Homeowners read reviews before they call a contractor, and Google says “more reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking” (Google). Most good contractors have far fewer reviews than they’ve earned, because nobody asked. Here is how to ask, and the rules to stay inside.

When is the best time to ask?

At the final walkthrough. The customer is standing in front of the finished job, the crew has cleaned up, and they are as happy as they will ever be. Ask in person, then text the link before you leave the driveway or that evening. A week later, the moment is gone.

What do you say?

Keep it short and plain. Something like:

  • “Thanks for having us. Reviews are how most people find us. Would you write a couple of lines on Google about the job? I’ll text you the link.”
  • Then the text: “Thanks again for having us out. Here’s the link if you have a minute: [your review link].”

Your Business Profile has a button to get a direct review link. Save it in your phone so anyone on the crew can send it.

It helps when a review mentions the work and the town, like “new roof in Wintersville,” because that is what the next homeowner searched. You can say what kind of job it was, but let them write their own words.

What does Google not allow?

These come straight from Google’s review policy (Google), and plenty of honest contractors break them without knowing:

  • No incentives. No discounts, gift cards, free gutter cleaning or anything else in exchange for a review. Google removes reviews posted because of an incentive.
  • No asking only the happy ones. Google prohibits selectively asking for positive reviews or discouraging negative ones. Ask every customer.
  • No quotas for the crew. Businesses may not require staff to solicit a certain number of reviews.
  • No reviews from your own people. Reviews based on a conflict of interest, like current or former employees, aren’t allowed.

What about the bad review?

Every contractor who works long enough gets one. Reply calmly, briefly and without arguing: thank them, say what you did or will do to make it right, and give a phone number. Google says “positive reviews and helpful replies can help your business stand out.” The next homeowner reads your reply more closely than the complaint.

Reply to the good ones too. A one-line thank-you that names the job shows there is a real person behind the company.

Make it a habit, not a campaign

A burst of twenty reviews in one week and then nothing for a year leaves the profile looking stale by spring. One or two after every job, every month, keeps your profile fresh. Put “ask for the review” on the same checklist as the final walkthrough, and it becomes part of finishing the job.

Reviews work best with a profile that’s set up right. Here is our field guide for that.