How We Rank Contractors
What Is the DIRT Score?
The only contractor rating that rewards consistency, punishes fake reviews, and gets better with time. Not just a star average — a trust score built for the trades.
How It’s Calculated
Five factors combine to produce a score between 0 and 5.0.
Wilson Confidence
Every score is confidence-adjusted. The fewer reviews, the wider the uncertainty — and the lower the score sits until volume backs it up. 5 perfect reviews is not the same as 200 perfect reviews.
1-Star Weight
A single 1-star review counts three times heavier than a regular negative review. One bad job reported publicly is a serious signal — the score responds accordingly.
Recency
Reviews from the last 6 months get a 1.25× freshness boost. Reviews older than 12 months drop to 50% weight. Reviews older than 2 years count at just 25%. Recency matters.
Multi-Platform
Rated on 2 platforms (e.g. Google + Yelp) adds +0.1 to your score. Rated on all 3 (Google + Yelp + Facebook) adds +0.2. Cross-platform consistency signals you're the real deal.
Volume Bonus
Each review adds +0.01 to your score up to a cap of +0.5 at 50 reviews. Above 50, the bonus plateaus. Momentum is rewarded — volume proves you're not a one-job wonder.
Score Tiers
What does your number actually mean?
Top 10% of contractors. Consistently excellent. Strong volume, fresh reviews, multi-platform.
Solid reputation. Most customers recommend. Room to push into Elite with more reviews.
Generally positive with some concerns. A few complaints in the mix. Still a reasonable hire.
Inconsistent experience. Investigate before hiring. Ask for references.
Significant issues on record — or too few reviews to trust the score. Proceed carefully.
How to Improve Your DIRT Score
Every factor in the formula is something you can actually influence.
Get reviews on multiple platforms
Google is not enough. A presence on Yelp and Facebook adds +0.2 to your score and signals legitimacy to homeowners who check more than one source.
Stay active — recent reviews count 25% more
Don't let your review stream go cold. A contractor with 10 reviews this year will outscore one with 50 reviews from 3 years ago in the recency bucket.
One 1-star hurts 3× — address complaints fast
The moment a 1-star lands, it counts three times harder than a 2-star. Respond publicly, make it right, and let your volume absorb it over time.
Volume matters — 50 reviews is the sweet spot
Every new review adds +0.01 to your score up to the +0.5 volume cap at 50 reviews. Ask every satisfied customer — the formula rewards hustle.
DIRT Score vs. Simple Star Average
Stars lie when there’s not enough data. DIRT Score doesn’t.
Sunrise Electric
3 reviews on Google
Star Average
4.9★
DIRT Score
2.9
Apex Electrical Co.
120 reviews on Google
Star Average
4.7★
DIRT Score
4.8
Sunrise Electric has a stellar 4.9★ average — but only 3 reviews. That’s not enough signal to trust. The Wilson confidence formula pushes the score down to 2.9 until volume backs up the claim.
Apex Electrical has a slightly lower 4.7★ average but 120 reviews. That volume plus a multi-platform presence drives the DIRT Score up to 4.8 — putting them firmly in the Elite tier.
Upgrade Your Profile
Two ways to grow with DIRT Finds.
DIRT Finds
Premium Listing
Rise to the top of your city’s rankings. Verified badge. Featured placement ahead of search results. Priority indexing as new customers search for your trade.
DIRT App
Know Your Real Hourly Rate
Before you leave the driveway, DIRT tells you what the job actually made you per hour — labor, materials, drive time, all of it. The tool serious contractors use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DIRT Score the same as a Google rating?
No. The DIRT Score is a composite trust score that pulls reviews from Google, Yelp, and Facebook, then applies confidence weighting, recency adjustments, and 1-star penalties. A contractor with 200 reviews will score higher than one with 5 reviews at the same star average — because volume creates certainty.
Can a business buy a higher DIRT Score?
No. The DIRT Score is purely algorithmic, calculated from verified public review data only. Featured listings appear first in search results, but that's a display position — not a score manipulation. No amount of payment changes the formula.
How often is the DIRT Score updated?
Scores are refreshed monthly from live review platform data. When you accumulate new reviews on Google, Yelp, or Facebook, your score updates on the next scheduled refresh.
What if I have a bad review from an unreasonable customer?
One 1-star review hurts three times as much as a regular negative review — but that penalty is proportional to your total volume. If you have 100 reviews, a single bad one barely moves the needle. The formula rewards contractors who deliver consistently and build a strong body of evidence over time.