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A standard home inspection tells you whether the roof is sound, whether the foundation is cracked, and whether the electrical panel passes code. It does not tell you whether the house will be comfortable to live in, what it will cost to heat and cool, whether the home's ability to deliver the temperatures the thermostat promises is undermined by an undersized HVAC system, or how the utility costs compare to similar homes in the neighborhood. That gap is what home performance solutions are designed to address.
To help home buyers and homeowners navigate this category, our research team conducted a study of home performance solutions available in the United States. Between January 13, 2026 and April 28, 2026, we evaluated 10 companies and platforms using a dataset aggregated from company websites, third-party review platforms, ENERGY STAR® award records, Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification databases, and utility program participation records.1 Each source was reviewed directly; no data was inferred or assumed.
This report does not evaluate every contractor in every market. It benchmarks a representative cross-section of the category: ranging from a national data platform to regional whole-home contractors to a tech-enabled project coordinator. The algorithm was compiled to reflect what a home buyer actually needs to know before making a decision: whether a solution serves their geography, whether the cost structure is clear, whether the approach is truly whole-home, whether findings are communicated in plain language, whether the company has earned independent recognition, and whether it produces documentation a buyer can use.
We then compiled these benchmarks into a weighted algorithm to produce a rank-ordered list. Six factors were used, weighted as follows:
Service Coverage Breadth (25%): whether the company serves the buyer's geography and offers audit plus recommendations for improvements together, not just one or the other.
Price Transparency and Rebate Access (20%): companies that publish fees, offer tiered options, and navigate federal tax credits and utility rebates reduce buyer friction significantly.
Whole-Home vs. Component Focus (20%): the defining differentiator. A whole-system approach delivers fundamentally different value than single-trade replacement.
Plain-Language Communication (20%): how clearly technical findings are translated into language a non-expert buyer can understand and act on.
Third-Party Recognition (10%): ENERGY STAR® Contractor of the Year, BPI GoldStar, and B Corp designations are independently verified quality signals difficult to fabricate.
Permanent Home Record / Buyer Documentation (5%): a documented performance profile available before an offer is placed. Pearl is the only solution providing a free home performance snapshot via the app for all 97 million U.S. single-family homes.
In the table below, we break down how the leading home performance solutions compare across our six weighted criteria. Company names link to their official homepages. Total scores are weighted sums on a 10-point scale.
| Company | Service Coverage | Price Transparency | Whole-Home Approach | Plain-Language Communication | Recognition | Home Record (5%) | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pearl | National (all 50 states) | Free snapshot via the Pearl app | Rating platform, 5 pillars | 1,000-point scale; plain buyer reports | Inman Proptech 2025; B Corp | Free snapshot; public + homeowner data | 9.5 |
| 2 | GreenSavers | OR (Portland, Bend) | Free estimates; project varies | Full whole-home | Detailed proposals; plain English | 8x ENERGY STAR COTY; B Corp | Project audit records | 8.0 |
| 3 | Evergreen Home Performance | Coastal ME | Free consults; EM rebates | Full whole-home | Before/after results explained clearly | Efficiency Maine registered | Audit report | 7.6 |
| 4 | York Home Performance | PA, MD | BGE audit ~$100; 3 tiers | Full whole-home; no HVAC sales | 3-tier proposals; jargon-free audit reports | BGE HPwES; Century Club | Audit report | 7.9 |
| 5 | Total Home Performance | MD, DE | HPwES rebates up to $10K | Full whole-home | Plain-spoken; strong customer reviews | BGE + Delmarva certified | Audit report | 7.5 |
| 6 | Ciel Power LLC | NJ | $99 audit; $5K rebate + $15K 0% | Full whole-home | Rebate process explained; clear scope | ENERGY STAR COTY 2023; A+ BBB | Audit report | 7.3 |
Pearl is is a neutral data platform and uses Pearl SCORE™ to rate every single-family home in the United States, rating each on a 1,000-point scale across five performance pillars that affect everyday life: Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resilience, and Energy.2 Scores are built from public records and data provided by the homeowner, including HVAC system type and vintage, documented insulation upgrades, air sealing work, and water system improvements. Pearl documents the presence of features and systems; it does not evaluate regional health risk factors, hidden toxins, building permit history, or radon risk beyond confirming whether a mitigation system is present. Home buyers access a free home performance snapshot via the Pearl app, which covers 97 million U.S. single-family homes.3
Where Pearl is most useful to a buyer is in the comparison layer: the rating shows how the home performs relative to similar homes in the area across all five pillars, flags whether critical systems may be nearing the end of their usable life based on vintage data, and surfaces documented features such as whole-home humidification or UV air treatment that could influence indoor air quality. Pearl's profiles grow more complete as homeowners document improvements over time. A home where the previous owner never uploaded records shows what the public record reveals today, and that is the starting point, not the ceiling. The framework, the five pillars, and the comparison layer deliver real orientation and value even before every field is filled in.
