You want a recommendation that helps another builder understand your work. Ask for an endorsement tied to a job completed together: the scope, the author’s role, what they observed, and when. Keep online reviews too when they describe another part of the job experience.
Check who wrote the recommendation, how they know your work, and what their words support. Do not treat a builder endorsement as automatically stronger than a homeowner review. Neither replaces current credentials, the agreed scope, or a direct discussion about the next job.
Read contractor endorsements by what the author saw
A recommendation can answer several questions. Start by identifying who wrote it and what they personally experienced. Check whether that experience helps the next reader make a decision.
Use the table below to check those statements. It does not claim that every author uses the same criteria.
Scroll to read all columns.
| Evidence | Useful subject to ask about | Limit to keep visible |
|---|---|---|
| Builder endorsement | Scope performed, trade handoffs, communication, corrections | Only the jobs and conduct the author observed |
| Sub endorsement | Shared interface, site coordination, response to changes | The author’s own role and contact with the work |
| Homeowner review | Communication, occupied-home experience, agreed result | The reviewer may not have observed every construction stage |
| Private work reference | Detailed questions about a comparable job | Contact permission and the author’s actual knowledge |
A homeowner can provide detailed, relevant evidence. A builder can provide a vague recommendation. Check the wording and the author’s role before giving either more weight.
Ask the next builder or client what they need to know. A reference about finish work may answer a different question from one about a concealed mechanical package.
Tie the endorsement to completed work
Ask the author to identify the project type and your contribution without revealing the client. Use a neutral label when needed. Record the exact job privately.
State how the author was involved in the work. Did they manage your package, work beside your crew, receive the finished scope, or only hear about the project? Make that role clear.
Prepare these details:
- Project or neutral project label.
- Work your company performed.
- Author’s role and involvement.
- Period when the work occurred.
- Observed communication or handoff.
- Correction or follow-up the author can discuss.
- Permission for public wording and private contact.
Do not use praise to cover gaps in what the author saw. If the author did not observe a test, license check, or concealed stage, do not ask them to imply that they did.
David Weekley’s vendor signup asks for identifiable work references separately from business information. Be ready to arrange a reference conversation when asked. A public endorsement does not replace that builder’s own process.
Ask without writing the praise for them
Make the request specific to the work and allow an honest answer. Do not tell the person what rating, opinion, or success claim to give. Keep the request easy to decline.
Use this proposed builder request:
We are updating our professional work profile. Would you be willing to describe the [scope] we completed together on [neutral project label]? Please include your role and the aspects you observed. We will confirm the permitted wording and project details before publishing.
For another sub, focus on where your crews’ work met:
Would you be willing to describe how our crews worked together on [documented interface]? Please cover only the work and communication you observed. We will keep the client and private job information out of the public version.
These are request templates, not testimonials. Do not publish them as proof of a relationship. Do not pass off your wording as someone else’s quote.
If the author needs factual context, provide the project label and scope record. Let them describe their experience. Ask permission separately before using their identity, company, or contact details.
Keep online review requests honest
The FTC’s marketer guidance says reviews should reflect honest opinions from people with actual experience. Use that principle when preparing your request. Check the destination platform’s current rules before asking for reviews there. Google Maps prohibits incentives for reviews and selective requests for positive reviews.
The FTC’s review-rule Q&A distinguishes consumer reviews from testimonials and explains that buying sentiment-conditioned consumer reviews is prohibited. It also states that the rule treats entity endorsements differently. Do not assume every builder endorsement falls within the same provision.
Ask an attorney about uncertain advertising uses or arrangements. Avoid incentives tied to praise. Do not ask a person with no actual work relationship to write as though they were a client or trade partner.
Ask about what happened on the job. Do not cut out the author’s concerns so the remaining words sound like unconditional approval.
Disclose relationships that affect the recommendation
The FTC’s Endorsement Guides guidance says endorsements used in advertising must be honest and not misleading. It also discusses clear disclosure of material connections the audience would not expect.
Check for relevant relationships before publishing. A paid arrangement, employment relationship, family connection, or other benefit deserves review under the applicable guidance. Do not call a recommendation independent unless you can support that description.
Keep the disclosure beside the recommendation so readers can judge it. Ask an attorney when the context is uncertain. Review the actual statement and arrangement against the guidance.
A routine credit for another trade is different from claiming that the trade endorses you. Get the author’s permission and preserve the meaning of the words you publish.
Keep future promises out of endorsements
An endorsement should not guarantee your future availability, every worker’s performance, current insurance coverage, or the outcome of an unrelated job. Ask what the author saw. Do not ask for a promise about every job.
Avoid unsupported superlatives and broad comparisons. If the author describes a specific result, check the underlying record before using it in your advertising. The FTC’s advertising FAQ says advertisers need supporting evidence before an ad runs. Keep the project details beside the statement.
Do not turn “we worked together” into “we verified everything.” Do not let a recommendation of one crew imply that the same crew is assigned today. Ask the business about current staffing and the specific project separately.
Keep these public and private checks distinct:
Scroll to read all columns.
| Public statement | Next private check |
|---|---|
| Comparable work completed together | Confirm scope and the author’s involvement |
| Communication the author observed | Ask about the specific next-job contact process |
| Correction handled on that project | Discuss current correction and warranty terms |
| Recommendation from a trade partner | Check current credentials and project fit separately |
Link each endorsement to its project
In your working records, link the endorsement to the job it describes. Keep the approved wording, date, author’s role, and contact permission together. Correct the credit if you learn it is wrong.
Choose portfolio images that show the same scope. Use the construction portfolio guide for project cards. Use the trade-profile guide to keep the opening accurate.
If a reader needs more detail, arrange a reference conversation with permission. Ask the author which subjects they are willing to discuss. Keep private phone numbers out of the public profile unless expressly permitted.
Use the photo evidence checklist to distinguish what the author observed from what an image can show.
Where Cercha fits
The Cercha app supports endorsement requests from builders or subs and shows confirmed endorsements in separate profile sections. Requests include jobs completed together and notes. Use that context to ask for an accurate account, then use Messages for the next professional conversation.