A Time Capsule From 2016, Written by Homeowners
Best of Houzz 2016 was one of the first national awards Thrush & Son® earned online, and it came straight from homeowners. In January 2016, Houzz, the home remodeling and design platform, named the Brookville company a winner for Customer Service, based in part on the number and quality of client reviews it received in 2015.
Ten years later, we reopened the envelope. Here’s what the award meant then, how Houzz decides it now, and how you can use reviews like these to pick your next contractor. Start with our homeowner reviews if you want the current ones.
Two Clippings From the Best of Houzz Announcement
The 2016 press release had two voices: our president and the Houzz executive who announced the winners. Open the envelope to read them. Houzz said its community of more than 35 million monthly unique users chose winners from more than one million active pros, a figure echoed in other 2016 winner announcements.
“It is very exciting news to learn that Thrush & Son has been awarded by Houzz the Best of 2016 for customer service. This recognition is another display of some of the fundamental beliefs that we have built our business upon, character and customer service.”
W. Allen Thrush, President and CEO“Anyone building, remodeling or decorating looks to Houzz for the most talented and service-oriented professionals. We’re so pleased to recognize Thrush & Son… voted one of our ‘Best Of Houzz’ professionals by our enormous community of homeowners.”
Liza Hausman, Vice President of Industry Marketing, HouzzHow Best of Houzz Has Changed
Best of Houzz is still awarded every year, but the categories have shifted. Flip between 2016 and today. Current details come from Houzz’s own Best of Houzz guidebook.
- DesignPros whose project photos were most popular with the Houzz community of more than 35 million monthly users.
- Customer ServiceBased on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a pro received in 2015. This is the one Thrush & Son won.
- PhotographyArchitecture and interior photographers whose images were most popular on Houzz.
- DesignAwarded for popular project photos, ranked by room category and metro area using recency and how often people save them.
- ServiceBased on the quality of recent client reviews. A pro needs a review for a project finished in the past year and a high overall star rating.
- InnovatorFor U.S. pros who win the Service award, are Houzz Pro Certified, and run their business on Houzz Pro software.
One thing hasn’t changed: winners get a badge for their Houzz profile and their own website, so homeowners can spot them while browsing. The Service award still leans on reviews, though today Houzz focuses on recent projects and an overall star rating instead of a single year’s count. In other words, a contractor has to keep earning it.
Why a Best of Houzz Badge Means Something
Plenty of awards can be paid for. The Best of Houzz Service award starts with reviews, and Houzz is strict about who writes them. Clients have to post their own reviews, reviews from employees or family members don’t count, and Houzz says it rejects offers from marketing companies to obtain reviews.
That’s why the 2016 badge mattered to us. Every review behind it came from a homeowner who let us onto their roof or into their home. The same idea still drives how we work: show up when we say we will, explain the job in plain words, and clean up like it’s our own yard. More on that in the right contractor.
Read Reviews the Way Best of Houzz Does
Star ratings are a start. The real clues are in the words. Tap each clue to highlight it in the sample review below, then use the same five checks on any contractor you’re considering.
They replaced the roof and gutters on our 1950s ranch in two days. When the crew found soft decking near the chimney, they stopped, showed us photos, and explained the cost before doing anything. Dave, our estimator, called the night before to confirm the start time, and the yard was cleaner when they left than when they came.
Sample review written for illustration. It is not a real customer review.
Specifics
A useful review names the project: what was replaced, how big, which materials. “New roof and gutters on our Cape Cod” tells you more than “great job.”
Problems
Every project hits a snag. Look for how the company handled one: a late delivery, a rotten board, a color mix-up. That’s where customer service shows.
Recency
Check the date. Houzz now looks at reviews for projects finished in the past year, and so should you. A great review from 2012 says less about today’s crew.
People
Names matter. When reviewers mention the estimator, the crew lead, or the office staff by name, it usually means a real person was paying attention.
