews that mention the actual type of work you need, a great review for a furnace tune-up says little about deck-building quality
• Be cautious of a sudden spike of five-star reviews posted within days of each other, which can suggest a review-gating campaign

A business owner who replies calmly and specifically to a negative review, even a fair one, tells you more than a wall of five-star praise. Defensive or angry replies to criticism are worth noting.

Check the Better Business Bureau for complaint history

The Better Business Bureau, commonly known as BBB, is less about star ratings and more about formal complaint history and how a business handled disputes. A BBB profile shows whether complaints were filed, what they were about, and whether the business responded and resolved them. This is different information from a Google review and worth checking separately.

Not every legitimate small contractor has a BBB profile, particularly newer or very small operations, so the absence of a listing is not automatically a red flag. What matters more is what shows up if a profile does exist.

Use HomeStars for trade-specific detail

HomeStars is built specifically around home renovation and trade work, which makes its reviews often more detailed than a general Google review. Homeowners on HomeStars tend to describe the actual scope of the job, the timeline, and whether the final price matched the quote, details that matter a great deal for planning a deck build, a concrete pour, or a roofing job.

• Look at how many jobs of your specific type the contractor has documented
• Check whether photos are included and whether they look like the same style of work you want
• Note the score breakdown if available, not just the overall number, since categories like punctuality and clean-up vary independently

As with any review platform, cross-reference what you see on HomeStars against Google and BBB rather than relying on one source alone. A contractor who looks great on one platform and is absent or negative on another deserves a closer look before you proceed.

Ask for two or three recent references, and actually call them

Online reviews are useful, but they are also easy to game and impossible to ask follow-up questions of. A short phone call with a recent customer gives you something no review platform can: the chance to ask specific questions about your exact situation.

1. 01

   Ask for references from the last six months

   Older references may reflect a business that has since changed crews, ownership, or quality standards.

2. 02

   Request a project similar to yours

   A reference for a small repair does not tell you much if you are planning a full driveway replacement or a new deck.

3. 03

   Call, do not just email

   A phone conversation lets you pick up on hesitation or tone that a written reply hides. Most people are candid on the phone if asked directly.

4. 04

   Ask about the parts reviews rarely cover

   Did the crew show up when promised, was the final invoice close to the quote, and would they hire this contractor again for a different job.

A contractor who hesitates to give you any recent references, or only offers references from years ago, is telling you something. Most established businesses have satisfied recent customers who are willing to spend five minutes on the phone.

Spotting reviews that were not written by real customers

Fake or incentivized reviews are more common than most homeowners assume, and they tend to follow a recognizable pattern once you know what to look for. A cluster of reviews posted within the same short window, all with similar phrasing or an unusually generic tone, is worth extra scrutiny. Genuine reviews tend to mention specific details, a crew member's name, the exact service, or a particular part of the property, while fabricated ones often stay vague.

• Watch for reviewer profiles with only one review ever posted, especially several appearing around the same date
• Be skeptical of reviews that read like marketing copy rather than a homeowner's own words
• Check whether the reviewer's profile has reviewed unrelated businesses in different cities, which can indicate a paid review service
• A business with a mix of detailed positive and a few honest critical reviews generally reads as more credible than one with only glowing, uniform praise

None of this means you need to become a forensic investigator before hiring someone to seal your driveway. The point is simply to read with a slightly skeptical eye rather than taking the star average at face value, especially for a larger project like a deck build or a full concrete driveway replacement where the cost of a bad hire is significant.

Putting it together before you sign anything

None of these checks takes more than an hour combined, and that hour is small compared to the cost of a botched deck, a cracked driveway, or a roof that leaks the first winter. Treat review checking as a normal part of getting quotes, the same way you would compare prices, and be suspicious of any contractor who discourages you from doing it.

It also helps to see how a contractor is regarded within the trade itself, not just by past customers. Businesses recognized on the winners directory have generally been vetted beyond a simple star count, and browsing our homeowner guides for other hiring guides can round out your research before you commit to a project.