The Data Behind the Rank: How We Score Contractors
We Do the Homework So You Don’t Have To
Finding a good contractor in the Bay Area shouldn’t require a research degree. But between fake reviews, paid placements, and companies gaming the system, it’s hard to know who to trust.
We built a scoring system that prioritizes data that’s hard to manipulate—government records, complaint histories, and verified customer surveys—over star ratings that can be bought.
Every contractor on Bay Area Service Hub is scored 1-10 based on six factors, weighted by what actually matters when someone’s working in your home.
The Six Things We Measure
Workmanship Quality (35%)
Did they do the job right? Proper equipment sizing, clean installations, no callbacks. This is the biggest chunk of the score because it’s the whole point.
Customer Service (20%)
Do they communicate clearly? Show up when they say? Treat your home with respect? The best technicians explain what they’re doing without talking down to you.
Pricing Transparency (15%)
No bait-and-switch. No surprise charges. The estimate matches the invoice. We look for contractors whose customers say “fair price” more than “cheapest”—those are different things.
Reliability (15%)
They show up. On time. And finish when they said they would. Sounds basic, but it’s where a lot of contractors fall short.
Expertise (10%)
Certifications matter—NATE certification, EPA 608, manufacturer training. But we weight this lower because a 30-year veteran without fancy credentials often outperforms a freshly-certified technician.
Warranty Support (5%)
Do they stand behind their work? When something goes wrong six months later, do they fix it or dodge your calls?
Where We Get Our Data
Not all sources are created equal. A company can buy fake Google reviews. They can’t fake a CSLB license history.
We trust these most:
– CSLB License Records — California’s contractor licensing board. Disciplinary actions, bond status, how long they’ve been licensed. This is government data.
– BBB Complaint History — Not the letter grade (that can be bought). The actual complaint count and whether they resolved them.
– Diamond Certified Surveys — Telephone surveys with verified customers. Hard to game.
– Years in Business — A company that’s been around 40 years has survived recessions, competition, and thousands of jobs. That means something.
We use these for context:
– Google & Yelp Reviews — Useful for identifying patterns (“always on time” or “impossible to schedule”), but we don’t let star ratings drive the score. Too easy to manipulate.
– Reddit & Nextdoor — Unfiltered opinions from real neighbors. Good for catching red flags.
What the Scores Mean
9.0 – 10.0 — Exceptional. Clean license, hundreds of positive reviews, exposed repeatedly to scrutiny and still spotless. These are the contractors we’d call for our own homes.
8.0 – 8.9 — Excellent. Reliably good across all categories. Minor complaints exist but they’re resolved and rare.
7.0 – 7.9 — Good. Solid choice for most jobs. May have a weakness in one area (slower scheduling, higher prices) but overall dependable.
6.0 – 6.9 — Mixed. Some satisfied customers, some complaints. Proceed with clear expectations and get everything in writing.
Below 6.0 — We don’t list them. If a contractor can’t clear this bar, they’re not on the site.
What Can Limit a Score
Some things put a hard ceiling on how high a contractor can score, regardless of their reviews:
– CSLB disciplinary action — Capped at 7.0. If the state licensing board took action, that’s serious.
– Unresolved BBB complaints — Capped at 8.0. Complaints happen; not resolving them is a choice.
– Pattern of complaints — Capped at 7.5. One bad review is an anomaly. Five similar complaints is a pattern.
– BBB “F” rating — Capped at 6.0. Hard to earn an F. You have to ignore a lot of customers.
We also give longevity bonuses. A company operating for 50+ years gets a small bump—surviving that long in a competitive market isn’t luck.
Common Questions
Why don’t you just use Google ratings?
Because a 4.8 with 50 reviews isn’t the same as a 4.8 with 800 reviews. And neither tells you if the contractor has CSLB complaints or unresolved BBB disputes. Star ratings are a starting point, not an answer.
Can contractors pay to improve their score?
No. We don’t sell rankings or accept payment for reviews. Contractors can’t even see their scores before publication.
How often do you update scores?
We re-verify licenses and check for new complaints quarterly. Scores can change if new information emerges.
What if I had a different experience?
Scores reflect patterns, not guarantees. A 9.0 contractor can still have an off day. If your experience was significantly different from our assessment, we want to hear about it—it helps us improve.
Why weight workmanship so heavily?
Because a friendly contractor who installs your system wrong isn’t actually good. The job has to be done right. Everything else is secondary.
The Bottom Line
We’re not saying our scores are perfect. We’re saying they’re based on data that’s harder to fake than a Yelp rating.
When you hire a contractor from Bay Area Service Hub, you’re choosing someone who passed a historical business performance analysis most platforms don’t bother to run.