Best Electricians PennsylvaniaHow the rankings work
Every company is scored the same way, with formula v1.5. This page is generated from the formula file itself, so it always matches the scores on the site.
The two rankings
- Family-run ranking: operating electricians with at least 10 Google reviews whose own website (or a recorded review) says they are family-run, with no franchise evidence, no open review, ownership recorded as family-owned and independent (confirmed by an independent source, stated by the company or likely, from secondary sources), and no disagreement between ownership sources.
- Full directory ranking: every operating electrician with at least 10 Google reviews that is not held for review, whatever its ownership, with ownership points applied.
A company that fails the family-run rule is left out of that list, not ranked lower in it. Rank order is score, then number of reviews, then name.
County and town pages
Each county and town page has one ranking (and one family-run ranking), in the same score order, of every ranked company that qualifies for the place in one of three ways. Each row says which, under "Why listed":
- Google listing: the company has a Google listing in the county or town.
- Says it serves: the company's own website names the county, or a town in it (for a town page, the town or the county it is in). A town it names counts only within 40 km (about 25 miles) of one of its listings. The row links the page that says so. This is what the company says; we have not checked where it works.
- Based nearby: the company has a listing within 16 km (about 10 miles) of the place, measured to the nearest municipality centre of the county, or to the town's centre. This is a distance only, not a statement that the company works there.
A county page whose list still holds fewer than 20 ranked companies also lists the nearest other ranked companies, nearest first, until it holds 20, but none further than 56 km (about 35 miles). They show as "Based N miles away", a distance only, and the page says how far its list reaches. A county still under 20 after that also shows, below the ranking, the electricians with a Google listing there that are not ranked yet because they have fewer Google reviews than a ranking needs. Town pages are not filled.
A company appears once on a page, under the first of these that applies. Its score is the same as in the statewide ranking: the place pages change no score.
Score
Score = 100 x (sum of weight x value) / (sum of the weights in use), rounded to one decimal, then ownership points and bonus points are added, and the result is kept between 0 and 100.
| Part | Weight | In use | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google rating, adjusted for review count | 40% | yes | Adjusted rating = (v x R + 25 x C) / (v + 25), where v is the number of Google reviews, R the Google rating and C the average rating of all Pennsylvania electricians in the data (4.61 this month). Value = (adjusted rating - 3.5) / 1.5, kept between 0 and 1. |
| Number of Google reviews | 15% | yes | Value = log10(v + 1) / log10(5000 + 1), kept between 0 and 1: full credit at 5,000 reviews. |
| Accuracy of the company's own claims | 20% | yes | Starts at 1. Each claim inconsistent with records takes off 0.5 when the evidence is strong and 0.25 when it rests on web records only. Supported claims and claims with no independent record take off nothing. Floor 0. |
| Years in business | 10% | yes | Value = (build year - founding year) / 15, kept between 0 and 1. Only an exact founding year counts; an approximate or unknown year counts 0. A stated year is replaced by the documented year only when a state record and web records agree that it is inconsistent. |
| State registration check | 10% | no | Planned: 1 when the state registration is verified. Not in use yet, so it counts for no one. |
| Transparency (website, phone, address, hours) | 5% | yes | Share of four facts present: an own website, a phone number, a street address on the main Google listing and opening hours on it. |
The claim accuracy part is applied only when at least 95% of the ranked companies have had their claims tested and at least 95% have had their state register check, so that nobody is marked down for being checked first.
Claims compared with records
What a company says about itself on its website (its founding year, review totals, number of locations, being family-run) is compared with records we did not get from the company: the Pennsylvania Department of State register, Internet Archive captures, domain registration records and Google listings. Each result is one of three: supported, no independent record, or inconsistent with records. Only a claim inconsistent with records lowers the claim accuracy part; each company page lists its claims with their sources.
Ownership points
| Ownership type | Points |
|---|---|
| Family-owned and independent | 0 |
| Independent | 0 |
| Not determined | 0 |
| Franchise location | -5 |
| Owned by private equity | -10 |
| Owned by a larger corporation | -10 |
The directory gives weight to independent, locally owned businesses, so franchise locations and companies owned by private equity or a larger corporation receive fewer points. Each ownership record cites its sources on the company's page.
| Label | Ownership recorded |
|---|---|
| Family-owned | Family-owned and independent |
| Independent | Independent |
| Franchise | Franchise location |
| Private equity | Owned by private equity |
| Corporate | Owned by a larger corporation |
| Not determined | No type recorded, or a record that is not sure enough |
A type is shown only when its record is confirmed by an independent source, stated by the company or likely, from secondary sources; any other record is shown as "Not determined". The tables show the ownership points beside the label when they are not 0, for example "Franchise, -5 points". Each company's page gives the full wording: the ownership type, how sure the record is, the parent where one is named, and the sources.
Bonus points
| Signal | Points |
|---|---|
| Job prices published on its website | +3 |
| Only a service fee published | +1 |
| 24/7 service on its website and in its Google hours | +2 |
| Written workmanship warranty with a stated term | +1 |
Bonus points apply only when at least 95% of the ranked companies with a readable website have been read. Job prices and a service fee do not add up: the higher one counts. Identity labels, financing, certifications, phone systems and languages never earn points.
Sources
- Google listings: name, rating, review count, category, hours and status, read through Google's Places service. Ratings from Google; review text is not reproduced.
- The companies' own websites: family-run statements, founding years, services, prices, warranties and licence numbers, quoted with the page address.
- The Pennsylvania Department of State register of active businesses (data.pa.gov): registration dates and officers.
- City open data: licence and permit records for Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
- Internet Archive captures and domain registration records, used to test founding claims.
- A monthly check of the top companies' Google profiles: owner replies to reviews and listed attributes.
Formula changes
Formula v1.5 is the first published version, and every later change will be listed here with its date and reason.
Limits
- Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician licence requirement in effect yet (licensing in Pennsylvania); Philadelphia licenses electrical contractors, and home improvement contractor numbers are shown as the companies publish them.
- The state register lists active registrations only, so a missing record proves nothing.
- A company's Google listings are found by search and may be incomplete.
- Scores are an opinion produced by the formula, not a guarantee of any company's work.