Has anyone used these types of referral websites? Was the information on them helpful?

I need to get some siding work done on my house and finding a reliable contractor is tough. BBB, yelp, google reviews, you wade through so much BS trying to figure out what information is reliable and what is not.

I thought I had it figured out until I checked his state license to find out he has had 3 different businesses doing the same thing in the last 5 years. Red Flag?

AL is a good resource. Pick from companies with over 200 reviews. Then read all the bad reviews. Figure out if the bad ones are legitimate and how the company responds. The way the company responds will tell you if you want to do business with them. If they make a mistake, it happens. Some companies with try to deflect blame, or lie their way out of problems. Some will take responsibility and fix problems. You want the latter.

Ignore the good reviews, they are useless as most people wouldn't know if their plumber, HVAC guy, or electrician did a good job or not.

AL also has some deals/coupons in there with the businesses. For instance, some heating and AC companies offer certain services or visits for small flat amounts or free estimates.

Only use home advisor if you want to get a lot of junk emails.