How we pick, and what our labels mean
We pick businesses neighborhood by neighborhood, and we label every one by how closely it's tied to your area. This page explains the rules and how we're paid.
The four coverage labels
Every business on a neighborhood page carries exactly one. They're set from evidence, never by payment.
- Based here
Office or yard in the neighborhood.
- Regularly serves this area
Has a checked record of work in the neighborhood.
- Serves city-wide
Works all over the city, including here.
- Service area unconfirmed
Says it works here, but hasn't shown us a recent job yet.
What we need to see
- Based here: a business address inside the neighborhood's boundary, matched to public business records.
- Regularly serves this area: a checked record of recent work in the neighborhood, such as job addresses, permits or invoices. We keep addresses private.
- Serves city-wide: works across the city and has some checked work here.
- Service area unconfirmed: the company says it serves the area, but we haven't seen a recent job yet. Not wrong, just not checked.
How a business becomes a pick
- We list everyone who says they work here, from public business records, review platforms and businesses that contact us.
- We check the basics: the business is active, reachable by phone and has enough real customer reviews to judge it fairly.
- We set the coverage label from its record of work in the neighborhood.
- We order the picks: coverage label first (based here, then regularly serves, then city-wide), then rating, review volume, recent reviews, years in business and how complete the details are.
- We recheck regularly and note significant changes on the page they affect.
How we make money
Businesses can pay for a fuller profile or a clearly marked neighborhood sponsorship, and pay a flat fee when you send them a quote request. None of this changes a pick, its order or a coverage label. Read the details.
Corrections
Spotted a wrong label or a business that has moved? Tell us and we'll check and fix it.
Questions about how we pick
Why pick by neighborhood instead of by city?
Because a job on your street depends on things a city-wide list misses: older houses in one area, narrow access in another, a homeowners' association with its own rules. A company that already works nearby usually knows them.
Do you check HOA and community rules?
We don't approve plans for an HOA. We do favour companies with a record of work in the neighborhood, since they are more likely to know its architectural review steps. Always ask your association what it needs before work starts.
How do you know who really serves which streets?
From job evidence: recent addresses, permits pulled in the area or invoices a company shares with us. A website that lists twenty neighborhoods is not enough. Without evidence, a company gets the “service area unconfirmed” label.
Why does it matter who pulls the permit?
Permits are tied to the address and the licensed contractor. A company that pulls them in your area regularly knows the local office, inspection timing and access rules, which saves you delays.