How I pick
One company per job. Here’s how I choose.
I Know a Guy connects homeowners in 55442 with one trusted company for each service, through a guide mailed to every home in the ZIP. Here’s how a company gets on it.
I research every company.
State enforcement records, reviews on more than one site, how long they’ve been around, and whether they’re locally owned. Every company confirms it’s licensed and insured before it goes in the guide.
For the big jobs, I compare.
I send several local companies the same typical project and compare how they respond: how fast, how clear the pricing is, what’s included, and whether they ask the right questions.
See the email I send
Subject: Pricing question: tree removal in 55442 Hi, I'm Luke with I Know a Guy. We connect homeowners in 55442 with one trusted company for each service, through a guide mailed to every home in the ZIP. Before I pick, I'm asking a few local companies how they'd handle the same typical job. The home: 1995 two-story in Plymouth 55442, quarter-acre lot, fenced backyard with a 10 ft gate. The job: - Remove a healthy silver maple, about 60 ft tall with a 30 inch trunk - About 15 ft from the house, canopy over the roof on one side - Overhead utility line about 25 ft away along the back lot line - Equipment access through the 10 ft gate, over lawn - Full cleanup, haul away all wood and debris - Grind the stump below grade and haul away the grindings If a homeowner called you today with this job, roughly: 1. What would it cost, and what's included or extra? 2. How soon could you do it, and how long on site? 3. What's your process (site visit, estimate, deposit, payment)? 4. Any warranty or guarantee? 5. Anything else you'd want to know? A ballpark is plenty. I know a firm price takes a site visit. Please reply by email.
Every company in a category gets the same email, so the answers can be compared fairly.
See how I score
| What I look at | Points |
|---|---|
| Responsiveness: how fast they reply, and whether they answer follow-up questions | 20 |
| Clear pricing: a real range, what's included and what's extra, warranty, and fair value for the full job (not the lowest price) | 25 |
| Communication: professional, clear, and explains why | 20 |
| Know-how: asks the right questions and flags real risks | 20 |
| Track record: reviews on more than one site, clean state enforcement records, locally owned | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
To be invited, a company has to score 80 or higher, serve 55442, be locally owned, have a clean enforcement record, and confirm it’s licensed and insured. If two companies tie, the one closer to Plymouth wins. If nobody makes the cut, I keep looking.
I pick one.
The company I’d send to my own family’s house gets invited. One company per service, per ZIP.
They pay for the spot.
Featured companies pay a flat fee to be in the guide. Paying never gets a company in that didn’t make the cut, and nobody pays for a better position.
I hold them to it.
If a company stops treating homeowners right, it’s off the list.
If I wouldn’t send them to my mom’s house, they’re not on the list.
Questions? luke@iknowaguymn.com