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How concrete contractors get recommended by AI: one real 20-answer test

By BeAIOptimized · November 2, 2026

Short answer: In our real test in Wichita, KS, the 5 leading AIs named the most-named local concrete contractor in 14 of 20 answers, and a small local contractor we tracked in 2. The AIs leaned on contractors' own websites and on directory and review sites such as Angi, so what each one shows about your business matters.

More homeowners now ask an AI assistant who should pour their driveway or fix a cracked patio, and they call one of the few names it gives them. We asked the 5 leading AIs, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity, 4 questions a Wichita homeowner might ask about concrete work, once each: 20 answers in all. We tracked a real small concrete contractor there. We don't name the local businesses here, but every number comes from the real answers.

Source: our real test of a concrete contractor in Wichita, KS, November 2, 2026: 4 questions x 1 try x 5 AIs = 20 answers.

What the Wichita concrete test showed

We asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity 4 everyday questions: "best concrete contractor in Wichita KS for a new driveway", "who can pour a concrete patio in Wichita Kansas", "my concrete driveway is cracked, who should I call in Wichita KS" and "affordable stamped concrete company near Wichita KS", with the location set to Wichita. That gave us 20 answers.

• One contractor got most of the mentions. The most-named local concrete contractor was named in 14 of 20 answers. The small local contractor we tracked was named in 2, and another long-running Wichita contractor in 2.
• The contractor's own website did a lot of the work. The AIs cited the most-named contractor's website in 13 of 20 answers, and named that contractor every one of those 13 times. Its home page lists each kind of job it does, such as driveways, patios, steps and stamped concrete. The small contractor's website was never cited.
• Directory and review sites came up in most answers. 16 of 20 answers cited one. Angi and ProsGrade were each cited in 6 answers, BBB and Yahoo Local in 5, and HomeAdvisor in 3.
• ChatGPT went its own way. ChatGPT cited Angi in all 4 of its answers and named a mostly different set of contractors. It never named the contractor the other four AIs named in 14 of their 16 answers. Both answers that named the small contractor, one from ChatGPT and one from Gemini, relied on Angi.
• Repair questions went to repair specialists. For "my concrete driveway is cracked", all 5 AIs named a foundation repair or concrete leveling company. The most-named concrete contractor was named in only 2 of those 5 answers.
• The assistants did not name the same number of companies. On average per answer, Grok named 7.0 businesses, Gemini 6.8, Claude 6.5, ChatGPT 5.8 and Perplexity 3.5.

We list the websites cited in the answers, not the Wichita contractors those answers named. Site types were grouped from each answer's web addresses, and business names were read from each answer by a small model, so the counts are close estimates.

This was a 20-answer test: 4 questions, one city, one day. Another town or another day can look different, which is why the paid report tests your own company in your own area.

What a concrete contractor can do with a 20-answer test

Read the notes below as patterns from one Wichita test, not a verdict on your company. What applies to you depends on your website, your directory listings, and the other contractors nearby.

• Give each kind of job its own page. Driveways, patios, steps, stamped concrete and repair or replacement each match different questions. A short page for each, naming the towns you work in, gives AI something clear to point to.
• Keep your directory listings complete. Angi, BBB, Yahoo Local, Yelp and similar sites were cited in most answers. Each should show the same business name, address and phone as your website and list the services you really offer.
• Say plainly whether you fix cracked or sunken concrete. For the cracked-driveway question, the AIs mostly turned to repair and leveling specialists. If you repair or replace damaged concrete, say so in plain words.
• Describe real jobs, not just photos. A photo gallery doesn't tell AI much. A line or two under each project, such as "stamped patio in Derby, 2025", gives it words to match.
• Don't let a security setting hide the company site. A "checking your browser" page can stop automated visitors. Homeowners never notice it, yet assistants may never reach your pages.

This week: tidy the Angi and BBB listings ChatGPT used

Open your Angi profile and your BBB listing. Check that the business name, address and phone number match your website, word for word, and that the services listed include each kind of job you want, such as driveways, patios and stamped concrete. Update any that are out of date. In our test, ChatGPT cited Angi in all 4 of its answers.

Why the first fix is not the same for every contractor

Two concrete companies in the same city can be missing for unrelated reasons. One website may never be opened by an assistant. Another may be absent from the directories those assistants checked. A third may appear for new driveways and never for repairs. Starting with the wrong item costs time, and a guess will not show whether the answers moved.

The AI Recommendation Report ($49) runs a fuller version of this kind of test for your company. We put 15 real customer questions about concrete contractors in your area to ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity, twice each. You see how often you are named next to up to 3 local competitors, which websites each assistant used, and the Top 5 Fixes for your business. The Report + Fix Kit ($99) adds ready-to-paste wording and step-by-step instructions.

To see the layout, open the sample report, which uses an insurance-agency example of the same $49 format: who was named, which sites were used, and what to change first. Nobody can promise an assistant will name you, because answers change; the report shows where you stand today.

Questions about the concrete test or the report? Email Christine at hello@beaioptimized.com.

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Questions concrete contractors ask