Response
See whether the company replies to reviews, especially the mixed ones. A calm, specific reply is a good sign of how they’ll treat you.
Look for patterns, not one review
Read reviews on more than one site: Google, Houzz, and the BBB each catch different customers. One cranky review isn’t a deal-breaker, and a wall of short five-star posts from the same week deserves a second look. What you want is a steady pattern, over years, of homeowners describing the same things: clear estimates, crews that show up, and a company that answers the phone when something goes wrong. Pair that with the doorstep checks in off the roof.
Thrush & Son, 2016 vs. Today
The 2016 press release included a short company profile. Here it is next to today. Some things changed; the family name on the door didn’t. For the full family story, read family-owned and 65 years strong.
| 2016 press release | Today | |
|---|---|---|
| Years in business | 56, founded 1960 | 66, still family-owned |
| Leadership | W. Allen Thrush, President and CEO | Three generations of the Thrush family |
| Team | Over 100 full-time men and women | Local crews across the Miami Valley |
| Recognition | Best of Houzz 2016, BBB A+, Royal Gold Crown Award | GAF President’s Club, BBB A+, Best of Dayton 2024 |
| Where homeowners find us | Houzz, the website, The Home Improvement Minute | Google, Houzz, social media, and the blog you’re reading |
Customer Service Is a Family Habit
W. Allen Thrush bought the company from his father, Wilbur, in 1989, after a lifetime around job sites. By the time of the Best of Houzz award, Thrush & Son had grown to more than 100 full-time employees, and the expectations hadn’t changed: answer the phone, keep the promise, and treat every home like a neighbor’s.
In 2016 the company also held a BBB A+ rating, had been named a runner-up for the BBB Eclipse Integrity Award, and had received the Royal Gold Crown Award for vinyl siding. Today that work continues in roofing, siding, and windows across the Miami Valley.
From Best of Houzz to Today
An award from 2016 is a snapshot. What counts is whether the reviews keep coming. Today Thrush & Son is a GAF President’s Club Contractor, holds an A+ BBB rating, and was named Best of Dayton in 2024. You can still find us on Houzz, and browse finished work in our project gallery.
Best of Houzz FAQs
What is the Best of Houzz award?
Best of Houzz is an annual award from Houzz, the home remodeling and design platform. In 2016 it was given in three categories: Design, Customer Service, and Photography. Today the categories are Design, Service, and Innovator.
Which Best of Houzz 2016 award did Thrush & Son win?
Thrush & Son won the Best of Houzz 2016 award for Customer Service, which Houzz based on several factors, including the number and quality of client reviews received in 2015.
How is the Best of Houzz Service award decided now?
Houzz says the Service award is based on the quality of recent client reviews. A pro needs at least one review for a project completed in the past year and a high overall star rating. Reviews from employees or family members don’t count.
Can a contractor buy a Best of Houzz badge?
No. Reviews have to come from real clients, and Houzz says offers from marketing companies to obtain reviews are rejected. The badge reflects what homeowners wrote.
Where can I read Thrush & Son reviews?
Read homeowner reviews on our reviews page, our Houzz profile, and our BBB profile, where Thrush & Son holds an A+ rating.
How do I leave a review for Thrush & Son?
Visit our reviews page or our Houzz profile and share what we did, who you worked with, and how it turned out. Specific details help the next homeowner most.
Something else on your mind? We have answers.
Be the Next Review We Earn
The Best of Houzz badge started with a homeowner’s words. Let us earn yours. We’ll inspect your home, explain what we find, and put it in writing. Already worked with us? Leave a review; it helps your neighbors decide.
- Name the projectRoof, siding, windows, gutters, and roughly when.
- Name the peopleThe estimator, crew lead, or office staff who helped.
- Tell the hard partA surprise, a delay, or a question, and how it was handled.
- Add a photoBefore and after shots help the next homeowner picture it.
