MethodUpdated
What counts as proof
A business is only as proven as its records. We count what a public source shows it has done, with the date, and label everything else as a claim.
The evidence we count
Permits
Jobs filed with the county
Permits pulled under the business in county or city records: how many, and the latest date.
From: county and city permit records
Reviews over time
A steady flow of customers
Public review counts on dated snapshots, and how many arrived in the last 90 days.
From: public review platforms
Records
License and registration
An active license and an active company on the state registers, plus address, phone and website matches.
From: state registers, our own checks
Proven, claimed, or not matched yet
A public source backs it. We show the source and the date.
From the business: its listing, its services, its years in business, or a document it sent us, such as an insurance certificate.
We looked and found no matching record yet. Permits are often filed under another name, and not every county publishes them. This is never a finding against the business.
How a list is ranked
Each business gets one score. Most of it is evidence; little of it is the star rating. The five highest scores make the list. In the top three places we favor businesses that can be reached directly: among those that pass our checks, the ones with a listed email address go first, in score order. A business that fails the checks is never lifted, and places four and five follow the normal score order.
- Records and permits30%
- Review volume25%
- Recent reviews20%
- Complete profile15%
- Years in business5%
- Average rating5%
Questions
Questions about proof
What counts as proof of work on LocalProof?
A record from someone other than the business: permits filed with a county or city, dated counts of public reviews, and entries on the state license or business register. Each one shows its source and the date we looked.
What does a permit record show, and what doesn't it show?
It shows that the business filed for a job with the local building office, and when. It doesn't show how well the job went, and many small repairs need no permit at all, so a short permit history isn't a mark against anyone.
Why do you read reviews over time instead of the average?
An average can come from a handful of old reviews. Counting reviews on dated snapshots shows whether customers keep arriving, which is closer to proof that the business is still doing the work.
What is the difference between proven and claimed?
Proven means a public source backs it and we show that source. Claimed means it comes from the business: its listing, its description, or a document it sent us. Claims can be true; we just can't show you the record behind them.