If you’re a contractor who worked hard to get the green Google Guaranteed badge, you may have noticed it’s gone. Google has replaced both Google Guaranteed and Google Screened with a single badge, Google Verified, and the money-back guarantee that gave Google Guaranteed its name has ended. Plenty of websites, sales decks and even contractors’ own marketing still describe the old system as if nothing changed.
Here’s what changed, what the Google Verified badge means now, how to get it, and what you should update in your own marketing. It’s based on Google’s own help pages, checked in October 2026.
What was Google Guaranteed?
Google Guaranteed was a badge for home service businesses running Local Services Ads. To get it, a business passed Google’s screening, which could include background, business registration, insurance and license checks. The headline feature for customers was a money-back guarantee: if they booked a Google Guaranteed business through the ad and weren’t happy with the work, Google could reimburse them up to a set limit. Google Screened was a similar badge used mainly for professional services, without the guarantee.
What changed?
- One badge for everyone. Google’s old help articles for Google Guaranteed and Google Screened now redirect to a page called “About Google Verified badge”. Google now uses Google Verified for all Local Services advertisers.
- The money-back guarantee has ended. According to Google, reimbursement could only be claimed for services booked before 7 December 2025, and the claim had to be filed within 30 days of the service. There’s no equivalent guarantee attached to the Verified badge.
- Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads. Google is folding them into Performance Max campaigns with pay-per-lead goals, starting with selected US home service businesses in August 2026.
What does Google Verified mean?
It tells customers that Google has checked the business before letting it advertise through Local Services. It doesn’t mean Google stands behind the work or will refund anyone. For a homeowner, it’s a trust signal, similar to a license number or a good set of reviews, not insurance.
How do you get the Google Verified badge?
You get it by signing up for Local Services Ads and passing Google’s verification for your trade and area. Google’s screening page describes background checks on the business, owners and field workers, insurance documents, state license checks and a verified Google Business Profile, and says verification takes three to four weeks on average. Google’s newer notes on the move to Google Ads say the badge is now based on business registration and checks on the business’s representatives, and that insurance and license re-verification are no longer required for those advertisers. The two pages don’t fully agree yet, so expect to be asked for some or all of those documents depending on when and how you sign up.
Our guide to Google Local Services Ads for contractors covers how the ads charge and what counts as a lead.
What should you update in your own marketing?
- Remove “Google Guaranteed” claims from your website, trucks, quotes and ads, or reword them. Telling customers they’re protected by Google’s guarantee when it no longer exists is a promise you can’t keep.
- Replace old badge images with accurate wording if you’re verified, such as “Google Verified”.
- Offer your own guarantee instead. If the Google guarantee helped you win jobs, a clear workmanship guarantee of your own, written in plain English, does the same job and belongs to you.
- Lean on reviews. With the guarantee gone, reviews carry more of the trust. Our guide to getting your Google review link makes asking easier.
Is it still worth running Local Services Ads?
For many contractors, yes. The ads still sit at the top of local search, you still pay per lead rather than per click, and the Verified badge still signals that you’ve been checked. What matters most is what happens when the phone rings. Google can count a missed call during business hours as a paid lead, so an unanswered call can cost you money and the job. Ansdale, which is ours, is an AI receptionist that answers every call in your business name and books the job, from $49 a month.
Questions people ask
Does Google Guaranteed still exist?
No. Google has replaced Google Guaranteed and Google Screened with a single Google Verified badge for Local Services advertisers.
Is the Google money-back guarantee still available?
No. Google says reimbursement only applied to services booked before 7 December 2025, with claims filed within 30 days of the service.
What does the Google Verified badge mean?
That Google checked the business before letting it advertise through Local Services. It’s a trust signal, not a guarantee of the work or a refund promise.
How do I get Google Verified?
Sign up for Local Services Ads and pass Google’s verification for your trade and area, which can include background, business registration, insurance and license checks. Google says it takes three to four weeks on average.
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