What the position means.
This edition ranks the Google review record of eligible company listings, adjusted for review volume. It is a starting point for comparing contractors, not a test of workmanship, structural safety, price, licensing or warranty performance. The same company may qualify for foundation repair, basement waterproofing, both or neither.
Start with the right companies.
Our October 24, 2026 discovery collection returned 814 rows from 40 searches across 12 metros, representing 414 distinct Google place IDs. We reviewed company websites for operating identity, advertised services and geographic relevance. Search presence alone is not evidence of local coverage. Businesses with unresolved identity, service, coverage or known relationship questions remain outside rankings. The current researched sample includes 130 distinct ranked listings; it is not a complete census.
Foundation repair requires evidence of structural foundation work such as settlement repair, underpinning or wall stabilization. Concrete flatwork alone does not qualify. Basement waterproofing requires evidence of basement water control; crawl-space encapsulation, roof coatings or general restoration alone do not qualify. A local office and a company-advertised service area are different evidence types. Source links in each entry show what supports inclusion.
The formula: FB-2026Q4-1.
Both categories use the same fixed prior: 4.6 stars with the weight of 50 reviews. A matched Google listing needs a rating from 1 to 5 and at least 10 reviews. Missing observations and counts below 10 receive no rank; they are not assigned zero.
Adjusted rating = (50 × 4.6 + review count × Google rating) ÷ (50 + review count)
Benchmark score = 100 × (adjusted rating − 4), bounded to 0–100
Order uses the adjusted rating rounded to three decimals. Equal values share a competition rank (T-2, T-2, then 4); tied companies appear alphabetically. Displayed scores use one decimal, so the visible score alone may not distinguish two positions. Search never renumbers the edition.
One operating company per metro.
We compare related names, domains, phone numbers and office addresses. Confirmed duplicate listings and aliases are consolidated within a metro, retaining the listing supported by the local operating identity. Ambiguous branches remain pending. Reviews are never added together across listings; a company may appear in multiple metros when local coverage is supported.
Dates and missing evidence.
Google ratings and counts are observations collected October 24, 2026 through Outscraper. Company evidence was reviewed October 24–25. Repeated discovery rows are not additional reviews. Ratings may cover all of a company's trades, and listings can change after collection. We do not measure the proportion of recent reviews, because this dataset contains totals rather than a complete dated review history.
A blocked or unavailable website is an evidence limitation, not a finding that the company lacks a service. Pending candidates receive no score. Licensing, insurance, engineering, permits and warranty coverage must be checked for the specific project; this edition does not certify them.
Commercial relationships.
Clients, sponsors, tenants, publisher-owned lead brands and other commercial partners are excluded from independent rankings. Payment cannot buy a position. Known or specifically unresolved relationships are held out. Any future sponsored content must be clearly separate and labeled.
Corrections.
Submit supporting evidence through the corrections channel. We check the claim and operating identity; a changed scoring input causes the entire affected cohort to be recalculated. Requests for favorable placement do not change the method.