What to Check Before Hiring a General Contractor in Texas
Texas general contractors average 34.1/100 on the AI Trust Score, below the statewide average of 35.7/100 across all verticals. That gap matters because AI Trust Scores measure the same things a careful homeowner should: consistent business identity, verifiable credentials, and a web presence that holds up to scrutiny.
Before you sign anything, run through these checks.
1. Confirm business identity across sources
The Identity component of the AI Trust Score is worth 25 points and measures whether a contractor's name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web. Inconsistencies are a red flag. Search the business name on Google, the Texas Secretary of State's website, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) portal. If the addresses don't match, ask why before proceeding.
2. Check for a structured, machine-readable web presence
Only 12% of Texas general contractors have JSON-LD structured data on their websites. JSON-LD is the technical markup that lets search engines and AI systems verify a business's identity automatically. The absence of it doesn't disqualify a contractor, but it does mean their information is harder to cross-reference. Compare that to roofers (25%) and plumbers (23%): general contractors are the least structured vertical in the state.
3. Read reviews carefully, not just the star average
The average rating across Texas general contractors is 4.51 stars, and the average review count is 118.0. Those numbers look healthy. The median review count, however, is 0.0. That means most reviews are concentrated in a small number of businesses. A contractor with 4.8 stars and 6 reviews is not the same as one with 4.5 stars and 300 reviews. Top 10% performers in Texas average 239.0 reviews; the bottom 50% average 136.0.
4. Verify license and insurance independently
TDLR handles many contractor license types in Texas. Verify the license number directly on their site, not just by asking the contractor. Request a certificate of insurance naming you as an additional insured for the project duration.
5. Look up their AI Trust Score
Only 1.7% of Texas contractors across all verticals score Excellent (80-100). You can check any contractor's score at /find or browse verified contractors in the Texas general contractor directory. A score below 40 warrants additional due diligence on identity and documentation before you commit.
Red Flags in the Data
The score distribution for Texas general contractors reveals a market with significant gaps in verifiability. Understanding where those gaps concentrate helps you identify which contractors need closer scrutiny before you hire.
Score distribution tells the real story
23.8% of Texas general contractors score below 40 on the AI Trust Score. Within that group, the breakdown is stark:
| Score Range | Contractor Count | Share of State Total |
|---|---|---|
| 0-9 | 2,166 | 13% |
| 10-19 | 403 | 2% |
| 20-29 | 2,453 | 15% |
| 30-39 | 5,004 | 30% |
A score in the 0-9 range typically signals missing or completely inconsistent business identity data. That applies to 2,166 contractors in Texas alone.
No structured data is a consistency warning
Only 12% of Texas general contractors have JSON-LD structured data, the lowest rate of any tracked vertical in the state. For context, that number sits below roofers (25%), plumbers (23%), and even painters (17%). Without structured markup, there is no machine-readable record tying a business name to a consistent address and phone number. That makes independent verification harder for both AI systems and homeowners.
The review picture is more uneven than the average suggests
The statewide average rating of 4.51 stars looks reassuring. The median review count of 0.0 is the number that should give you pause. Review volume is heavily concentrated: the top 10% of performers average 239.0 reviews, while the bottom 50% average 136.0, and their average AI Trust Score is 22.0/100. A high star rating paired with very few reviews is not a signal of quality. It is a signal of insufficient data.
Summary: red flags to check before hiring
| Red Flag | Prevalence Among Texas GCs |
|---|---|
| AI Trust Score below 40 | 23.8% |
| Score in 0-9 range (severe identity gaps) | 13% |
| No JSON-LD structured data | 88% |
| Bottom 50% avg score of 22.0/100 | 50% of market |
| High rating with very low review volume | Widespread (median reviews: 0.0) |
None of these flags is automatically disqualifying on its own. A contractor with a low AI Trust Score may still do excellent work. But each flag represents a piece of information that is missing or unverifiable, and unverifiable information is risk you carry.
Check any contractor's score before you hire at /find, or review the full landscape in the Texas state market report.
Verification Checklist
16,902 general contractors are tracked in Texas. Knowing how to separate the 1.7% with Excellent scores from the rest requires checking the same signals the AI Trust Score measures: identity consistency, verifiable credentials, and web presence quality.
1. Cross-check business name, address, and phone across three sources
The Identity component is worth 25 of 100 points and measures consistency across the web. Pull the contractor's name from their website, then search it on Google Business Profile and the Better Business Bureau. If the address or phone number differs across any of these, that inconsistency directly suppresses their Identity score and should prompt direct questions before you proceed.
