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RateYourPlumber
AI
Transparency Report

How RateYourPlumber Works

Exactly what we do — and what we don't do yet. No inflated claims. No fake systems.

License Numbers — What We Do

We are honest about where we are in the verification process. Here is exactly what happens today.

1

Plumbers self-report their license number

When a plumber claims their profile, they enter the license number issued by their state licensing authority. We store it and display it publicly on their profile.

2

We display it so you can verify it yourself

The license number is visible on every claimed profile alongside a direct link to that state's official licensing board lookup. You can verify the license status, expiration date, and licensee name yourself in under 60 seconds.

3

We link directly to the state board

Below you'll find direct links to the official licensing lookup tool for 11 major states. We are building out the full 50-state reference.

4

One-click verification (Beta)

Every plumber profile now shows a one-click "Verify with [State] Board" link that takes you straight to the official state licensing lookup — so you can confirm any license in seconds. When our team confirms a license against the state board, the profile shows a "License Confirmed" badge with the date. Fully automated, real-time API verification across all states is still in development.

Verify a License Yourself

These are the official state licensing boards. Each link goes directly to the license lookup tool. Takes under 60 seconds.

Alabama

Alabama Plumbers & Gas Fitters Examining Board

Verify

Alaska

Alaska Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing

Verify

Arizona

Arizona Registrar of Contractors

Verify

California

California Contractors State License Board

Verify

Colorado

Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies

Verify

Connecticut

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection

Verify

Florida

Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation

Verify

Georgia

Georgia Construction Industry Licensing Board

Verify

Illinois

Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation

Verify

New York

New York Department of State

Verify

Texas

Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners

Verify
Use our license verification tool for all 50 states →

Review Integrity — What We Do Today

Honest about our current systems and what is coming.

IP rate limitingLive

We limit how many reviews can be submitted from the same IP address in a short window. This catches the most obvious bulk-submission attempts.

Bot honeypotLive

A hidden field in the review form catches automated bots. Submissions that trigger it are rejected silently.

Manual reportingLive

Anyone can report a review or profile to [email protected]. We investigate every report and respond within 5 business days.

Text similarity detection — coming soonComing soon

Automated detection of near-duplicate or copy-paste reviews. In development.

Velocity analysis across devices — coming soonComing soon

Device-level duplicate detection across sessions. In development.

Moderation queue — coming soonComing soon

Holding flagged reviews for manual approval before publication. In development.

How Plumbers Are Ranked

Organic rankings are based on two factors:

Review count: Plumbers with more reviews rank higher in city and service searches, all else equal.
Average star rating: The average rating across all reviews on the platform, rounded to one decimal place.

Plumbers on paid plans (Pro, Business) appear first in directory search results and are always labeled Featured. Payment never changes a plumber's ratings, reviews, or license status, and unpaid plumbers are never removed or hidden.

Review Standards

Accepted: First-hand accounts of work performed by the plumber. Anonymous reviews are accepted.
Accepted: Text-only reviews without a star rating — published but do not affect the numeric average.
Not allowed: Reviews submitted by employees, family members, or anyone with a financial relationship to the plumber.
Not allowed: Reviews that include personally identifiable information about the homeowner or property address.
Results in ban: Plumbers who solicit fake reviews or offer incentives for 5-star ratings will have their profile suspended.

Report a Problem

If you believe a review is fraudulent or a profile is inaccurate, contact us:

  1. Email [email protected] with the profile URL and the specific issue.
  2. We review every report and respond within 5 business days.
  3. If the content violates our standards, it is removed. If it does not, we explain why.

We do not remove reviews because a plumber dislikes them. Reports must identify a specific policy violation.

Verify a License

Look up any plumber's license status in all 50 states.

Open License Lookup →

About RateYourPlumber

Our mission, editorial standards, and review integrity policy.

Read About Us →

Find Licensed Plumbers

Search verified plumbers with real reviews in your city.

Search Plumbers →

Michigan Homeowners Also Ask

How does rateyourplumber.com verify plumbers?⌄

rateyourplumber.com cross-references each listed plumber against Michigan LARA's license database to confirm active licensure. Review authenticity is monitored for manipulation. The Verified Badge indicates a plumber whose license, insurance, and contact information have been confirmed. Homeowners can report inaccuracies directly through the claim and dispute system on each profile page.