How to hire a contractor
The single biggest predictor of a good outcome isn't a five-star review — it's whether the contractor has a track record of finishing on time and on the number they quoted. Here's how to vet a contractor using data, not gut feel.
Why star ratings alone mislead you
Star reviews measure two things well — communication and personality — and two things poorly: whether the job was actually delivered on schedule and whether the final price matched the quote. A contractor can have 4.9 stars and still be routinely 40% over budget and 6 weeks late, because the average happy customer writes "great guy, would hire again" without ever mentioning the timeline.
The metrics that predict a bad job are almost always quantitative: how often jobs run longer than quoted, how many days over they run when they do, how often the final invoice exceeds the original quote, and how much it exceeds it by.
The four numbers that matter
% of jobs that ran longer than quoted
Share of completed jobs where the photo-verified finish date came after the date the contractor originally quoted.
What to look for: Under 10% is excellent. 10–25% is normal for a busy pro. Over 25% is a red flag on any job with a hard deadline.
Average days over, when delayed
Among only the jobs that ran long, the average number of days past the quoted finish date.
What to look for: Under 3 days is excellent. 3–7 days is normal. Over 7 days means plan for meaningful slippage.
% of jobs that went over budget
Share of Stripe-verified completed jobs where the final invoice exceeded the original quoted price.
What to look for: Under 10% means the quote is what you'll pay. 10–25% means expect small changes. Over 25% means budget every quote with a healthy cushion.
Average % over original quote, when over budget
Among only the jobs that went over, the average percentage above the original quoted price.
What to look for: Under 5% is excellent. 5–15% is normal. Over 15% means the quote is closer to a starting point than a final number.
A better vetting checklist
How Trustworkly makes this practical
Every contractor profile on Trustworkly shows a Trust Metrics dashboard: on-time rate, budget accuracy, completed projects, and response time. The numbers aren't self-reported — they update automatically from project timestamps, payment records, and uploaded photos. Contractors can't edit them.
Search sort order is based only on those verified metrics, not on which plan a contractor pays for. When you look at a profile, you're looking at proof of performance — not marketing.