If you're looking for a plumber, electrician, maid service, lawn services or any other household service there is an excellent source for finding referrals from your neighbors and other community members at Angies list. Remodeling contractors, painting services, piano tuners and many other service providers in the Tampa Bay area are on the list. They are rated in six categories by other members of the list. This is well worth the annual subscription cost of about $50.

Angie’s List is a privately held, for-profit company which deals in reviews of local service companies. It publishes a magazine containing reviews made by its members. Revenue for Angie's List comes from the fees, both initial and monthly, that it charges to its members. The members can then post the information about contractors and receive the magazine. Contractors are not allowed to post information about themselves directly. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the Angie’s List magazine, which includes articles on home improvement and maintenance, consumer trends and scam alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Link www.angieslist.com  (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

Another free though less comprehensive rating service is available at Insiderpages .

Insider Pages is an online local search company that aggregates consumer reviews on neighborhood merchants. The company, based in Redwood Shores, California, has over 600,000 reviews of local merchants around the country. Insider Pages was founded by Stuart MacFarlane in 2004. In press coverage, the company has distanced itself from other social networking companies that target the "YouTube generation" by arguing that it serves a very different demographic: young and middle-aged families who own homes in urban and suburban areas. Link www.insiderpages.com  (Excerpt from Wikipedia)