Editorial Policy

Principle

We do not invent prices, statistics, or expert quotes. Every cost range is sourced from published contractor pricing data or, where possible, primary sources (government energy agencies, building codes, manufacturers, utilities, reputable trade bodies). When a figure can't be sourced, we say so and describe it as a planning range rather than a fact.

Sources we use

• Government energy agencies, building codes and official incentive/tax rules.
• Manufacturer documentation and published equipment pricing.
• Established industry cost-guide publishers, cited by name with an access date.
• Utility and trade-association data where publicly available.

We avoid copying competitor articles, reusing their exact wording, or filling gaps with unlabeled estimates.

Review and updates

Every guide shows a “last reviewed” date. Cost data changes — materials, labor rates, and especially tax incentives — so guides are revisited and corrected when we find outdated information, not left to go stale indefinitely.

AI-assisted research

We use AI tools to help research, structure and draft content, but every published figure is checked against a cited source before publication. Google's policies prohibit scaled content whose main purpose is to manipulate rankings and that provides little value; using AI in the process doesn't change that standard, and we hold our own content to it regardless of how it was drafted.

Corrections

Found an error or an outdated figure? See our Corrections Policy for how to report it.