Where your competition is in Iowa
The largest concentrations of waterproofing companies in our Iowa data are in Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Bettendorf, Ankeny, West Des Moines, Urbandale and Iowa City. Competition for the map pack is heaviest there, and so is the reward: the same review count that dominates a small town is invisible in Des Moines.
The map pack in Iowa
Google shows three businesses in the map pack for a search like "waterproofing company near me" in Des Moines. In Iowa the shops that hold those spots usually sit near the 90th percentile, 651 reviews, not the median. 27.5% of Iowa waterproofing companies have passed 100 reviews; the other 72.5% are competing for whatever is left below the fold.
The website gap in Iowa
Website presence in Iowa: 97.5% of waterproofing companies link one, 2.5% do not. The national figure is 18.8% without. Google and the AI answer engines both use the site to confirm what you do and where, so a missing site costs more than the leads it would have produced on its own.
How Iowa compares
Of the 30 states in our data, Iowa ranks 25th for the number of waterproofing companies, 1st for median review count, and 30th for the share with no website, so a website alone will not set you apart here. The review bar is higher than in most of the country, so plan on a steady review habit rather than a one-time push.
| State | Listed | Median reviews | No site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 40 | 66.5 | 2.5% |
| Illinois | 123 | 17 | 16.3% |
| Indiana | 77 | 39 | 7.8% |
| Kansas | 31 | 46 | 16.1% |
| Michigan | 107 | 21 | 10.3% |
| Minnesota | 47 | 10 | 4.3% |
| Missouri | 74 | 42.5 | 10.8% |
| Nebraska | 26 | 22 | 11.5% |
| Ohio | 169 | 20 | 16% |
What to do first in Iowa
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 66.5-review shop past the Iowa 75th percentile (113) within a year. The guides have the scripts.
- Finish the Google profile: primary category, every service you offer, real job photos, and hours that match reality. It is free and it is where Iowa customers decide.
- Follow up every lead within five minutes. Speed to lead beats ad spend in a trade where the customer is collecting three quotes. The calculator shows what slow replies cost.
- Then, and only then, spend on ads. Pointed at a profile with 66.5 reviews and no website, ads pay for your competitor's education. Pointed at a finished profile, they work.
The full national picture, with percentiles, ratings and hours, is in the benchmark report. The method is on the about page.