The bar
An HVAC company qualifies as Top-Rated in one of our five metros when it meets all four of these:
- a Google rating of 4.8 stars or higher, and
- a Google review count at or above that metro's review bar, on the same Google listing
- an active state license
- it serves that metro
The review bar is set by one rule for every metro: the 75th percentile (nearest-rank method) of review counts among the companies listed in our finder for that metro (Google rating 4.5+, 20+ reviews, matched to an active state license), each company counted once, by its most-reviewed listing, rounded down to the nearest 25. It is set once per award year.
| Metro | Review bar | Set |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 475 reviews | October 2026, from 384 companies |
| Seattle–Tacoma, Austin, Jacksonville, Columbus | Not set yet |
There is no paid placement. Any company that meets the bar qualifies, and every company is held to the same rule.
How it will be checked (planned)
Recognition opens in 2027, and no company has been recognized yet. Our Phoenix finder lists companies with a Google rating of 4.5 stars or higher, at least 20 Google reviews and an active Arizona license when we checked them in October 2026, and shows which of them meet the Phoenix rating and review bar; that page explains how we checked. The planned check for recognition is:
- its star rating and review count, read from its Google listing;
- its license status, looked up with the state licensing agency (the Arizona Registrar of Contractors, Washington L&I, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the Florida DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board or the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board, all listed on our Sources page);
- the service area the company lists, compared with the metro.
Disclosure
The HVAC Standard is published by Joel Keith, who also runs a marketing agency; some companies featured here work with it. Recognition is not paid, and those companies are held to the same bar as every other company. The awards disclosure has the details.