By Kathleen Graves, Editor · Updated November 2026
Every Top 10 list on Top Ten St. Louis is built the same way. This page explains that method in one place. Each list also has a short “How We Ranked These” section that names the factors that matter most for that category, such as licensing for lenders or manufacturer certifications for roofers.
What we look at
- Published business information. Every business on a list publishes a street address or a local base in the St. Louis metro. Its address, phone, services and other details come from its own website or a public listing, and we link the source. If we can’t confirm a fact, we leave it out.
- Credentials and licensing. Where a trade or profession is licensed or certified, we check what we can, such as NMLS and Missouri Division of Finance records for mortgage companies or manufacturer directories for roofers. Awards and case results are reported as the business states them, with a link, and are labeled that way.
- Services and fit. We look at the range of services a business offers and who it serves best, so each listing has a clear “best for” and readers can match a business to their situation.
- Years in business and local track record. How long a business says it has served St. Louis, and the local work it can point to.
- Reviews, as one signal. Each listing shows the business’s Google rating and review count as published on its Google profile, with the month we checked it. We read the rating together with the number of reviews, because a 5.0 from 7 reviews and a 4.7 from 600 reviews aren’t directly comparable. Ratings are one signal among several. They never set the order on their own. If a business has no Google rating, we say so instead of filling in a score from somewhere else.
- Transparency. We give credit to businesses that clearly publish their pricing, process, policies and who does the work.
How the order is set
Our editors weigh these factors and decide the order. The ranking reflects our editorial judgment of how well each business fits a typical St. Louis customer in that category. We don’t use made-up scores or formulas, and each list explains why its #1 pick leads.
What we don’t do
- No business pays for placement, and inclusion can’t be bought. Businesses may suggest themselves through our contact page, and those suggestions are reviewed like any other lead.
- We don’t invent ratings, scores, reviews, quotes or statistics.
- Advertisers and sponsors have no say over what we cover or how businesses are ranked.
Updates and corrections
Each list shows when it was last updated. We recheck details when we update a list and change them when businesses change. If you spot something out of date, email contact@toptenstlouis.com or call (314) 347-0158. See our Editorial Policy and Corrections Policy for the full standards, or browse all of our Top 10 lists.