BeAIHow plumbers get recommended by AI: 240 answers across 40 cities
Short answer: In our test of 40 US cities, ChatGPT and Perplexity gave the same top plumber pick only 13% of the time, the highest match rate of the four trades we studied, and still uncommon. Showing up in one assistant is no promise you'll show up in another, which is why the $49 report runs all 5 leading AIs: ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity.
When a pipe bursts or the water heater quits, more people now ask an AI assistant who to call, and they call one of the few names it gives them. To see what comes back, we asked ChatGPT and Perplexity "Who is the best plumber in [city]?" in 40 US cities, three times each. Here's what they said, which websites they leaned on, and what that means for a plumbing company.
Figures come from our 960-answer study of October 25, 2026: 240 plumber answers, ChatGPT and Perplexity, 40 US cities.
▶ Watch: plumbers in Columbus, Ohio (a 2-minute video from the study).
The clip uses the company names those assistants wrote on October 25, 2026. It is not an endorsement, and a later answer can name different shops.
What the 40-city plumber test showed
The test itself was simple: ChatGPT and Perplexity were asked "Who is the best plumber in [city]?" in 40 US cities, three times each, with the location set to that city, for 240 plumber answers.
- Customers see a short list. ChatGPT named 4.0 plumbers per answer on average, and Perplexity named 2.1. Both nearly always said there's no single "best" plumber (95% of ChatGPT answers and 93% of Perplexity answers), then named a short list anyway.
- The two AIs agreed more for plumbers than for any other trade, but still not often. For the same city and the same try, they named at least one of the same plumbers 53% of the time (63 of 120). They gave the same top pick only 13% of the time.
- The same question, asked again, often moved. ChatGPT kept the same top pick all three times in 3 of the 40 cities, and across those three answers it named 9.2 different plumbers on average. Perplexity held the same top pick all three times in 13 of the 40 cities.
- "Best of" and review sites did most of the work. "Best of" list sites (pages that rank local companies) showed up in 92% of Perplexity's plumber answers and 44% of ChatGPT's. Perplexity cited ConsumerAffairs in 59% of its plumber answers and Yelp in 28%.
- Angi was ChatGPT's top source. ChatGPT cited Angi in 33% of its plumber answers (40 of 120), more than any other site.
- BBB mattered most to Perplexity. Perplexity cited BBB in 51% of its plumber answers. ChatGPT cited it in 13%.
- Company websites counted for Perplexity. Perplexity pulled up plumbing company websites in 67% of its answers. ChatGPT linked to a company's own website in 4%, so for ChatGPT, what other sites say about you counted for more.
- Licensing sites showed up too. Perplexity cited a state licensing or government site, such as a state plumbing board, in 23% of its plumber answers.
- Mostly local names. About 13% of plumber answers named a national chain or franchise (a rough count based on a short list of brand names). Most names were local companies.
This page lists the sites the assistants cited, not the plumbing companies they named. A citation is not an endorsement. We grouped site types from the web addresses in each answer, and treated a company website as one when the address pointed to the business itself.
Those 240 answers came from two assistants and one wording of the question, on one day. Gemini, Grok and Claude may point to other sources, so the paid report tests all five.
What a plumbing company can take from this
The notes below are patterns from the plumber study, not a readout of your own shop. What applies to you hangs on your site, your listings, and the companies you compete with.
- Be on the sites AI reads. In our plumber answers, that meant Angi, BBB, ConsumerAffairs, Yelp and local "best of" pages. If you're missing from them, there's little for AI to find, no matter how good your work is.
- Say what you fix, one service at a time. One page that says "all plumbing services" gives AI less to match than clear sections for drain cleaning, water heaters, sewer lines, leaks and emergency calls.
- Write down your service area. If the towns you serve aren't written anywhere, AI may not connect you with customers there.
- Use one version of your name, phone and address. It should read the same on your site, your Google Business Profile, your BBB page, and every directory you appear on.
- Confirm assistants can actually open your site. Some security tools greet automated visitors with a "checking your browser" screen. Customers never see it; ChatGPT and the others can be stopped there.
A half-hour task for this week
Look up your company on Angi, BBB and ConsumerAffairs, three of the sites the AIs in our study cited most for plumbers. If a profile isn't claimed, claim it. Then make sure your business name, phone number, address, service area and services match what's on your website and Google Business Profile, word for word. It takes about half an hour.
Why two plumbers in the same town need different fixes
A missed recommendation rarely has a single cause. One shop's site may be closed to automated visitors. Another may appear for drain cleaning and vanish when someone asks about water heaters. A third may show up in Perplexity and never in ChatGPT, because the two assistants do not lean on the same sites. Starting with the wrong fix costs time, and a guess will not tell you if anything improved.
The AI Recommendation Report ($49) is built for that gap. We put 15 real customer questions about plumbers 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 company. The Report + Fix Kit ($99) adds the wording, ready to paste, plus step-by-step instructions.
Want a look first? Our sample report (an insurance-agency example) shows the kind of breakdown the $49 report includes: who got named, which sites the assistants used, and what to change first. Nobody can promise an assistant will name you, because answers shift, but starting with the right fixes is the surest step we know.
Questions about showing up in AI answers? Write to Christine at hello@beaioptimized.com.
More trade results: insurance agents · electricians · pest control · concrete contractors · dentists · HVAC companies · roofers · the full 960-answer study.
Questions plumbers ask us
How many plumbers does AI name when asked for the best one?
In our study of 240 plumber answers, ChatGPT named 4.0 plumbers per answer on average and Perplexity named 2.1. So in a city with hundreds of plumbers, a customer who asks AI sees a handful of names.
Which websites does AI use to pick a plumber?
In our study, Perplexity cited ConsumerAffairs in 59% of its plumber answers and BBB in 51%, and pulled up plumbing company websites in 67%. ChatGPT most often cited Angi (33% of its plumber answers). Which sites matter most for you depends on your town and which AI the customer uses.
Do ChatGPT and Perplexity recommend the same plumbers?
Sometimes. For the same city, they named at least one of the same plumbers 53% of the time, the most of the four trades we tested, but gave the same top pick only 13% of the time.
Can I pay to be recommended by AI?
No. None of ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude or Perplexity sells a place in the everyday answers a customer sees. They name the companies they can find clear, consistent information about.
How do I know what my plumbing business needs to fix?
It comes down to your site, your listings, and the shops nearby. Our $49 AI Recommendation Report puts 15 real customer questions about plumbers in your area to ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Claude and Perplexity, twice apiece, for 150 answers, and shows how often you're named, who is named instead, and your Top 5 Fixes.
Cities where we tested plumbers: Plumbers in Tampa.
Results for other trades: concrete contractors · dentists · electricians · flooring companies · HVAC companies · insurance agents · painters · pest control · roofers · tree service · drain cleaners · window replacement · the full 960-answer study.
See how the 5 leading AIs (SIs) talk about your plumbing company
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