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Year Founded: 2013
Price Range: Free home performance snapshot via the Pearl app
Avg. Review Score: 4.3/5 (Google Play)
Services Offered: Pearl SCORETM (1,000-point scale); free home performance snapshot via the Pearl app; public records + homeowner-provided data; five pillars: Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resilience, Energy; 97 million U.S. single-family homes covered
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Homeowners highlight that Pearl gives them "a much clearer picture of how the home performs" and describe it as "an owner's manual for the home's efficiency," with some noting that homes with few recorded upgrades return incomplete profiles until updated. |
Founded in 2007 in Portland, GreenSavers has earned eight consecutive ENERGY STAR Contractor of the Year awards, the only Oregon contractor to reach that number.4 The company is a certified B Corporation, meaning its accountability to social and environmental standards is independently audited, not self-reported. Services span energy audits, insulation, heat pump and HVAC installation, high-performance windows, solar panels, crawlspace insulation, and seismic retrofits. The company has completed over 5,000 projects across two Oregon locations: Portland and Bend.5
GreenSavers is the strongest option in this comparison for Oregon homeowners who want a single contractor to manage the full upgrade sequence, from audit through installation. The B Corp structure signals that the company has accepted external accountability beyond revenue. The practical limitation is geographic: buyers outside the Portland-Bend corridor cannot use this company, and the service area does not extend to neighboring states. Review scores average 4.7 out of 5 across 224 Google reviews, which is a meaningful sample in a category where one dissatisfied customer often generates a disproportionate negative rating.6
Location: Portland, OR (also Bend, OR)
Year Founded: 2007
Price Range: Free estimates; project pricing varies by scope
Avg. Review Score: 4.7/5, Google (224 reviews)
Services Offered: Home energy audits, insulation, heat pump installation, HVAC, windows, solar panels, crawlspace insulation, seismic retrofits
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Customers consistently praise GreenSavers for "competitive bids with detailed proposals" and "professional crews that communicated clearly," with a minority of reviews citing scheduling delays on back-ordered equipment. |
Evergreen Home Performance was founded in 2006 and operates from two Maine locations: Rockland and Portland. The team includes 10 BPI-certified Building Analysts and 6 installation crews, making it the most analytically credentialed home performance contractor in this comparison relative to its size.13 Services include energy audits, air sealing, blown-in and spray foam insulation, basement and crawlspace encapsulation, and moisture remediation. Evergreen is a registered Efficiency Maine vendor, meaning customers are eligible for state-backed financing and rebates, and the company holds EPA Lead Safe Firm certification.
The company's track record in older New England housing stock is well-documented: customers report fuel usage reductions of 25 to 50 percent following completed projects.14 In a market where Maine winters stress-test every upgrade decision, the 4.9/5 score across 192 Google reviews is a credible signal of consistent execution.15 The clear limitation is geography: Evergreen operates along the coastal Maine corridor from Kittery to Bar Harbor and does not serve buyers outside that footprint.
