Referrally
Our method

How we rank

Every company gets a score out of 100 from public information. The same formula applies to every company, and no one can pay to change it.

Who gets ranked

  • The company is based within the list's radius of the city on the page: 10 miles in rural areas, 7 in the suburbs, 5 where the map is wall-to-wall companies. Sparse trades (gutter companies) use 10 miles everywhere. Each page says which.
  • It has at least 5 Google reviews. Fewer than that and we list it without a score.
  • Google lists the trade as the company's main category. A window company or a restoration franchise that also lists roofing, or a roofer that also lists painting, is named on the page with its main trade, not scored. A company whose name says the trade ("Allied Siding & Roofing") passes even when its main category is a neighbouring trade. A company can fix its listing by setting its main category on Google; we pick it up at the next refresh.
  • In busy areas we score the 50 most-reviewed companies inside the radius and name the rest without a score, so a list stays readable. The cut is by Google review count only; it rises as we read more.
  • Its Michigan license is active. A company whose license is lapsed, suspended, or inactive stays on the page but can't be in the top 10.

The seven things we measure

  • 35
    Reputation
    The company's Google rating. We adjust it so a company with 5 reviews can't outrank one with 500. A 3.5-star company gets no points here; a 5.0 gets all 35.
  • 12
    Review volume
    How many reviews the company has, compared with the most-reviewed company nearby. Going from 50 to 100 reviews earns about as much as going from 100 to 200.
  • 8
    Momentum
    How many new reviews arrived in the last 12 months. Companies coasting on old reviews score lower.
  • 10
    Recent performance
    The rating over the last two years only, so a company that has gotten better or worse shows it.
  • 15
    Credentials and record
    An active Michigan license of the right type (6): a builder license for roofers, painters and gutter companies, a mechanical contractor license for HVAC companies, a plumbing contractor license for plumbers, an electrical contractor license for electricians. Then no disciplinary action in five years (4), a verified local presence (2), BBB standing (2), and a state business filing in good standing (1).
  • 8
    Responsiveness
    Whether the owner replies to reviews, with critical reviews counting triple, and how quickly.
  • 5
    Longevity
    Years in business, from the state license date. Fifteen years earns full points.
  • 7
    Review patterns
    Whether the reviews look like other companies' reviews: who wrote them, when they arrived, and whether any repeat each other word for word. Everyone starts with 7 and loses points only for unusual patterns compared with similar companies nearby.

When something is still being checked

Some checks take time, like matching a company to its state license when it does business under a different name. Until a check is done, those points are left out of the math for that company rather than counted as zero. The card says exactly what is pending.

Where the information comes from

Ratings, reviews, and reply history come from Google Business Profiles. License status and dates come from the State of Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. We refresh scores regularly and show the date on every page.

We do not verify individual reviewers ourselves, and we never hide a review because of its rating. What we do check is the pattern: whether a company's reviews look like other companies' reviews in who wrote them, when they arrived, and whether any repeat word for word. Companies with unusual patterns lose points and the card says why.

Awards

Each year we name five awards per city and trade, decided only by the record: Company of the Year (highest score), Most Recommended, Most Responsive, Fastest Growing, and Longest Standing. Only companies with an active state license and at least 15 reviews are eligible for the last four. Nobody can buy an award, and winners get a badge that links back to the list.

Insurance on file

Michigan doesn't publish contractor insurance, so we can't check it from public records. Companies that claim their profile can upload a certificate of insurance, and the card then shows "Insurance on file" with the expiration date. We ask again when it expires.

Score history

We keep a snapshot of every score each time the list is refreshed. Once a company has more than one, its card shows how the score and rank moved and since when. Every card also shows the date its reviews were last read and its license last checked.

Formula changelog

  • v0.1.7 · October 28, 2026. Car detailers added. Michigan has no detailer license; the license check runs against the builder registry and almost always stays pending, which never counts against anyone. The formula itself is unchanged.
  • v0.1.6 · October 28, 2026. Landscapers added. Michigan has no landscaper license, so the license check looks for a builder license, which hardscape crews sometimes hold; most landscapers will show "not confirmed" and the points stay out of the math. The formula itself is unchanged.
  • v0.1.5 · October 27, 2026. Electricians added. The license check looks for a Michigan electrical contractor (or master electrician) license. The formula itself is unchanged.
  • v0.1.4 · October 27, 2026. Plumbers added. Drain-cleaning and water-heater companies count as plumbers; the license check looks for a Michigan plumbing contractor (or master plumber) license. The formula itself is unchanged.
  • v0.1.3 · October 27, 2026. HVAC companies added. Their license check looks for a Michigan mechanical contractor license, the one the state requires for heating and cooling work, instead of a builder license. The formula itself is unchanged.
  • v0.1.2 · October 26, 2026. The main-trade gate now applies to roofers too: window, remodeling, restoration and gutter companies that list roofing as a side category are named, not scored. Gutter companies added.
  • v0.1.1 · October 26, 2026. Painters added, with a main-trade gate: a company is scored as a painter only when Google lists painting as its main category. The formula itself is unchanged.
  • v0.1 · October 25, 2026. Launched with seven signals. License status from Michigan LARA added, with non-active licenses excluded from the top 10. "Rating" sort switched from raw average to the count-weighted rating.

Own a company on our list?

You can claim your profile to see every point you're missing and what would change it, add your certificate of insurance, or correct a record. Claiming is free and never affects your score. Until the claim flow is live, use the "Something wrong? Tell us" link on your card, and grab your badge from the "Get your Referrally badge" link in your card's details.