Editorial policy
How we write, check, source and correct what appears on CostSquared.
Independence
We don't accept payment from contractors, manufacturers or retailers to appear in, or influence, our content or calculators. There are no ads or paid placements on the site. If that changes, we'll say so on this page and label any paid content clearly.
Facts and sources
- We state requirements only when we can link to an official source we have read. Each source shows the date we checked it.
- Building codes vary by place. When we cite one city's adopted code, we say it's an example, not the rule everywhere.
- We don't publish statistics, testimonials, reviews or expert quotes we can't verify, and we don't invent authors or credentials.
Prices
We publish a price range only when it meets the evidence thresholds on our methodology page, and every range shows its source date, the area it applies to and its data release. Until then, our tools work from geometry and the numbers you enter. Test data used during development is never shown as real prices.
Formulas
Calculator formulas are published, version-numbered and tested against worked examples. When a formula changes, its version number changes, and results show which version produced them.
Use of AI
We use AI writing tools to help draft and check some text and code. The site's owner reviews every page before it goes live and is responsible for it. The calculators and the quote checker don't use AI: they apply fixed, published rules to what you enter.
Review and updates
Pages show when they were last updated. We review guides and calculator explanations when codes, sources or formulas change, and at least once a year.
Corrections
If you think something is wrong, tell us and choose "A calculation or data problem". We check every report. When we fix an error that could have changed someone's result, we note the correction on the methodology page.