Diamond Certified
Diamond Certified Resource certifies local service companies across 150+ industries in 45+ U.S. metros via telephone-survey-based ratings, serving both SMB service providers paying for certification and 175,000+ consumer preferred members accessing its annual directory and performance guarantee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersPetaluma, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Diamond Certified does
Diamond Certified Resource, operated by American Ratings Corporation, is a privately held consumer rating service founded by Greg Louie and Jim Stein and headquartered in Petaluma, California. The company certifies local service companies across 150+ industries in more than 45 U.S. metropolitan areas, using a proprietary 12-step certification process anchored on telephone surveys of typically 400 verified past customers per applicant, with companies required to score 90 or higher on a 100-point scale to earn the designation. Core products include an annual printed Diamond Certified Directory (840,000 copies across nine Bay Area geographic editions in 2026), the Diamond Certified Preferred Membership (free with a paid premium upgrade offering a $2,000 performance guarantee and digital tools), Diamond Certified Company Reports, consumer guides, an expert contributors program, and a mediation-based performance guarantee.
Diamond Certified operates a two-sided business model. On the B2B side, local service SMBs pay for certification and receive the Diamond Certified designation, custom marketing materials, and access to quality-conscious consumer leads across 150+ service categories. On the B2C side, the company is free to consumers (175,000+ preferred members), with revenue generated through premium membership upgrades and the value of member engagement rather than per-lead fees. Distribution combines mass annual direct mail of printed directories with a website (diamondcertified.org), email newsletters, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, Pinterest), and a content-marketing engine spanning consumer guides and an expert contributors program.
The business is founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment, no acquisitions, no M&A activity, and no AI/ML capabilities evident in the source material. The core technology is deliberately human-driven telephone survey methodology rather than automated review aggregation, which differentiates Diamond Certified structurally from crowd-sourced platforms but also constrains scalability and presents a long-term competitive risk relative to AI-enabled ratings competitors.
Diamond Certified firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Diamond Certified
- Legal name
- American Ratings Corporation
- Website
- https://diamondcertified.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Diamond Certified Resource certifies local service companies across 150+ industries in 45+ U.S. metros via telephone-survey-based ratings, serving both SMB service providers paying for certification and 175,000+ consumer preferred members accessing its annual directory and performance guarantee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Diamond Certified is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Petaluma
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Diamond Certified business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Preferred Membership Program: Free preferred membership with optional upgrade to premium tier providing double performance guarantee ($2,000 vs $1,000), digital downloads, member hotline access, monthly e-newsletter subscription, and special member tools. Revenue comes from upgraded memberships and the value generated from member engagement.
- Directory Distribution: Annual printed Diamond Certified Directory distributed to 840,000 households across nine geographic editions, with 182,000 copies to preferred members and selected homeowners each April. Directories feature profiles of top-rated local companies across 150+ service industries.
- Company Certification Services: Local service companies pay to undergo the Diamond Certified rating and certification process, gaining access to quality customers and marketing benefits. Companies that qualify receive the Diamond Certified award and marketing materials including a custom marketing suite.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Preferred Membership - Includes basic directory access and $1,000 performance guarantee |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Preferred Membership Upgrade - Double guarantee, digital access, and VIP tools |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Diamond Certified product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Diamond Certified Resource operates a local service company ratings and certification business. Local service companies pay to undergo a rigorous 12-step certification process that includes telephone surveys of approximately 400 verified past customers, requiring a score of 90+ on a 100-point scale to earn the Diamond Certified designation. Consumers access these rated companies through an annual printed directory (distributed to 840,000 households across nine geographic editions), a digital website, detailed company reports, consumer guides, and a free Preferred Membership program backed by a $1,000 standard or $2,000 premium performance guarantee with mediation.
Product overview
Diamond Certified Resource operates a multi-platform local service company ratings service. The core offering consists of the Diamond Certified Directory (annual printed and digital directories), Diamond Certified Preferred Membership (free tier with performance guarantees and member benefits), and Diamond Certified Company Reports (detailed customer survey-based ratings profiles). The service uses a 12-step certification process centered on telephone surveys of verified real customers, requiring companies to score 90+ on a 100 scale. Additional products include the Find a Quality Company Wizard (interactive search tool), Consumer Guides (Home, Auto, Health, Personal, Seasonal categories), Blog, Expert Advice program, and Problem Resolution & Mediation services. All certified companies are backed by a Performance Guarantee, with Preferred Members receiving double coverage ($2,000). The platform covers 150+ local service industries across 45+ metropolitan areas nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Diamond Certified Directory Annual printed directory featuring profiles of top-rated local companies across 150+ service industries, distributed to households and Diamond Certified Preferred Members in geographic editions.
