Reviews & Maps / Google review benchmarks
Google Map Pack review benchmarks: roofers, HVAC and plumbers (October 2026)
Last updated
October 18, 2026
Short answer
On October 18, 2026, we checked the first 3 non-paid Google Map Pack listings in up to 30 US cities. The median top-3 listing had 170 reviews for “roofer near me”, 251 for “ac repair near me” and 298 for “plumber near me”. The median rating was 4.9 in all three. And in more than half the cities for each search, the first listing didn’t have the most reviews of the three.
This page is market data: what the top 3 had on one day. It isn’t your personal target. To work out the number you need in your own town, see how many Google reviews you need.
Method: Google desktop results via DataForSEO, October 18, 2026, search location set to each city, first 3 non-paid Map Pack listings. Full method and city list ↓
Roofers: “roofer near me” in 30 cities
Measure
Result
Cities checked (15 large metros, 15 smaller)
30
Listings recorded
90
Median reviews, top 3
170
Median reviews, first listing
226
Median reviews, large metros
195
Median reviews, smaller metros
159
Top-3 listings under 100 reviews
22%
Top-3 listings under 50 reviews
12%
Fewest reviews in a top-3 spot
8
Cities with a top-3 listing under 30 reviews
7 of 30
Cities where the first listing didn’t have the most reviews
16 of 30
Median rating
4.9
Rated 4.8 or higher
96%
Perfect 5.0 rating
47%
Roofers were the only one of the three where large metros ran higher: a median of 195 reviews, against 159 in smaller metros. Low counts still made it in. In 7 of 30 cities, a top-3 roofer had fewer than 30 reviews. For timing and wording that fit roofing jobs, see Google reviews for roofers.
HVAC: “ac repair near me” in 30 cities
Measure
Result
Cities checked (15 large metros, 15 smaller)
30
Listings recorded
90
Median reviews, top 3
251
Median reviews, first listing
363
Median reviews, large metros
138
Median reviews, smaller metros
556
Top-3 listings under 100 reviews
31%
Top-3 listings under 50 reviews
24%
Fewest reviews in a top-3 spot
1
Cities with a top-3 listing under 30 reviews
17 of 30
Cities where the first listing didn’t have the most reviews
16 of 30
Median rating
4.9
Rated 4.8 or higher
91%
Perfect 5.0 rating
41%
AC repair had the widest spread. Smaller metros had a median of 556 reviews, about four times the large-metro median of 138. Yet 17 of 30 cities had at least one top-3 listing with fewer than 30 reviews, and one listing had just 1 review. For HVAC timing, like the first hot week of summer, see Google reviews for HVAC companies.
Plumbers: “plumber near me” in 24 cities
Measure
Result
Cities checked (15 large metros, 9 smaller)
24
Listings recorded
72
Median reviews, top 3
298
Median reviews, first listing
284
Median reviews, large metros
227
Median reviews, smaller metros
393
Top-3 listings under 100 reviews
22%
Top-3 listings under 50 reviews
11%
Fewest reviews in a top-3 spot
14
Cities with a top-3 listing under 30 reviews
4 of 24
Cities where the first listing didn’t have the most reviews
17 of 24
Median rating
4.9
Rated 4.8 or higher
90%
Perfect 5.0 rating
33%
Smaller metros ran higher here too, 393 against 227, though that figure comes from 9 cities. Plumbers had the fewest very low counts of the three: only 4 of 24 cities had a top-3 plumber under 30 reviews. And the first listing’s median, 284, was lower than the median for all three spots, 298. For late-night calls and replies to price complaints, see Google reviews for plumbers.
What the numbers mean, and what they don’t
Google’s guide to local ranking says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. In Google’s words, “Local results favor the most relevant results for each search.” Reviews are one part of prominence. That fits what we saw: the first listing often wasn’t the one with the most reviews.
- Use the medians as a reference, not a target. Your bar is the top 3 for your main search, seen from where your customers are. Here’s how to find your own number.
- Reviews don’t set the order on their own. Relevance and distance count too, and prominence covers more than reviews. See what else decides the Map Pack order.
- A high rating is the norm, not an edge. At least 90% of top-3 listings for each search showed 4.8 or higher, and fewer than half had a perfect 5.0. Google’s tips for getting reviews say customers find a mix of positive and negative reviews more trustworthy.
It’s one snapshot. Rankings change with the searcher’s location and over time, so this shows patterns, not causes.
How we measured
- Source: Google desktop results in English, collected through DataForSEO on October 18, 2026.
- Location: the search location was set to each city. That’s city level, not one street address, and results can differ across town.
- Searches: “roofer near me”, “ac repair near me” and “plumber near me”, run once per city. 84 searches in all.
- What we recorded: the first 3 non-paid Map Pack (local pack) listings for each search. Paid entries were left out.
- Counts and ratings: exactly as Google showed them. Google rounds review counts of 1,000 and up (for example, 3.4K), and we used those rounded numbers.
- Listings: 90 for roofers, 90 for AC repair and 72 for plumbers.
- Medians: the middle value when you line the counts up. Unlike an average, one listing with 8.9K reviews can’t drag it up.
The cities
15 large metros: Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Denver, Seattle, Charlotte, Tampa, Nashville, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Minneapolis.
15 smaller metros: Boise, Knoxville, Spokane, Des Moines, Chattanooga, Fort Wayne, Greenville SC, Lubbock, Springfield MO, Tallahassee, Lancaster PA, Wichita, Reno, Fargo and Columbia SC.
