Key takeaways
- Ask at the final walk-through or handover, when the owner sees the finished space, not mid-project when dust and change orders are what the client remembers.
- Ask every client at the same milestone. Choosing only the happy ones is review gating, which Google prohibits.
- Trigger the request from the project's status in your construction CRM so it never depends on a busy superintendent remembering.
- Keep reviews to clients. Staff reviews are a conflict of interest under Google's policy, and reviews from subs or suppliers invite the same problem.
To get more Google reviews as a contractor, ask every client at the moment the project becomes real to them: the final walk-through, the keys handed over, the tenant's opening day. Send a direct review link by text or email that same day, trigger it from your construction CRM, and never reward reviews or pick who gets asked.
When and how to ask
Ask at the end of the project, at a milestone every client reaches, and ask the same way every time. A contractor's project runs for weeks or months, so the timing matters more than in trades where the job is done in an afternoon.
- Pick the milestone. For residential work, the final walk-through after the punch list is closed. For new homes, the day the keys change hands. For commercial build-outs, the week the tenant opens. Write it into your closeout checklist.
- Do not ask mid-project. During demolition, delays or a change-order conversation, the client is judging the hardest part of the job. Ask once, at the end.
- Say it in person first. The project manager or owner, at the walk-through: "If you were happy with how we ran this, a Google review helps the next family planning an addition find us." Ask whether a text or an email works better.
- Send the direct link the same day. Use the review link from your profile (Google's tips on reviews). Mention the project type in the message so the review tends to name it.
- Follow up once. If nothing arrives after a week, send one reminder. Then stop.
- Ask the right person on commercial projects. The business owner or the facilities lead who lived with the project, not the accounts payable contact who paid the invoices.
The review loop
- Job finished
- Ask every customer Same time, same way, no filtering
- They leave a review
- You reply Thanks and specifics, no private details
- The next customer reads it
Then the next customer
Automating requests
Automation makes sure the request goes out on every project, including the ones that ended while your crews were already on the next job. The trigger should be a project milestone, not a feeling about the client.
In practice, the cleanest trigger is a status change in your construction CRM: when the project moves to closed or warranty, a review request goes to the client contact on that project. Some construction CRMs can send it directly. Others pass the status to a marketing CRM that sends the text and the reminder. Either way, check three things:
- Consent and registration. If the request goes by text from a business number, the number needs A2P 10DLC registration through The Campaign Registry (registration), the client must have agreed to texts, and replies of STOP must work.
- One contact per project. Couples, business partners and facility managers are often all on the job file. Choose the decision-maker.
- No filter. The automation sends to every closed project. If a project ended in a dispute, deal with the dispute directly, but do not build a rule that skips unhappy clients.
Responding to reviews
Reply to every review within a few days, because owners comparing builders read the replies as closely as the reviews. A contractor's replies have a few traps of their own.
| Review type | How to reply |
|---|---|
| Glowing review of an addition or new home | Thank them by first name, mention the project type and something specific, such as the schedule or a design problem solved. Never mention their street or address. |
| Positive but mentions a delay | Thank them, acknowledge the delay plainly, and say what caused it if the reason is fair and not blaming the client. |
| Negative review from a real client | Reply calmly, state the facts without arguing, and offer a call. Do not discuss contract terms or money in public. |
| Review from someone who was never a client | Flag it in your profile as a policy violation, then reply briefly that you have no record of the project. |
| Review about a subcontractor | Own it. The owner hired you, so the reply comes from you, not the sub. |
What Google prohibits
Google's rules and federal law draw a hard line around how reviews are earned. Google's policy prohibits offering anything for a review and asking only satisfied customers (Google's review policy). The FTC's consumer review rule prohibits fake reviews, bought reviews and the suppression of negative ones (the FTC rule). For a contractor, that rules out:
- A discount on the final invoice, a gift card or a free upgrade in exchange for a review.
- Asking only the clients whose projects went smoothly, or screening them with a "how did we do?" survey first.
- Reviews from your own employees or family members, which Google treats as conflicts of interest. Reviews from subcontractors and suppliers who depend on your work raise the same doubt, so keep reviews to clients.
- Writing reviews for clients "to save them time", or posting reviews written with AI.
- Pressuring a client to remove a negative review as a condition of finishing warranty work.
Reviews also feed your Map Pack ranking. See how the Map Pack ranks contractors.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
We tie the review request to your project closeout, set it up in your construction CRM or a connected tool with consent and registration handled, and draft replies for your approval. The profile and CRM stay in your name. The setup is a dated project, and afterward we report reviews per closed project next to qualified bids from Maps. Book a growth consultation and we will check your review routine against the rules above.
Sources
- Tips to get more reviews, Google Business Profile Help
- Prohibited & restricted content (Maps user-generated content policy), Google Maps Help
- 16 CFR Part 465: Use of consumer reviews and testimonials, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- The Campaign Registry (A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration), The Campaign Registry