Editorial Policy — How We Research
A cost guide is only worth reading if its numbers hold up. This page explains exactly where our figures come from, how we check them, and how we correct them.
Our sources
We build guides from large-sample published pricing data, in this order of trust:
- Angi and HomeAdvisor cost guides — built from tens of thousands of verified, completed projects per category, updated through the year.
- Fixr and similar estimating references — independent cost researchers who publish ranges by project and material.
- The Cost vs. Value Report (Journal of Light Construction / Zonda) — standardised project specifications priced across US markets each year; our source for remodel tiers and resale-value context.
- Official sources — the IRS for tax-credit rules, the Energy Department and EnergySage marketplace data for solar, and the FMCSA for interstate moving regulation.
Our checking rules
- Two-source rule: a headline price range must be supported by at least two published sources, or one very large-sample source (10,000+ projects) — otherwise it does not go on the page.
- Ranges, never fake precision: we publish low / typical / high bands. If sources disagree, the band widens; we say so rather than picking a convenient number.
- Units first: where a trade prices by a unit (per square foot, per linear foot, per watt, per hour), we verify the unit price and build totals from it, showing the arithmetic.
- Regional honesty: where only regional — not state-level — data is published consistently, we publish regional tables and label them as such. We do not manufacture state statistics.
- Year-stamps: titles and "last updated" lines state the pricing year. Guides are re-checked at least annually, and high-traffic guides more often; tax and incentive facts are re-checked whenever legislation changes.
Independence
Advertisers and contractors cannot pay to raise, lower or remove a price range. We do not accept payment for placement in guides. Our revenue comes from display advertising, which is clearly separated from editorial content.
Corrections
Readers regularly send us local quotes that challenge our ranges — that is a feature, not a problem. Flagged figures are re-checked against fresh source data first, and corrections are published with an updated date. Report an issue via the contact page.
What we never publish
Invented statistics, prices copied from a single unverified blog, "up to X% off" marketing claims, guaranteed-savings promises, and return-on-investment claims presented as certainties. If a figure cannot be verified, it is listed in our internal research log as unverified and kept off the site.