Methodology
How we select three
Three is a deliberately small number. It forces us to leave out good companies, so that the ones left are the ones we would genuinely send a friend to. This is exactly how we decide, and how we keep money out of it.
The process
Five steps, every edition
The same steps in every city and trade. Only the local details change.
- We start with everyone.Every business actively working in the trade and city that we can find in public business listings and on review platforms. Paying customers and non-customers are treated the same, because at this stage we don’t look.
- We remove the risky.We set aside any business without a working phone number, with too few genuine reviews to judge fairly, or with a rating below our bar.
- We read the record.Not just the stars: how many reviews there are, how recent they are, how long the business has traded, how complete its details are and which checks we could confirm.
- We shortlist and compare.The strongest records go on a shortlist. Editors compare them side by side and can hold a selection when they have good reason to.
- We keep three and write down why.Each choice gets a label explaining who it suits best, and a plain reason based on its record. We never invent reviews, awards or prices.
The seal
What “Verified” means
Verified · checked Oct 2026
The seal means that, on the date shown, the business’s state license and registration were confirmed in public records. Every profile lists each check, its source and its date:
- State license — active on the licensing board’s own lookup
- Business registration — an active company on the state registry
- Permit history — permits pulled under the license, from county records
- Insurance — a current certificate the business sent us, dates checked
Checks show standing, not quality. A business can be verified without being one of the three.
Independence
What we never do
- Accept payment, gifts or discounts in return for selection or a better position.
- Tell a business in advance that it is being considered.
- Let anyone who sells advertising see or change a selection before it is published.
- Rewrite a profile because a business has upgraded.
How we make money
Where our income comes from
Readers pay nothing. Our income comes from businesses, through enhanced profiles, clearly labelled sponsored placements and fees for quote requests you choose to send. None of them can buy a selection. The full breakdown.
Corrections
When we get something wrong
Anyone — a reader, a business, a competitor — can tell us something is wrong through our corrections page. We reply within five working days, check the request against the business’s own records and public sources, and note any change and its date.
Businesses that disagree with not being selected can ask for the reasons. We’ll explain, but we won’t change a selection because we were asked to.
Questions
Questions about the three
- Why only three?
- Because a short list asks more of us than a long one. Three is enough to compare and few enough that each one has to earn its place. The businesses we leave out are often good; they were simply not the first we would call.
- How do the editors compare the finalists?
- Side by side, on the same record: the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, how recent those reviews are, years in business and the record checks we could confirm. Where two finalists are close, the editor writes down what separates them.
- When does a fourth option make sense?
- When none of the three works in your part of town, has room in your timeline or takes on work of your size. The rest of the shortlist is named under each selection, so you know where to look next.
- What should I ask the three before hiring?
- Who will be on site each day, what the written quote leaves out, and whether the warranty is in writing. A good company answers all three plainly and without hurry.
For local businesses
Is your business on Local Three?
Claim your free profile to keep your details right. It takes five minutes and never affects our selection.