- Diamond Certified Preferred Membership Free membership program offering a Double Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee ($2,000), digital directory downloads, Preferred Member Hotline (24/7), monthly e-newsletter, and VIP access to member tools; serves individual consumers seeking verified local service providers.
- Diamond Certified Company Reports Deeply researched company profiles displaying customer survey responses, ratings, credentials, and detailed performance information for certified companies.
- Company Certification Services Rigorous 12-step certification process including random customer surveys (typically 400+ customers), credential verification, license checks, and ongoing monitoring. Companies must score 90+ on a 100 scale to earn Diamond Certified status; serves local service businesses across 150+ industries.
- Problem Resolution & Mediation Services Alternative dispute resolution service using shuttle diplomacy to help consumers and Diamond Certified companies resolve contract performance disputes through mediation; serves both consumers and certified companies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Companies must score 90+ on 100-point scale to earn Diamond Certified, cutting out mediocre performers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Diamond Certified
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Diamond Certified technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Diamond Certified partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Diamond Certified competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GuildQuality: GuildQuality conducts third-party customer satisfaction surveys for home builders, remodelers, and home services contractors. It shares Diamond Certified's core methodology of surveying verified customers to certify quality, though GuildQuality focuses specifically on the building and remodeling trades.
- Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a marketplace that matches consumers with local service professionals across categories like home improvement, events, and lessons. It directly competes for the same local-service SMB customer base that Diamond Certified certifies and the same consumer demand for trusted providers.
- Angi: Angi (formerly Angie's List) is the leading consumer ratings and lead-generation platform for local home service professionals. It directly competes with Diamond Certified in connecting homeowners with vetted local service companies through reviews, certifications, and paid lead programs.
- Better Business Bureau: The BBB is a longstanding nonprofit organization that rates and accredits local businesses based on trust and performance criteria, paralleling Diamond Certified's certification of local service companies. Both organizations provide third-party quality signals and dispute-resolution resources for consumers.
Emerging players
- Porch: Porch is a home services platform connecting homeowners with local professionals for projects like remodeling, maintenance, and moving. It overlaps with Diamond Certified in the home-services vertical but uses a project-based marketplace model rather than Diamond Certified's certification-first approach.
- Trustpilot: Trustpilot operates an open consumer-review platform with verification mechanisms and a star-rating system. While primarily focused on e-commerce and online retailers, its verified-review approach is conceptually similar to Diamond Certified's survey-based methodology.
- ConsumerAffairs: ConsumerAffairs collects verified consumer reviews and brand ratings across home, health, and personal services. It overlaps with Diamond Certified in delivering trust signals to consumers shopping for local service providers, but operates nationally online rather than via local print directories.
Broad incumbents
- Yelp: Yelp is the largest crowd-sourced local business review platform in the U.S., covering restaurants, home services, and professionals. It is the primary competitor for consumer attention on local service quality, though its open-review model lacks the verified-survey methodology and contractual guarantee Diamond Certified offers.
- Google Business Profile: Google Business Profile embeds local business listings, ratings, and reviews directly into Google Search and Maps, where the majority of local service discovery now begins. It is the default competitor for consumer attention on local service quality and structurally advantages crowd-review scale over Diamond Certified's verified methodology.
Others
- Birdeye: Birdeye is a customer-experience and review-management platform that helps local businesses aggregate, monitor, and respond to reviews across Google, Facebook, and other sites. It is an ecosystem enabler for SMBs that Diamond Certified certifies, rather than a direct consumer-facing rating competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Diamond Certified social profiles
Digital presenceDiamond Certified financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Diamond Certified leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Diamond Certified funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Diamond Certified M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Diamond Certified
What does Diamond Certified do?
Diamond Certified Resource operates a local service company ratings and certification business. Local service companies pay to undergo a rigorous 12-step certification process that includes telephone surveys of approximately 400 verified past customers, requiring a score of 90+ on a 100-point scale to earn the Diamond Certified designation. Consumers access these rated companies through an annual printed directory (distributed to 840,000 households across nine geographic editions), a digital website, detailed company reports, consumer guides, and a free Preferred Membership program backed by a $1,000 standard or $2,000 premium performance guarantee with mediation.
Is Diamond Certified a public or private company?
Diamond Certified is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Diamond Certified founded?
Diamond Certified was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Diamond Certified based?
Diamond Certified is headquartered in Petaluma, United States, in the North America region.
How does Diamond Certified make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Preferred Membership Program is the primary driver. The others are directory Distribution and company Certification Services.
Who are Diamond Certified's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GuildQuality, Thumbtack, Angi and Better Business Bureau. Emerging players are Porch, Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs. Broad incumbents are Yelp and Google Business Profile. Birdeye is listed as an others.
Does Diamond Certified have an API?
No public API is recorded for Diamond Certified.