Review guide · Contractors and trades

Contractor Reviews: Ask When the Invoice Is Paid

How contractors, plumbers and other trades get more Google reviews: send the request when the invoice is paid, with templates, rules and reply examples.

By Plaudit Team · Updated October 1, 2026

When someone needs a plumber, electrician or roofer, they open Google and sort by rating. The firm with sixty recent, specific reviews gets the call, and the one with six does not, even if the work is just as good.

Trades have a built-in advantage: every job ends in an invoice. This guide shows how to turn that into a review request, and where the rules say you must stop.

When to ask for a review in the trades

In the trades, the best review moment is concrete: the job is finished, the customer is looking at the result, and the invoice has been paid. Everything after that is a slower, weaker ask.

Repair or call-out

Within a few hours of finishing

A leak that has stopped or power that has come back is exactly when customers feel grateful. By the next week it is forgotten.

Larger project

After the final walkthrough and payment, not at the start

A kitchen, roof or extension is judged on the finished result, and customers know their opinion once they have lived with the work for a day or two.

Invoice paid

As soon as the payment lands

Payment is a natural confirmation that the customer was satisfied enough to settle up. With Xero or QuickBooks connected, this can trigger the request automatically.

Repeat customers

After the second or third job

Someone who has hired you more than once can say so, and reviews that mention repeat custom carry weight with people comparing quotes.

Which review sites matter for contractors and trades

Google Business Profile

Reviews appear in the map results people see when they search for a tradesperson nearby, so this is where nearly all of your requests should point.
Facebook

Useful where much of your work comes from local groups and word of mouth, but keep Google as the primary link.
Trade and lead marketplaces

Sites that sold you the lead usually have their own review systems and rules. Use their tools for their platforms, and use Plaudit's spare link slot for any other review page.

Review request templates for contractors and trades

Swap the bracketed parts. In Plaudit these merge in automatically from your contact list.

Subject: How did we do, [First name]?

Hi [First name], Thanks for choosing [Business name] for your [job type]. We hope you're happy with how it turned out. A short Google review makes a big difference to a small business like ours, and helps other people in [Town] find someone reliable: [Review link] If anything isn't right, reply to this email or call [phone] and we'll sort it. [Your name]

Text message · 166 characters

Hi [First name], thanks for choosing [Business] for your [job]. If you're happy with the work, a quick Google review would really help: [link]. Reply STOP to opt out.

Only text customers who agreed to receive texts from you. See SMS review request rules.

Don't pay for reviews, and don't hide the bad ones

Discount-for-a-review offers are common in the trades. They are also the quickest way to put your reviews at risk.

Google's policy prohibits offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for a review. Taking $10 off the next job for a five-star review is an incentive.
The FTC's final rule on fake reviews bars providing compensation or other incentives conditioned on reviews expressing a particular sentiment, and bars using unfounded or groundless legal threats, intimidation or certain false public accusations to remove a negative review.
Send requests to every customer, not just those you think were pleased. Google's policy also prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews or discouraging negative ones.

Sources: Google Maps contributed content policy; FTC final rule on fake reviews.

Replying to contractor reviews

Replies on a tradesperson's page are read by people about to hire you. Short, specific and calm wins.

Positive, names the person

“Dave came out the same day, fixed the boiler and explained everything. Fair price.”

Thanks very much. I'll tell Dave, he'll be pleased. Glad we could get your heating back the same day, and call us any time.

Negative, arrived late

“Said he'd be here between 8 and 12, turned up at 3. No call.”

A three-hour overrun with no call is not good enough, and I'm sorry. We've changed how we update customers on running late. Please ring me on [phone] so I can hear the details.

Negative, price

“Final bill was a lot higher than the estimate.”

I'm sorry the final amount was a surprise. Please send me your invoice at [email] and I'll go through it against the quote with you. Where the scope changed I'll explain why, and where it didn't I'll correct it.

Negative, job not finished

“Left the job half done and stopped answering.”

That's not how we want to treat anybody. I'd like to see the job finished properly. Please call [phone] today and I'll arrange a visit.

Want a draft for a real review? Use the free AI review response generator, and edit before you post.

Setting this up in Plaudit

Trades get the most from the Growth plan: text requests, plus the Xero and QuickBooks integrations that send a request when an invoice is paid. If you invoice another way, you can still import the day's jobs as a CSV or paste them in.

Connect Xero or QuickBooks from the Integrations page (Growth plan or higher).
Choose your Google review link and set the message to go out once the invoice is marked paid.
Add a single follow-up for customers who haven't responded.
If you take payment another way, import the week's finished jobs as a CSV.

Plans: Starter $19 (email, 1 platform), Growth $39 (adds SMS, integrations, follow-ups), Pro $79 (multiple locations). See pricing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount on the next job for a review? +

No. Google prohibits offering discounts, payment or free goods and services in exchange for a review, and the FTC's rule bars compensation tied to a particular sentiment. Ask openly and leave it there.

Do I need the customer's consent to text them? +

Yes, in most markets you need consent to send marketing-style texts, and the requirements differ by country. Plaudit's guide to SMS review requests explains the rules, and email is the simpler place to start.

What if a customer paid in cash or by bank transfer? +

Then no invoice event fires, so import those customers as a CSV, or paste their details in. It takes a minute at the end of the week.

Should I ask on site, before leaving the job? +

A quick 'you'll get a message from me about this' is fine. The actual request works better a few hours later, when the customer has had a chance to look at the work and is not feeling put on the spot.

Review guides for other industries

Also useful: SMS review request rules and templates, Review automation

All industries →

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