@greenmissionsOH, thanks for posting! All great questions.  Let me answer each: 1) There is no cost to becoming a Top Pro! We just ask that you meet three criteria:  Be fast : respond within 24 hours at least 75% of the time when you get a new lead Do great work : maintain an average star rating of 4.8 or higher. Remember that only verified reviews over the previous 12 months are counted.  Ask for reviews : get at least 5 verified reviews over the past 12 months. 2) We qualify new classes of Top Pros twice a year - once in January and once in July.   In both cases, we're looking at your previous 12 months.  So in July, we'll be looking at your stats on Thumbtack from July 2018 till July 2019.  You can learn more about this part of the program here.  And don't worry! July will be here before you know it, and we'll be rooting for you every step of the way!  3) We currently send a monthly Top Pro eligibility report that lets you know where you stand and whether you're set to qualify in the next cycle.  Soon, we're going to add this information to your Insights tab, so that you can always see, for example, how many more reviews you need to make Top Pro. 4)  The Top Pro badge is great for helping you stand out in search results. On average, customers are more than twice as likely to hire pros who have one.  The badge shows that you’re consistently getting lots of great reviews and responding quickly to your customers. So customers know that you’re qualified and capable of getting their job done well.  They will seek you out! Hope that answers your questions! Thanks again for participating! ... View more

Hey @Marv, Top Pros on Thumbtack consistently deliver a great experience for their customers, and that’s what makes them top notch. We base our criteria on what our customers are looking for. Customers want to connect with a pro who have a track record of great projects - that’s why we care about your rating (at least 4.8) and number of reviews (at least 5 verified reviews). We care about your response rate because customers also want to hear back from you as soon as possible, so they can get their projects underway. Of course, we know you have a day job, which is why we only ask that you respond within 24 hours at least 75% of the time.. Other factors, like having a great profile or promoting your profile, are a great way to stand out on Thumbtack, but don’t directly affect your Top Pro status.  At least right now :) In terms of # of years on Thumbtack, we don’t currently include this as a criteria because it doesn’t necessarily predict whether a pro will be able to deliver an exceptional customer experience - new and veteran pros alike are capable of offering a 5-star experience.  Of course, we still show the number of years you’ve been on Thumbtack on your profile, so customers will see if you have more experience. And we also show all the Top Pro badges you’ve earned over time, so a customer will see if you’ve made Top Pro year over year. This is our way of helping veteran pros stand out, without giving them an unfair advantage.  I hope that makes sense! Also tagging a few other pros who asked similar questions about how we chose our criteria!  @Marv @Ironman18 @Tovicand ... View more

Hey @Aaron_V, I’m sorry to hear that you missed the cut this time! But congratulations on having been a Top Pro in the past! Remember, only about 4% of all pros currently qualify as Top Pros, so it’s a very big (and rare!) accomplishment.   We haven’t changed the criteria in over a year, but here’s a refresher.  In order to earn Top Pro status, you need to meet these three criteria: Be fast : respond within 24 hours at least 75% of the time when you get a new lead Do great work : maintain an average star rating of 4.8 or higher. Remember that only verified reviews over the previous 12 months are counted. It’s not your lifetime rating, but rather your rating in the last year (in this case, from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018). Ask for reviews : get at least 5 verified reviews over the past 12 months. These criteria apply equally and objectively to all Thumbtack pros.  And we qualify pros twice a year: once in January and once in July. So even if you missed the cut this month, you'll have another chance in July! We'll be rooting for you! If you still have a question about the criteria and why you did or didn’t qualify, send a private message to one of our moderators (@Meckell or @Kameron) and we’ll take a closer look! Also tagging these pros who asked similar questions about our criteria to become a Top Pro:  @greenmissionsOH @paul827 @fascinatindance @WeddingGuyRob @Celestra @Aaron_V Thanks for posting and good luck to you! ... View more