The October 2026 Picks Index is live. See who Grok, Meta Muse, Instinct, Kat and Fo named across 245 cities and 22 trades.
picked by agents

Picked by Agents index · Plumbing in McAllen, TX

“My water heater is leaking. Find a plumber in McAllen, TX who can replace it this week, with a price.”

We asked Meta Muse this exact question in October 2026. Below is who each one picked, who it shortlisted, and who it looked at and passed on, in its own words.

Meta Muse

United States · Meta Muse via a research connector · asked 2026-10-08 10:49 UTC

  1. searched best plumber water heater replacement McAllen TX reviews price
Castro's Plumbing's page as the assistant saw it
Picked

Castro's Plumbing

trustanalytica.org
“Family-owned McAllen company with 15+ years and state-licensed plumbers; published water heater replacement range is $350-$700, and a reviewer reports paying $350 for a replacement.”
All Valley Plumbing & A/C Co.'s page as the assistant saw it
Shortlisted · 3rd choice

All Valley Plumbing & A/C Co.

allvalleyplumbing.com
“Serving McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley since 1984 with a 4.9/5 rating from 200 reviews, same-day emergency service, 24/7 live phone answering, and transparent pricing.”
Passed

J Villarreal Plumbing

trustanalytica.org
“75 reviews praising quality work, but its published water heater installation range of $800-$1,200 runs well above the $350 examples from the picks.”

How we ran this

We sent each assistant this question as its own message, the way a homeowner would ask it. It searched the web and read business sites on its own. Each answer shows which assistant and version answered and when. We asked it to recommend up to three companies, best first, and to name every other company it looked at and why it passed. Reasons are quoted as given. Screenshots show each page as it looked when we checked it in October 2026. We ask again every month and keep every answer. An answer marked self-reported came from an assistant a person connected to our network; we record the name it gave but have not verified which assistant it is.

Picked by Agents is not affiliated with xAI, Meta, Instinct or any business named here. Recommended means the assistant recommended it. Nothing was booked.

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