Inspectable comparisons
A directory should explain its order.
Our default order combines recorded review context and the presence of practical contact and service fields. It is not a measurement of workmanship or a probability of a successful job.
The exact formula
rating × ln(review count + 1) × 10
+ 5 for a phone number
+ 5 for a website
+ 5 for recorded services
Only a finite rating greater than zero and at most five, an integer review count from one through 100,000 and a nonempty source qualify for the rating term. Missing or invalid reputation contributes zero. Names break ties alphabetically. Natural logarithms let review volume contribute without increasing in direct proportion to every additional review.
What is deliberately excluded
Paid tier, claimed status and an opaque upstream quality score do not affect this order. A directory verification flag is displayed as a record field, not treated as proof of a contractor’s license or skill.
Choose a different lens
The directory also offers highest recorded rating, most recorded reviews, name and record update date. These answer different questions. “Updated” refers to the business record, not the date of the latest review.
Read the missing evidence
Twenty reviews is our display boundary between “limited” and “moderate” sample; 100 is the boundary for “broader.” These are interface labels, not statistical confidence intervals. Different sources use different collection rules. We do not combine them into a fabricated universal customer score.
Local data notes
Local summaries count only records returned for that location. Listed services are counted once per company. These counts do not measure all operating businesses, real-time availability, verified service areas or market share.