Original research from Evergreen Web Solutions
2026 Contractor Website Benchmark: Findings From 100 U.S. Contractor Websites
We evaluated 100 independently owned contractor websites to see how clearly they establish trust, support local visibility, guide visitors toward an inquiry, and perform on mobile devices.
The results describe the audited sample. They are not presented as a census of every contractor website in the United States.
Executive summary
The technical basics were common. Strong proof and local content were not.
Most websites in the sample explained their services, identified where they worked, loaded securely, and remained usable on a mobile screen. The larger gaps appeared deeper in the customer decision: proving the quality of completed work, displaying credible customer feedback, creating useful local pages, and explaining what happens after an inquiry.
Average overall website score
Sites scoring 75% or higher
Mobile PageSpeed score of at least 50
Contextual project galleries or case studies
Identifiable privacy policy
The clearest opportunity: many contractor websites tell visitors what the company does, but far fewer show enough evidence to help a homeowner confidently choose that company.
What we evaluated
Twenty observable website criteria across four categories
Each website received one point for every criterion it satisfied. The criteria were limited to information a prospective customer could publicly observe on the website at the time of the audit.
Trust
- Project galleries or case studies
- Customer reviews
- License, certification, or insurance information
- Company or team information
- Consistent business details
Conversion
- Phone number above the fold
- Mobile click-to-call
- Primary estimate or contact CTA
- Short inquiry form
- Explanation of the next step
Local visibility
- Clearly stated service area
- Dedicated service pages
- Legitimate location pages
- Service-and-location homepage title
- LocalBusiness or contractor schema
Content and technical
- Clearly explained services
- HTTPS
- Usable mobile layout
- Mobile PageSpeed score of at least 50
- Privacy policy
Where websites performed well
Contractors usually provided the basic information customers need
Every website in the sample used HTTPS and remained usable at a typical mobile width. Nearly every site also explained its main services and stated a service area.
That matters, but it also means basic functionality alone is unlikely to create much separation. Contractors need stronger evidence, clearer page structure, and an easier inquiry process to distinguish their website from other functional competitors.
What contractor websites do well
Finding 01 · Trust
Completed work and customer proof were frequently missing
Only 37% of the audited websites displayed completed work with useful context, such as the project type, location, original problem, scope, process, or result.
A page filled with unexplained photos may show that work occurred, but it gives a prospective customer little help determining whether the company has experience with a similar project. A useful project feature connects the images to a service, customer need, and outcome.
Contractor website trust signals
What stronger project proof includes
For a practical breakdown of the supporting pages and trust elements customers need, read what a contractor website should include.
Finding 02 · Conversion
Most websites offered contact options, but fewer made the process easy
The majority of contractors displayed a prominent phone number and provided an obvious estimate or contact button. The experience often became less clear after that first step.
Only 57% provided a short inquiry form, and 62% explained what a customer could expect after submitting an inquiry. That uncertainty can matter when a homeowner is comparing several companies and wants to know how quickly someone will respond or whether the next step is a call, site visit, or estimate.
Conversion features observed
A clear inquiry process can be simple
Finding 03 · Local visibility
Stating a service area was common. Supporting it with useful local pages was not.
Although 98% of the sample stated where the company worked, only 53% had legitimate location or service-area pages with useful local information.
A city name in the footer or a long list of communities can help a visitor understand basic coverage, but it does not replace a page that explains the services available in that market. Effective location pages should reflect genuine operations, real services, local project experience, and the questions customers in that area actually ask.
Local visibility features observed
Thin pages created by changing only the city name were not treated as legitimate local pages.
Finding 04 · Mobile performance
82% passed the basic mobile PageSpeed benchmark
Each homepage received one Google PageSpeed Insights mobile performance test. A score of 50 or higher counted as a pass for this audit.
Across the 80 websites rerun on September 11, 2026, the average mobile score was 66.3. Scores in that group ranged from 32 to 98.
PageSpeed scores can change between tests because of server conditions, third-party scripts, network simulation, and page changes. These results represent one recorded test per website on the audit date.
Mobile PageSpeed benchmark
Scores of 50 or higher
Scores below 50
Performance matters because customers still need to reach the services, project evidence, phone number, and estimate form after the page begins loading.
Contractor category comparison
Roofing websites earned the highest average score
Each contractor category included 10 websites. Roofing led the sample with an average overall score of 81.0%, followed by HVAC at 78.5% and tree service at 76.5%.
Average website score by contractor type
| Rank | Contractor category | Websites audited | Average score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roofing | 10 | 81.0% |
| 2 | HVAC | 10 | 78.5% |
| 3 | Tree Service | 10 | 76.5% |
| 4 | Specialty Contractor | 10 | 76.0% |
| 5 | Plumbing | 10 | 73.5% |
| 6 | General Contractor / Remodeler | 10 | 71.0% |
| 7 | Painting | 10 | 69.0% |
| 8 | Landscaping | 10 | 68.0% |
| 9 | Concrete / Excavation | 10 | 67.0% |
| 10 | Electrical | 10 | 66.5% |
Important: these scores evaluate the websites. They do not evaluate the quality, reliability, reputation, or workmanship of the businesses themselves.
Patterns among stronger websites
Higher-scoring sites reduced uncertainty throughout the customer journey
The scoring criteria reveal a practical pattern. Stronger websites made it easier for visitors to understand the company, verify its experience, find the right service, and take the next step.
Obvious next actions
Phone numbers, click-to-call controls, and estimate buttons were easy to locate.
Real project evidence
Completed work was supported by useful details instead of unexplained images.
Dedicated service pages
Important services had clear places within the site instead of sharing one thin page.
Local relevance
Service areas were supported by useful local information and legitimate operations.
Clear company identity
Visitors could understand who the contractor was, why it was qualified, and what came next.
Self-assessment
How does your contractor website compare?
Use these questions to identify the same trust, conversion, local visibility, and performance gaps measured in the benchmark.
- Can visitors immediately find your phone number?
- Does it work as a mobile click-to-call link?
- Is there one obvious estimate or contact button?
- Does your form ask only for necessary information?
- Does every important service have its own useful page?
- Do you clearly identify the communities you serve?
- Are your location pages genuinely useful and distinct?
- Do project photos explain the work completed?
- Are customer reviews clearly attributed?
- Can visitors learn about your company and qualifications?
- Does the site explain what happens after an inquiry?
- Does the homepage perform reasonably well on mobile?
Research methodology
How the 100-site benchmark was assembled
The audit used the same observable scoring standard for every website. The goal was to compare common website practices across contractor categories without making claims about the quality of any individual business.
Limitations: this is a structured observational sample, not a statistically representative census of every contractor website. The findings should be cited as results from the audited sample. Individual PageSpeed scores can also fluctuate between tests.
Using this research
Publications, contractor associations, educators, and resource providers may reference these findings or reuse the charts with a visible credit and link to this report.
Evergreen Web Solutions. “2026 Contractor Website Benchmark: Findings From 100 U.S. Contractor Websites.” September 2026. https://www.evergreenwebsolutions.org/contractor-website-benchmark