Dallas-based Cindaro tested 502 contractor websites on a phone. 93% took longer than 3 seconds to load.

When a Wylie homeowner's AC quits in August or a pipe bursts in January, they don't sit down at a computer. They grab their phone, search, and tap the first few results. Whichever business loads first usually gets the call.

So how fast do small business websites load on a phone? Cindaro, a Dallas-based website company and Wylie Chamber member, ran 502 plumbing, HVAC and roofing company websites from across the country through Google's mobile speed test in October 2026. The results surprised even us.

• The typical site took 8.3 seconds to show its main content on a phone.
• 93% took longer than 3 seconds, about as long as most people will wait before going back to the search results.
• 43% took longer than 10 seconds, and 16% took longer than 20.
• Only 16 of the 502 sites met Google's own standard for a good mobile experience.

Good reviews didn't help either. Businesses rated 4.8 stars or higher had the same 8.3-second median as everyone else. You can do great work, earn great reviews, and still lose the customer while your homepage loads.

"Most owners never see this, because their site loads fine on their office Wi-Fi," said Randy Colborn, founder of Cindaro. "Your customers are on a phone, often on a weak signal, and often in a hurry. That's the test that matters."

What slows a website down? It's usually the same few things: oversized photos, too many plugins and add-ons, slow or overcrowded hosting, and site builders that load far more code than the page needs. Most of these can be fixed without rebuilding the site.

Check your own site in 30 seconds. Go to cindaro.com/speed and enter your web address. It runs the same Google test used in the study and shows how your site compares with the 502 we tested. It's free and doesn't ask for your email.

The full study, with an interactive chart of every site tested, is here: We Tested 502 Contractor Websites on a Phone.

Cindaro builds and manages fast websites for small businesses for one monthly fee. Questions? Contact Randy at randy@cindaro.com or 972-637-8400.