Roofers and AC repair were checked in all 30. Plumbers were checked in the 15 large metros and the first 9 smaller ones, Boise through Springfield MO. We didn’t run plumbers in the other 6, so the plumber smaller-metro figure comes from 9 cities.
Limits
- One day, and one search per city for each term. Rankings move over time.
- Desktop results only. We didn’t check phone results.
- We recorded what Google showed, not why. A snapshot shows patterns, not causes.
What we didn’t measure
- Other trades. We have no numbers for electricians, landscapers, painters, garage door, pest control, pool service, concrete or window and door companies. Don’t use these review counts as targets for them.
- Review recency. We didn’t record when each listing got its newest review.
- Owner replies. We didn’t count how many reviews got a reply.
City by city: review counts in the top 3
The review count of the first, second and third non-paid Map Pack listing in each city, as Google showed it on October 18, 2026. No business names, counts only. Counts of 1,000 and up are Google’s rounded figures, like 1.2K.
“roofer near me”
Large metros
1st
2nd
3rd
Houston
1.2K
58
55
Dallas
104
240
681
Phoenix
1.1K
816
195
Atlanta
412
654
113
Chicago
51
261
105
Los Angeles
270
98
34
Miami
125
121
143
Denver
199
843
458
Seattle
104
25
119
Charlotte
254
105
640
Tampa
197
133
121
Nashville
965
880
1K
Philadelphia
447
41
169
San Antonio
133
27
777
Minneapolis
708
8
387
Smaller metros
1st
2nd
3rd
Boise
433
109
9
Knoxville
504
180
2.8K
Spokane
415
123
131
Des Moines
574
174
452
Chattanooga
44
40
29
Fort Wayne
127
198
148
Greenville SC
135
352
368
Lubbock
55
256
72
Springfield MO
663
219
190
Tallahassee
116
1.2K
68
Lancaster PA
147
153
2.2K
Wichita
466
159
65
Reno
351
170
10
Fargo
107
12
58
Columbia SC
106
681
419
“ac repair near me”
Large metros
1st
2nd
3rd
Houston
80
16
240
Dallas
735
198
164
Phoenix
83
114
3
Atlanta
138
3.4K
10
Chicago
158
207
18
Los Angeles
367
29
3.1K
Miami
52
13
130
Denver
322
126
144
Seattle
11
48
36
Charlotte
954
262
263
Tampa
645
214
4
Nashville
1.2K
1
77
Philadelphia
104
4
8
San Antonio
359
8
384
Minneapolis
7.8K
2.2K
829
Smaller metros
1st
2nd
3rd
Boise
8.9K
4.1K
5
Knoxville
840
7
704
Spokane
4.3K
106
3.1K
Des Moines
1.1K
889
793
Chattanooga
1.3K
1.1K
27
Fort Wayne
710
2.1K
2.3K
Greenville SC
351
522
303
Lubbock
489
528
101
Springfield MO
60
7.9K
1.4K
Tallahassee
161
2.3K
188
Lancaster PA
8
2.4K
10
Wichita
1.1K
345
556
Reno
107
2.4K
551
Fargo
4.4K
56
3
Columbia SC
15
1.1K
24
“plumber near me”
Large metros
1st
2nd
3rd
Houston
142
25
18
Dallas
71
307
77
Phoenix
457
1.4K
245
Atlanta
157
2.8K
109
Chicago
113
19
96
Los Angeles
116
45
486
Miami
382
239
58
Denver
154
99
102
Seattle
406
3.6K
3.9K
Charlotte
267
1.2K
62
Tampa
19
47
1.7K
Nashville
494
715
1.3K
Philadelphia
238
46
296
San Antonio
227
135
225
Minneapolis
829
374
2.2K
Smaller metros
1st
2nd
3rd
Boise
393
2K
634
Knoxville
144
406
162
Spokane
301
352
1.4K
Des Moines
4.2K
4.5K
334
Chattanooga
613
82
152
Fort Wayne
544
51
2.3K
Greenville SC
351
303
2.7K
Lubbock
263
219
14
Springfield MO
465
964
5.2K
Want your own numbers? Our free audit shows your profile, reviews and map ranking against your top 3 competitors.
Questions about Google review benchmarks
How many Google reviews does a top-3 roofer have?
In our October 18, 2026 check of “roofer near me” in 30 US cities, the median top-3 roofer had 170 reviews and the median first listing had 226. 22% of those top-3 listings had fewer than 100 reviews, and the fewest was 8. The top 3 in your own area set your bar.
Do smaller cities need fewer reviews?
Not for AC repair or plumbers in our October 18, 2026 Map Pack check. In smaller metros, the top 3 had higher medians than in large ones: 556 against 138 for AC repair, and 393 against 227 for plumbers (from 9 smaller cities). Roofers ran a little lower in smaller metros, 159 against 195.
Does the business with the most reviews rank first?
Often not. In our October 18, 2026 check, the first Map Pack listing didn’t have the most reviews of the three in more than half the cities: 16 of 30 for roofers, 16 of 30 for AC repair and 17 of 24 for plumbers. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and reviews are one part of prominence.
What star rating do top-3 roofers, HVAC companies and plumbers have?
In our October 18, 2026 check, the median was 4.9 for all three searches. 96% of top-3 roofer listings, 91% of AC repair listings and 90% of plumber listings showed 4.8 or higher. A perfect 5.0 was less common: 47%, 41% and 33%.
Sources
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How many Google reviews you need → How to rank in the Google Map Pack → How to get more Google reviews → Google review request templates →