Where Illinois's general contractors and remodelers are
The largest concentrations of general contractors and remodelers in our Illinois data are in Chicago, Plainfield, Decatur, Springfield, Joliet, Skokie, Naperville and Bloomington. Competition for the map pack is heaviest there, and so is the reward: the same review count that dominates a small town is invisible in Chicago.
The map pack in Illinois
In Illinois, 44% of general contractors and remodelers have fewer than ten reviews. That is the good news if you have twenty: most of your local competitors are not trying. The bad news is that the three shops in the map pack for Plainfield searches are not in that group. They are near 111 reviews and they ask every customer.
The website gap in Illinois
A website is the clearest marker of a remodeling or general contracting business that is going to compete for the map pack, and 19.4% of general contractors and remodelers in Illinois do not have one linked. Across the country the median review count with a site is 14, without one 2. If your shop is in the 19.4%, start there.
What to do first in Illinois
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 13-review shop past the Illinois 75th percentile (41) within a year. The guides have the scripts.
- Finish the Google profile: primary category, every service you offer, real job photos, and hours that match reality. It is free and it is where Illinois customers decide.
- Follow up every lead within five minutes. Speed to lead beats ad spend in a trade where the customer is collecting three quotes. The calculator shows what slow replies cost.
- Then, and only then, spend on ads. Pointed at a profile with 13 reviews and no website, ads pay for your competitor's education. Pointed at a finished profile, they work.
The full national picture, with percentiles, ratings and hours, is in the benchmark report. The method is on the about page.