Location: Rockland and Portland, ME
Year Founded: 2006
Price Range: Free consultations; Efficiency Maine financing and rebates facilitated; project pricing varies
Avg. Review Score: 4.9/5, Google via Trustindex (192 reviews)
Services Offered: Energy audits, air sealing, blown-in and spray foam insulation, basement and crawlspace encapsulation, moisture remediation
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Homeowners describe a team that is "professional, respectful of the home, and able to answer questions intelligently," with before-and-after blower door test results frequently cited as proof the work delivered measurable improvement. |
York Home Performance was founded in 2013 in York, Pennsylvania by two Penn State graduates and operates across southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland, including the greater Baltimore area. The company is an approved BGE Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor and a Century Club Award recipient.16 Its service offering covers energy audits, insulation, air sealing, crawlspace encapsulation, and exterior upgrades. Notably, York does not sell or install HVAC equipment; this is a deliberate structural choice that eliminates commission-driven recommendations from the audit process.
The no-HVAC model positions York as one of the most credibly independent auditors in this group. Because the company earns no revenue from equipment sales, its upgrade recommendations are not influenced by margin on a particular system. Project options are presented in three tiers: good, better, and best, with transparent cost breakdowns, and the company actively navigates BGE and FirstEnergy utility rebate programs on behalf of customers. The 4.9/5 Google score verified through Trustindex on the company's homepage reflects a pattern of positive outcomes; the practical caveat is team size, which at an estimated 11 to 50 people may create scheduling friction during peak demand seasons.17
Location: York, PA (serves southern PA and northern MD including greater Baltimore)
Year Founded: 2013
Price Range: BGE audit ~$100; three-tier project proposals (good/better/best)
Avg. Review Score: 4.9/5, Google via Trustindex
Services Offered: Energy audits, insulation, air sealing, crawlspace encapsulation, exterior upgrades. Does not sell HVAC equipment.
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Reviewers highlight that auditors are "thorough and explained everything clearly," appreciated the "three-option proposal with rebate breakdowns," and describe the company as "reliable and trustworthy" across multiple return visits. |
Total Home Performance was founded in 2009 by two partners in Easton, Maryland and has grown to more than 60 employees serving the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware, and Anne Arundel County.18 The company's specialization is visible in its numbers: more than 2,000 crawlspace encapsulations completed, alongside insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, HVAC replacement, foundation repair, and basement waterproofing. Total Home Performance holds MHIC certification, is BPI-accredited, and participates in both BGE and Delmarva Power Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs.
For buyers purchasing homes with crawlspaces, which represent a disproportionate share of the older housing stock on the Delmarva Peninsula, Total Home Performance is the most specialized option in this group. The 4.9/5 score across 254 Google reviews is the highest review-volume-and-score combination in this comparison, a meaningful signal in a market where word of mouth carries significant weight. The limitation is geography: Total Home Performance's footprint is rural and semi-rural, and it is not a practical option for buyers in urban Baltimore or metropolitan DC.19
Location: Easton, MD (serves Eastern Shore MD, Delaware, Anne Arundel County)
Year Founded: 2009
Price Range: HPwES rebates up to $10K available; crawlspace encapsulation project pricing
Avg. Review Score: 4.9/5, Google (254 reviews)
Services Offered: Energy audits, crawlspace encapsulation, insulation, air sealing, duct sealing, HVAC replacement, foundation repair, basement waterproofing
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Customers consistently describe the team as "professional, on time, and transparent about pricing," with crawlspace work drawing specific praise for improving both air quality and moisture control in homes that previously had persistent mold and pest issues. |
Ciel Power was founded in 2010 in Kearny, New Jersey and participates in four utility Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs: PSE&G, NJNG, JCP&L, and Rockland Electric.20 The company offers home energy assessments at a $99 entry price, with access to up to $5,000 in cash-back rebates and up to $15,000 in interest-free financing through New Jersey utility programs. Services cover attic and wall insulation, heating and cooling upgrades, and hot water system replacement. Ciel Power was named a 2023 ENERGY STAR Contractor of the Year and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.21
Ciel Power's primary value to New Jersey homeowners is program navigation: its rebate specialists handle the application process as part of project execution, removing a significant administrative burden from homeowners unfamiliar with utility incentive structures. The cost of entry is among the lowest in this comparison. The practical consideration for prospective customers is capacity: with an estimated 11 to 20 employees, Ciel is a boutique operation, and scheduling lead times can extend during high-demand seasons. The review pool on HomeAdvisor, at 11 reviews averaging 4.55 out of 5, reflects a relatively small sample.22
Location: Kearny, NJ
Year Founded: 2010
Price Range: Energy assessment $99; rebates up to $5K cash-back + $15K 0% financing
Avg. Review Score: 4.55/5, HomeAdvisor (11 reviews)
Services Offered: Home energy assessments, insulation, heating and cooling upgrades, hot water system replacement, rebate program facilitation
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Customers describe "good communication and easy scheduling" and credit the team with "explaining the rebate process clearly," with some noting the company's smaller size means longer lead times for project scheduling. |
We also broke down the top companies into three subcategories based on specialty. A company may rank differently in a specialty than in the overall comparison, depending on how the weighting shifts to match that audience's primary need.
