Editorial methodology
How a claim earns its place in the Guide.
Our job is to make uncertainty legible. A useful reference separates observed data, sourced guidance, professional judgment, and what is still unknown.
Source before claim
Every publishable factual claim must map to a named source and review date.
Local means measured locally
National price ranges are never relabelled as New England observations.
Thresholds stay visible
The cost index needs 30 comparable records; a state or method median needs 10.
Limits travel with the finding
Housing age does not prove foundation type, and state rules do not replace a town-level check.
Cost index publication rules
Each release will show its collection window, geography, sample size, source mix, median, and middle range. Records without date or comparable scope are excluded. Contractor and homeowner identities remain private unless permission exists.
Until those thresholds are met, the result is not measured. It is not zero, and it is not an estimate presented as fact.