Editorial Standards
How We Review Calgary Businesses
Our process for selecting, ranking, and reviewing local businesses — and the rules we follow to keep it honest.
No fabricated reviews
We only publish verified Google reviews or direct links to read on Google.
Paid placement disclosed
Every sponsored listing carries a visible editorial note. Always.
Real local data
Cost guide figures reflect Calgary market rates, not national averages.
How we select businesses to feature
Calgary Business Reviews focuses on businesses that serve Calgary homeowners and residents — home services trades, restaurants, retail, health and wellness, and professional services. We do not attempt to list every business in Calgary. We focus on categories where homeowners most need reliable guidance and where the cost of a bad hire is high.
Google rating and review volume
We look at the business's Google Business Profile rating and the number of reviews. A business with 4.7 stars across 200 reviews carries more weight than one with 5.0 stars across 3 reviews. We do not use review count as a hard cutoff — a newer business with fewer but consistently strong reviews can still qualify.
Licence and insurance verification
For regulated trades (electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, roofers), we check that the business holds the appropriate Alberta licence or that the contractor is registered with the relevant trade body. We note this on the profile page.
Years in business and local presence
We favour businesses with an established Calgary presence. A company that has operated in Calgary for five or more years has a track record that a brand-new operation does not. We note founding year on profile pages where it is publicly available.
Complaint history
We check the Better Business Bureau and, where applicable, Alberta's regulatory bodies for unresolved complaints or disciplinary actions. A pattern of unresolved complaints is a disqualifying factor regardless of Google rating.
How we rank businesses within a category
Rankings within a category (e.g. "Top 5 Calgary Painters") reflect our editorial assessment based on the criteria above. They are not determined by advertising spend, affiliate relationships, or lead-generation fees. We do not sell leads.
Rankings are reviewed periodically. A business that receives a significant volume of new negative reviews, loses its licence, or is the subject of regulatory action may be removed or re-ranked. We do not guarantee any business a specific rank.
Ranking factors, in approximate order of weight:
- 1.Google rating quality (rating × review volume, weighted for recency)
- 2.Licence and insurance status for regulated trades
- 3.Years of Calgary-specific operation
- 4.Complaint history (BBB and regulatory bodies)
- 5.Breadth of services offered within the category
- 6.Quality and completeness of the business's own public information
Our reviews policy
We do not fabricate reviews. This is our most important editorial rule. Every review that appears on a Calgary Business Reviews profile page is either a verified Google review (reproduced with attribution) or replaced with a direct "Read on Google" link. We do not write fictional customer testimonials, paraphrase reviews, or invent review counts.
Where reviews come from
Reviews on profile pages are sourced from the business's public Google Business Profile. We reproduce them with the reviewer's public name and the review text as written. We do not edit review content.
Review count
We do not display a total review count on profile pages unless we can verify it directly from the business's Google profile at the time of publication. Displaying an outdated or estimated count would be misleading.
Negative reviews
We do not selectively omit negative reviews to make a business look better. If a business has a pattern of negative reviews, that is reflected in our ranking decision, not hidden from readers.
Review freshness
We aim to include recent reviews (within the past two years where possible). Older reviews are noted with their year. We update profile pages when we become aware that a business's review profile has changed significantly.
Paid placement and commercial relationships
Some businesses on Calgary Business Reviews have paid for a featured placement or enhanced profile. This is how we fund the site's operation. We are transparent about this in two ways:
Editorial note on every paid profile
Every profile page for a business that has paid for placement includes a visible editorial note disclosing the commercial relationship. This note appears in the sidebar of the profile page and is never hidden or minimized.
Paid placement does not determine rank
A business cannot buy a higher rank. Paid placement means the business gets a more detailed profile page and may appear in featured sections of the site. It does not change where the business appears in a ranked list relative to competitors. Rank is determined by the editorial criteria above.
No lead-generation model
We do not sell customer leads to businesses. We do not receive a commission when a reader contacts a business through our site. Our revenue comes from flat-rate profile placements, not from tracking or monetizing reader behaviour.
How we source cost guide data
Our consumer guides and cost guides are written specifically for Calgary homeowners. We do not republish national averages and label them as Calgary prices. Here is how we develop cost figures:
Calgary-specific market research
Cost ranges are developed from publicly available Calgary market data — contractor websites, industry association publications, and publicly posted pricing where available. We do not fabricate figures.
Alberta regulatory context
Guides covering regulated trades (electrical, plumbing, gas, HVAC) include Alberta-specific permit requirements, Safety Codes processes, and licensing standards. We do not apply Ontario or BC regulatory information to Alberta content.
Calgary climate and housing stock
Where relevant, guides account for Calgary-specific conditions: chinook freeze-thaw cycles, the prevalence of aluminum branch circuit wiring in 1965–1975 homes, natural gas as the dominant heating fuel, and the age distribution of Calgary's housing stock.
Estimates, not quotes
All cost figures are estimates for general budgeting purposes. We are explicit about this on every guide page. Actual costs depend on the specific home, scope of work, and current market conditions. We always recommend obtaining written quotes from licensed contractors.
Publication and update dates
Every guide page carries a publication date. We review and update cost figures periodically to reflect current market conditions. If you notice a figure that appears significantly out of date, please contact us.
Corrections and updates
We make mistakes. If you find an error — a business that has closed, a cost figure that is significantly out of date, a review that has been misattributed, or a factual inaccuracy in a guide — please let us know. We will investigate and correct promptly.
If you are a business owner and believe your listing contains inaccurate information, contact us at [email protected]. We will review your request within five business days.
We do not remove negative reviews or alter rankings in response to complaints from businesses. We do correct factual errors.
More about Calgary Business Reviews