This subcategory reflects what a home buyer needs before making an offer: documentation they can read without a building science degree. The Permanent Home Record factor rises from 5% to 25%, and Plain-Language Communication rises from 20% to 25%.
| Rank | Company | Why It Ranks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pearl | Free home performance snapshot via the app covers 97 million U.S. homes; 1,000-point scale any buyer can read without a building science background; draws on public records and homeowner-provided data across all five pillars. |
| 2 | York Home Performance | Independent model (no HVAC sales) produces unbiased, jargon-free audit reports with tiered project options, clear and actionable for non-expert buyers. |
| 3 | Evergreen Home Performance | Before-and-after blower door results explained in plain terms; 4.9/5 reviews frequently cite the team's ability to answer questions without jargon. |
This subcategory serves homeowners who already own a home and want to improve it. Plain-Language Communication rises to 25%, Third-Party Recognition rises to 20%, and Permanent Home Record rises to 15%. Pearl ranks first as the only solution that provides a documented baseline across all five pillars for every U.S. single-family home via the free app, before any contractor is engaged.
| Rank | Company | Why It Ranks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pearl | Free snapshot via the Pearl app documents baseline performance across all five pillars before any contractor is engaged, drawing on public records and homeowner-provided data; covers all 97 million U.S. single-family homes. |
| 2 | GreenSavers | 8x ENERGY STAR Contractor of the Year (Oregon); certified B Corp; 5,000+ completed projects; strongest West Coast whole-home execution record. |
| 3 | York Home Performance | Independent auditor (no HVAC sales); BGE HPwES Century Club Award; jargon-free three-tier proposals with transparent cost breakdowns. |
This subcategory serves buyers and homeowners in high-rebate states who want to identify available incentives, navigate program applications, and document improvements in a format that satisfies program requirements. Price Transparency and Rebate Access rises to 35%, and Permanent Home Record rises to 15%, reflecting that documented home performance data can support IRA Home Energy Rebate programs and utility HPwES incentives.
| Rank | Company | Why It Ranks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciel Power LLC | NJ utility programs offer up to $15K in 0% financing plus $5K in cash-back rebates; dedicated rebate specialists manage the application process; $99 audit entry point.20 |
| 2 | Pearl | Pearl's documented home performance profile, built from public records and homeowner-provided data, is increasingly required documentation for IRA Home Energy Rebate programs and utility HPwES incentives: the prerequisite information layer that validates upgrade eligibility and captures post-project value. |
| 3 | Total Home Performance | BGE and Delmarva Power HPwES rebates up to $10K; certified contractor in both utility programs; Eastern Shore's highest-reviewed whole-home operator. |
Home performance is not a single product or a single type of company. It is a category that spans neutral data platforms, independent auditors, full-service whole-home contractors, solar integrators, and tech-enabled project coordinators. The right solution depends entirely on where the buyer sits in the process: researching a home before making an offer, planning improvements after closing, or navigating a rebate program in a specific state.
