How the HomeProFax score works (v2)

The HomeProFax Score v2 is a 0–100 summary of public-record factors. It exists for one reason: to make a contractor's record trail readable at a glance, without hiding how the number was produced. This page is the complete rulebook. If a profile's score and this page ever disagree, this page is the standard we correct against — tell us through the corrections process.

The formula at a glance

What each factor is trying to tell you

License status (35). The largest weight goes to the most basic question: is this business licensed, and is that license current? An active license verified against a state board earns the full 35. A license number that has been reported but not yet verified against the board earns 20 — present, but unconfirmed. An expired or inactive license earns 12, and no license found yet earns 0. None found yet is a statement about our matched records, not proof a business is unlicensed; some trades and jurisdictions do not require or publish the same licenses, which is why we always direct you to confirm with the issuing board.

Discipline and legal flags (20). Where a board publishes discipline, a record with no flag earns 20 and a flagged record earns 0 for this factor. The flag itself is not the full story — it is a prompt to read the board record, which may concern anything from paperwork lapses to serious findings. Where a source does not publish discipline at all, the factor scores a neutral 10 rather than penalizing a contractor for our missing coverage. Federal court records from CourtListener are shown on profiles only as a possible match — verify (exact name plus same-state court) with a source link. A listing is not a finding, and court records do not silently change this factor.

Permit history (20). Permits show a contractor actually pulling regulated work through inspection systems. Ten or more permits on file earns 20, three to nine earns 15, one or two earns 10, and none on file earns 5 — not zero, because our permit coverage comes from selected city open-data portals and many good contractors work in cities we do not yet cover. Read permit counts together with the coverage note on the profile and on data sources, never as a standalone grade.

Reviews (25). The only external rating we store is the BBB rating, where researched, combined with a small complaint-volume component — because an A grade and a large complaint count can both be true, and the pattern matters. Approved HomeProFax homeowner reviews blend in when they exist, under the formula in the table. With no BBB rating and no approved HomeProFax reviews, this factor sits at a neutral value rather than punishing a business for missing data. Google, Angi, Yelp and Houzz ratings are not stored or scored; profiles link out to them so you can read those reviews where they were actually written.

Principles the formula follows

Missing data is neutral, not negative, where stated. A contractor should not be punished because a city does not publish permits or a board does not publish discipline. The neutral values above exist for exactly that reason, and each profile's breakdown says which case applied.

Not a rating of workmanship. The score cannot see how straight a wall is or whether a kitchen was finished on time. It summarizes the public-record trail: licensed, flagged or not, permitted, and reviewed. Two contractors with the same score can be very different hires, and a lower score built from thin data is weaker evidence than the same score built from rich data — the breakdown on each profile shows you which.

Every fact keeps its source. Entity matching runs license number first, then normalized business name with city and state, then phone. When we do not have something, the report says so. We never invent data to make a profile look complete.

Limitations you should know

Coverage is uneven: profiles are deepest in California, Texas and Colorado, permit data covers selected cities, and BBB research covers an initial researched set rather than every business. Public records can be outdated, and businesses with similar names can be matched incorrectly despite the matching order above. Some profiles — for example Florida individuals built from a license record alone — are deliberately shown as not yet scored rather than given a number the data cannot support. Treat every report as a starting point for verification, not the final word.

Corrections and claims

If a fact is wrong, use the corrections form and we will check it against the original source and update or annotate the report. Contractors can claim their profile free: email confirmation with a six-digit code, automated checks, and admin approval come before any Verified badge. Claiming lets an owner correct contact details and request corrections; it does not remove accurate public records or change a score directly — scores change only when the underlying factors or approved reviews change. Our guide to reading a HomeProFax report shows the breakdown in practice.

Legal records. Federal cases from CourtListener are shown only as “possible match — verify” (exact name + same-state court) with a source link. A listing is not a finding.

Entity matching. License number first, then normalized business name + city/state, then phone. Every fact keeps its source name.

We never invent data. When we don’t have something, the report says so.

Outside ratings (Google, Angi, Yelp, BBB)

Profiles may show outside ratings, such as a live Google rating, and links to other review sites. They are shown for context only and are not part of the HomeProFax Score, so a contractor never gains or loses points for being or not being listed on another website.

What a HomeProFax report checks

Coverage is not universal: license boards, discipline publication, permit portals and BBB research vary by state and city. A report says where a source is not covered instead of treating silence as a failure. See a sample HomeProFax report →