Graded by Angie's List

Such is the power of networking.

Indianapolis-based Angie's List, a referral service that features customer reviews of more than 250 types of products and services, expanded to Tucson July 25.

Founded by Angie Hicks and her friend Bill Oesterle in 1995, what began as a door-to-door effort to build up a referral base in Columbus, Ohio, is now a Web site sweeping the country, said Angie's List spokesman Kevin Gray.

Angie's List began the year in 27 U.S. cities and is now in 70, Gray said.

More than 450,000 subscribers pay a monthly fee of about $6 and can review service contractors and post their own opinions.

Contractors from services as varied as pet groomers to plumbing to boat repair are graded from "A" to "F" on price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality and professionalism. Members can also write short reports on the companies.

Tucsonans who sign up through the Web site can receive a free one-year membership if they sign up in the next two months or so, Gray said.

"The Tucson numbers are changing daily, even hourly," Gray said. "At last count, we had 300 members and referrals on about 1,100 companies."

The company, which has 200 employees, earned more than $9 million in revenue last year and projects $14 million this year, Hicks said.

Companies that earn at least an overall "B" rating or higher are allowed to advertise on the site, but only in the form of coupons, she said.

"They can only advertise if they're offering a discount, which helps offset the price of the memberships to the subscribers," Hicks said. "We also provide a complaint resolution service, where we'll get involved and contact the company on your behalf."

Companies that receive poor reviews are allowed to submit responses, and members are prohibited from filing anonymous reports or "stacking" one report after another on one company. Employees also check to ensure companies aren't posting favorable reports about themselves, Hicks said.

"The integrity of the data is the most important thing around here," she said. "We've got a team of people that view the reports as they go online to check on things."

Howard Mora, whose pet-sitting service in San Jose, Calif., has one report with an "A" rating, said Angie's List amounts to reliable word-of-mouth advertising.

"The sort of business you see on Angie's List are very trust-oriented," he said. "You're committing a lot to them either financially or emotionally. … Because you have to pay to use it means the people who use use it will be more committed."

Founded primarily for people seeking referrals related to home improvement, the company's category list has evolved based purely on consumer demand, Hicks said.

"I know that when we just opened in the Southwest, we found some new services that we didn't have in other markets, like misting machines," she said. "You don't need mist here in Indiana."

Angie's List could soon be adding reports on child-care centers, and categories such as charter schools might not be far behind, Gray said.

Hicks said she doesn't pretend to take the place of the Better Business Bureau, and in fact encourages people to seek reports from both entities.

"I really see the two services as working really well together," she said. "They're going to get reports that we don't get and vice versa."

● Angie's List is offering free one-year subscriptions for its Tucson referral service to people who sign up within the next two months. To do so, visit the company's Web site at www.angieslist.com