How to get more Contractor Reviews in 2025-2026

Google reviews are the gold standard. Why? Because they feed directly into your Google Maps ranking — which is where 68% of consumers look first when finding a local contractor . 

A contractor with 50+ consistent reviews will often outrank a competitor with 10 reviews, even if the competitor’s website is better. GBP also shows star ratings right in search results, which makes customers click on you instead of the guy below you. Consistency is key: Google trusts businesses that collect reviews steadily month after month, not in random bursts.

Yelp is especially powerful in urban markets where homeowners and property managers are glued to their phones. Yelp reviews often show up on Apple Maps and Siri searches, so ignoring Yelp means losing mobile leads. But here’s the catch: Yelp’s filter hides nearly 20% of reviews it suspects are “inauthentic."

That means you can’t game the system with quick review swaps. The best strategy? Encourage customers to leave detailed, story-driven reviews. Yelp tends to rank those higher than generic “great job” comments.

These aren’t as dominant as Google or Yelp, but they’re still worth your attention. Facebook reviews show up in local searches and make it easy for neighbors to tag you in “Looking for a roofer/plumber” posts. 

Angi and Houzz are trusted by homeowners planning bigger projects (remodels, roofing, siding), while BBB adds credibility for clients who want to make sure you’re legitimate. 

Nextdoor is becoming the “digital neighborhood watch,” where local referrals spread like wildfire. One good review there can turn into three phone calls before the week is out.

If you want to niche down, trade-specific sites can give you credibility that general platforms can’t. Roofers can benefit from RoofingContractor.com or industry forums, remodelers from Houzz, and restoration companies from insurance-preferred vendor lists. These reviews might not move your Google ranking as much, but they can close deals when a prospect is comparing two bids. Think of these platforms as your “authority badge” — the place to prove you’re a pro in your exact trade.

Hand a client a QR review card at the end of the job and you remove every excuse. The scan should jump straight to your Google review form (no hunting, no typing). Google officially supports sharing a direct review link or QR code from your Business Profile; download it and print on cards, invoices, yard signs, or job packets. 

Google Help

If you don’t have the link handy, generate it in seconds via your Business Profile’s “Get more reviews” option, or construct it with your Place ID (e.g., https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=YOUR_PLACE_ID). Once you’ve got it, you can brand it on business cards or stickers your crew carries. (We include QR review cards in TIP’s CSO builds — but you can DIY using Google’s built-in tools.)

Set the tone during kickoff: “If we deliver exactly what we promised — and we plan to — would you consider leaving us a quick review?” Planting this seed makes the ask feel natural later and frames the review as a thank-you for great work. Then, capture a direct line (mobile number) for status updates; texting is the channel people actually open, with ~98% open rates and most reads within minutes.

Send brief updates — a photo of progress, a quick ETA text, or a “before/after” snap. These micro-touches prime a positive review because the homeowner sees professionalism in real time. Podium recommends timely, mobile-friendly touchpoints since ~60% of reviews are posted from mobile devices, and post-transaction prompts convert best when sent immediately.

At closeout, do a quick walkthrough and ask, “On a scale of 1–5, how did we do?” If it’s anything under 5, fix it now. If it’s a 5, say: “Amazing — here’s a quick link; would you mind sharing that in a review?” This is the highest-intent moment. Podium’s research shows asking right after the service and including a direct link materially increases completions (and customers prefer SMS for this)

Not everyone reviews on day one — that’s fine. Add a 30-day check-in (“Everything still good with the new system?”) with your review link and a 90-day seasonal touch (“Quick reminder before summer/winter — and here’s that review link if we earned it”). Podium reports over 60% of consumers are likely to leave a review if you follow up with a link, and many prefer that nudge via text. Keep it short, personal, and friction-free.

In a CRM, you can add a simple custom field: Review Status = “No Review,” “Review Left,” or “Needs Follow-up.” In Google Sheets, you can make a drop-down with those options. After each job, update the status. If it says “No Review,” you know exactly who to follow up with at 30 or 90 days.

👉 Why it works: According to Podium, businesses that actively follow up with non-responders see double the review volume compared to those that ask once and stop.

Here’s where it gets fun: tag reviews with the job size or contract amount. Example: “Roof replacement – $18,500 – 5-star review.” Over time, you’ll see which jobs (big or small) generate the most positive feedback. You can even custom-code formulas in Sheets to calculate the ROI of reviews (e.g., “X number of reviews tied to $Y revenue”).

👉 Why it matters: High-value jobs tied to reviews are the ones to showcase in marketing, because they prove you deliver on big-ticket projects.

Let’s say you got a 3-star or 4-star review. Don’t file it away and forget it. With a CRM or spreadsheet, you can tag those clients as “Needs Higher Score.” Six months later, reach back out with a note: “We’ve improved X since your project. Would you consider updating your review?”

👉 Stat check: Harvard research shows customers who receive a proactive service recovery message are more likely to leave a positive update later, sometimes even stronger than if nothing had gone wrong in the first place.

Approximate Investment: $300 - $1,000

Another hack: record the city of each reviewer in your CRM or Sheet. Then you can say, “We’ve earned 50+ reviews in Austin, TX” or “20 homeowners in Reno gave us 5-stars this year.” Local proof like that is magnetic — it gives prospects confidence that you’ve already delivered for their neighbors.

👉 Why it works: BrightLocal found that 79% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations when the reviews are local.

Google Sheets: Free, customizable, fast to set up. Perfect for smaller teams who just need to know “who left a review and who didn’t.” Add formulas, conditional formatting (red = no review, green = review done), and even simple dashboards with charts.

CRMs: If you’re scaling, platforms like Jobber or ServiceTitan can automatically send review requests, log responses, and tie them back to client records. That means less manual updating and more automation. The trade-off is cost — but if you’re running multiple crews, the time savings usually pays for itself.

TIP can help you setup your own Google CRM or VCita CRM upon request.

On Google, brevity wins. Acknowledge the issue, thank them for the feedback, and offer to resolve it offline. Example: “Hi Sarah, thank you for sharing your experience. We’re sorry this didn’t meet your expectations. Please call us directly at [number] so we can make this right.” Future clients will see you’re responsive without the back-and-forth drama.

Yelp’s community leans skeptical, so be extra transparent. Own the mistake if it’s valid and show what you’ve done to fix it. If the review is unfair, respond calmly with facts, not emotion. Avoid incentives in your reply (Yelp prohibits offering discounts for updated reviews). Example: “We missed the mark on scheduling — we’ve now updated our system to prevent this happening again.”

Facebook reviews are tied to a name and profile photo, so tone matters. Be conversational and friendly. Thank them by name, acknowledge the pain point, and invite them to message you privately to resolve. Example: “Hi John, we hear you on the delay — and that’s not our standard. Please DM us so we can sort this out quickly.” This shows other locals you’re approachable.

On niche platforms, professionalism is everything. Many prospects browsing here are already comparison-shopping, so you want your responses to stand out as calm and constructive. Be formal but not robotic. Mention how your team is improving processes, and invite direct contact. Example: “Thank you for your feedback on our roofing project. We’ve added a second inspection step to avoid this in the future. Please reach out directly so we can address your concerns.”