What we check
Licenses checked live
Every CSLB number is read off the state board's own system on the day we publish, not pulled from a directory. Directories go stale, and a stale license record is how homeowners get hurt.
Failed licenses are named
A builder whose license comes back suspended, revoked, expired or missing is excluded from the ranking, and we say who and why rather than quietly leaving them out.
No paid placement
No builder pays to appear, pays for a position, or is told in advance that they are on a list. There are no vetted-partner programs and no referral fees.
Ratings are dated
Review scores move. Every rating on every page carries the date it was collected, and where we could not verify a number it says Not found rather than showing a zero.