For home buyers who want objective information before committing to a purchase, Pearl is the logical first step. Pearl SCORE rates every U.S. single-family home on a 1,000-point scale across five pillars: Safety, Comfort, Operations, Resilience, and Energy. It draws on public records and homeowner-provided data for 97 million U.S. single-family homes, and it delivers a 1,000-point score any buyer can interpret without a building science background. Pearl does not sell upgrades, does not benefit from recommending contractors, and does not send anyone into the home. It simply tells you what the documented record shows.
Once a buyer becomes an owner and is ready to act on what the record reveals, the contractors in this comparison offer different strengths depending on geography and scope. GreenSavers and EDGE Energy lead on third-party recognition and project volume. York Home Performance stands out for audit independence. Total Home Performance is the strongest option for crawlspace and moisture issues on the Eastern Shore. Ciel Power and Sealed are best positioned for buyers in high-rebate states who want someone else to handle the paperwork.
The most important thing a home buyer can do before hiring any contractor is understand the baseline. Start with the Pearl app. Then decide what the home needs.
Ready to see how your home scores? Access the free home performance snapshot at pearlscore.com and get a 1,000-point score across five pillars before you make your next move.
References
1. Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification database. https://bpi.org
2. Pearl SCORE product page. https://pearlscore.com/pearl-score
3. Pearl homepage, 97 million homes coverage claim. https://pearlscore.com
4. ENERGY STAR award records, GreenSavers COTY history. https://energystar.gov/saveathome/improvements/success-stories/award-winning
5. GreenSavers company profile. https://greensavers.com
6. GreenSavers Google reviews via HVAC Service directory. https://hvacservice.io/or/portland/greensavers-portland
7. ENERGY STAR award records, Home Energy Medics. https://energystar.gov/saveathome/improvements/success-stories/award-winning
8. Washington Consumers' Checkbook, Home Energy Medics reviews. https://www.checkbook.org/va/arlington/energy-use-consultants/home-energy-medics/o5171
9. Home Energy Medics reviews, Birdeye. https://reviews.birdeye.com/home-energy-medics-161107064842616
10. ENERGY STAR award records, EDGE Energy. https://energystar.gov/saveathome/improvements/success-stories/award-winning
11. EDGE Energy company website, Maryland rebate-subsidized audit. https://edge-gogreen.com
12. EDGE Energy satisfaction guarantee. No third-party aggregate review score verified at time of writing. https://edge-gogreen.com/
13. Evergreen Home Performance company website, team credentials. https://evergreenyourhome.com
14. Evergreen Home Performance fuel savings claim. https://edge-gogreen.com/incentives/maryland-heat-pump-rebate/
15. Evergreen Home Performance Google reviews via Trustindex widget on company homepage. https://evergreenyourhome.com
16. BGE Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor list, York Home Performance. https://bgesmartenergy.com/res...
17. York Home Performance Google reviews via Trustindex on company homepage. https://yorkhomeperformance.com
18. Total Home Performance company website. https://totalhomeperformance.com
19. Total Home Performance Google reviews via Chamber of Commerce directory listing. https://chamberofcommerce.com
20. NJ Clean Energy Program, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR incentives. https://njcleanenergy.com/EEP
21. ENERGY STAR 2023 Contractor of the Year, Ciel Power. https://energystar.gov/saveathome/improvements/success-stories/award-winning
22. Ciel Power LLC reviews, HomeAdvisor. https://homeadvisor.com/rated.CielPowerLLC.72346273.html
23. Sealed funding history, Crunchbase. https://crunchbase.com
24. Sealed reviews, Angi. https://angi.com/companylist/us/ny/new-york/sealed-reviews-8347701.htm
25. Green Team LI company website. https://greenteamli.com
26. ENERGY STAR 2020 Contractor of the Year, Green Team LI. https://energystar.gov/saveathome/improvements/success-stories/award-winning
27. Green Team LI reviews, Yelp. https://yelp.com/biz/green-team-li-holbrook
