We checked contractor websites. Here is what we found.

While building previews for local businesses, we ran an automated check on websites from public business directories and then confirmed the problems on 184 sites. Here is what stood out.

How old were the footers?

Of the sites with an outdated footer, the most common year was 2019, followed by 2018 and 2017. A few still showed 2010 or earlier. An old year in the footer does not prove the site is bad, but it usually means nobody has touched it for a long time.

Which trades?

Roofing, house cleaning, electricians, painting and HVAC made up most of the confirmed sites, roughly in that order. The sample is too small to say one trade is worse than another.

What this means

Many local businesses pay for a website that sits untouched, looks dated on a phone, and may cost them calls. Fixing the basics is cheap compared to one lost job.

Method and limits

• Sites came from public business directories and had a public contact email.
• An automated script checked the page for the mobile setting, the footer year, loading errors and obvious spam links. We then confirmed the flagged sites.
• This is not a random sample of all contractors, so the percentages describe these 184 sites, not the whole market.
• Footer years can be stale on a site that is otherwise fine, so treat them as a hint.

Checked in September and October 2026 by Owoop. Questions or corrections: [email protected].

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