How to get more Google reviews for a builder or renovator in NZ

Building and renovating are the biggest spend most households make. Before choosing a builder, people read reviews carefully, and the reviews they trust most describe a whole project: communication, tidiness, whether the job came in on budget, how problems were handled.

You have fewer customers and each one matters more

A builder might finish a handful of jobs a year. That means every project should end with a review, and a single missed one costs you a lot. It also means you have the luxury of asking personally.

The best moments to ask

• At handover or practical completion. The keys are in the hand, the customer is walking through their new space, and they are proud of it.
• After the final invoice is paid. Some customers prefer to wait until everything is settled, and that is fine. Message them a few days later.
• A few weeks after moving in. Once they have lived with the work, they often write the best review. A short check-in message is a gentle way to ask.

A message you can copy

Hi [first name], it has been a pleasure building your [extension / kitchen / bathroom / deck]. We hope you are enjoying it. If you are happy with the result, a Google review about your experience would help other people choosing a builder. Here is the link: [your link]. Thank you, [your name] at [business name]

Because projects are long, invite them to mention what mattered to them: how we communicated, how the site was kept, how we handled changes.

Where to put your review link

1. In the handover pack, with a printed QR code.
2. On your final invoice and your completion email.
3. On the site sign while the job is in progress. Neighbours and passers-by look at it, and your past customers' reviews build trust.

Make the link and QR code free with the review link and QR code generator.

Ask every customer, including the tricky ones

On long projects, there are bound to be disagreements about timing, cost or changes. Ask everyone anyway. Where a customer is unhappy, a private feedback route lets you resolve things properly, and the public route is still there for them. Never ask only the customers who sailed through. See is review gating illegal.

Reply thoughtfully

Reviews on big projects tend to be longer, so reply in kind. Thank them, mention the project, and keep it specific.

Do not pay for reviews

Offering a discount on a future job or a gift for a review is an incentive, and breaks Google's policy. See can you offer incentives for reviews.