CityvettedInvestigations the data behind the doorstep pitch.
Data-driven reporting on how the industry really works.
A 4.8 means nothing. Here's how to actually read a contractor's reviews.
We pulled 1.2 million reviews across nine service categories and found that the star rating most people trust is the single least useful number on the page. What to read instead.
All Investigations
The fake-review economy: how a 4.9 gets manufactured
Inside the market for paid five-star reviews, the brokers who sell them, and the tells that give a manufactured rating away.
We tracked 500 storm-chaser roofers. Most were gone within a year.
After three big hail events, we followed the out-of-state crews. The data on who stayed, who vanished, and what it means for your warranty.
The HVAC system health report, decoded: diagnosis or sales script?
Those color-coded inspection reports look official. We read dozens to find where genuine findings end and the upsell begins.
Lead-gen sites are quietly selling your service request to the highest bidder
You filled out one form. Then four companies called. Here is how the lead-generation machine actually works, and who paid for your phone number.
Who actually answers a 24/7 emergency line at 2am? We called 80.
Half the after-hours numbers in home services route to a call center, a voicemail, or nobody. We dialed 80 of them to find out which.
A new guide every Sunday.
The week's new buyer's guides and rankings, with the editorial notes behind them. No sponsors, ever.
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