2. Verify the license on TDLR's website directly
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) handles many contractor license types. Go to tdlr.texas.gov and search the contractor's license number yourself. Do not rely on what they tell you verbally or what appears on a business card. Legitimacy is worth 35 of 100 points, and license verification is a core component.
3. Request a certificate of insurance naming you as an additional insured
Ask for a current certificate before work begins. Call the insurer listed on the certificate to confirm the policy is active. This protects you if a worker is injured on your property and feeds directly into the Legitimacy scoring component alongside license status.
4. Read reviews across multiple platforms, not just the star average
Texas general contractors average 4.51 stars, but the median review count is 0.0. That means volume is concentrated in a small share of businesses. Check Google, Yelp, and the BBB. A contractor with 4.9 stars and 4 reviews carries far less signal than one with 4.5 stars and 200 reviews.
5. Check the contractor's website on mobile
Readability accounts for 40 of 100 points and includes mobile-friendliness, website quality, and JSON-LD structured data. Only 12% of Texas general contractors have JSON-LD markup, the lowest rate of any tracked vertical in the state. A site that breaks on mobile or lacks basic contact information is a structural warning.
6. Look up their AI Trust Score
Check any contractor at /find before committing. Browse verified options in the Texas general contractor directory. Scores below 40 apply to 23.8% of the state's contractors and warrant closer scrutiny on every step above. Cities like Haslet (47.2 avg), Round Rock (47.0), and Cedar Park (46.4) show it is possible to find well-documented contractors. In lower-scoring markets, this checklist is not optional.
Using AI to Verify Contractors
The AI Trust Score is not a rating of work quality. It measures something more specific: how verifiable a contractor is.
Three components make up the score. The first checks whether a business's name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web (worth 25 points). The second looks at reviews, ratings, and license or insurance credentials (35 points). The third evaluates website quality, mobile usability, and structured data markup (40 points). Together, they answer one question: does this contractor's information hold up when checked independently?
The average Texas general contractor scores 34.1/100. In practice, that means a typical business in this vertical passes some basic checks but has gaps in at least two of the three components. You cannot verify their credentials automatically. Their business identity may not be consistent across sources. Their website may not surface in AI-generated search results reliably.
A contractor in the top 10% averages 69.7/100. That score represents a business with consistent identity data, documented reviews at volume, and a website built to be read by both humans and AI systems. Only 1.7% of Texas contractors score Excellent (80-100), and just 24 score between 90 and 100.
The full tier breakdown across all 16,902 tracked Texas contractors:
| Tier | Score Range | Share of Market |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 80-100 | 1.7% |
| Good | 60-79 | 17.7% |
| Fair | 40-59 | 56.8% |
| Below Average | Below 40 | 23.8% |
Texas scores higher than California (21.5/100) and Florida (19.8/100), but trails Manitoba (41.7/100). The state is not the worst market to hire in, but the average score of 34.1 for general contractors specifically leaves most of the market in a range where independent verification is difficult.
Browse the Texas general contractor directory, check any contractor's score at /find, or review the full state breakdown in the Texas state market report.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a general contractor is licensed in Texas?
Go to tdlr.texas.gov and search the contractor's license number directly. Do not rely on verbal confirmation or a business card. License verification feeds into the Legitimacy component of the AI Trust Score, which is worth 35 of the 100 possible points. Of 16,902 Texas general contractors tracked, only 1.7% score Excellent, meaning most have verifiable gaps somewhere in this process.
What should I look for in contractor reviews?
Review volume matters as much as star rating. Texas general contractors average 4.51 stars, but the median review count is 0.0. That means most reviews are held by a small share of businesses. The top 10% of performers average 239 reviews; the bottom 50% average 136. Prioritize contractors with consistent review volume across multiple platforms.
Does location affect contractor quality in Texas?
Yes, meaningfully. Haslet averages 47.2/100, Round Rock 47.0, and Cedar Park 46.4. Meanwhile, Texas City, Smithville, Santa Fe, San Leon, and Red Rock all average 0.0. Your market affects how many well-documented contractors are available.
What is a good AI Trust Score for a general contractor?
Anything above 60 is Good. Texas general contractors average 34.1/100, below every other tracked vertical except landscaping (35.1). Only 12% have JSON-LD structured data. Check any contractor at /find.