Most contractors are laser-focused on Google reviews — and rightfully so, because Google is where most search-driven leads begin. But Facebook reviews are a second reputation layer that millions of homeowners still rely on. When someone gets a recommendation in a local Facebook group and then checks your page to see what others say, your Facebook reviews are what they find. A strong presence there can close the gap between “I was referred” and “I’m calling right now.”
This guide covers the practical steps to consistently grow your Facebook review count — without doing anything spammy, without begging, and without making your customers feel awkward.
Facebook calls them “Recommendations” now, not reviews — but the mechanics are the same. To make sure they’re enabled, go to your Facebook Business Page, click “Settings,” then “Privacy,” and find the “Reviews” section. Make sure recommendations are turned on. If they’re disabled, no one can leave them — and a surprising number of contractors have them turned off accidentally or have never checked.
Also confirm your business category is set correctly. Pages listed as a “Local Business” have the recommendations feature by default. If your page is set as a “Brand” or “Company,” you may need to switch the category to unlock the feature.
Most customers won’t leave a Facebook review because it’s slightly more steps than Google. The fix is to remove every bit of friction by giving them a direct link that takes them straight to the recommendation prompt. To get this link, go to your Facebook Business Page and copy the URL from your browser. Then add ?sk=reviews to the end of it. That URL takes users directly to the reviews/recommendations tab, so they don’t have to hunt for where to click.
Send this link in your follow-up text or email after the job is complete. Something like: “If you’d be willing to leave us a quick Facebook recommendation, it means a lot to a small business like ours — here’s the direct link: [link].” Simple, non-pressuring, and it works.
The best moment to ask for a review is right after the job is finished and the customer has expressed satisfaction — verbally on-site, or via a text exchange. That window of positive sentiment is your best shot. Wait three weeks and you’ve lost it. The mechanics of your ask matter less than catching people when they’re still feeling good about the experience.
You don’t want to ask for two reviews at the same time — it feels like too much of an ask and dilutes both requests. A better approach: use Google as your primary ask (it has more SEO value directly via local SEO rankings), and rotate Facebook into the follow-up sequence. For example, a customer who already left a Google review might get a gentle follow-up a week later: “If you’re on Facebook, we’d love it there too — just takes a second.” You’ll convert a meaningful percentage of happy Google reviewers into Facebook reviewers with minimal extra effort.
Just like Google, you should respond to every Facebook recommendation — positive and negative. Facebook users who leave recommendations often have a wider social circle connected to that review than you’d expect. A warm, personal response to a glowing recommendation can get shared, liked, or commented on — turning one review into free visibility across your reviewer’s friend network. That kind of organic reach is something Google reviews simply don’t offer.
Many towns and neighborhoods have active Facebook groups where homeowners ask for contractor recommendations. Joining these groups and being an active, helpful presence — answering questions, sharing maintenance tips, congratulating neighbors on projects — builds goodwill before anyone even looks at your page. When someone asks “Who do you recommend for gutter replacement?” in a local group, satisfied customers who see your name in their memory are far more likely to chime in. You can’t manufacture this, but you can create the conditions for it by being present and useful rather than purely promotional.
There’s no magic number, but in most local markets, a Facebook page with 25–50 recommendations looks credible. Under 10 looks thin. Over 100 looks impressive enough that some prospects will trust your Facebook presence as much as your Google profile. Start there: build to 25, then 50. Ask every happy customer, use the direct link, and respond to everything you receive. Consistency over six months will get you further than any single campaign or push.
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