Editorial Policy

HomeCostBrief is built around people-first content: each page should answer a real planning question for homeowners or small landlords without pressure tactics, fake scarcity or unverifiable claims.

Source hierarchy

Research should prioritize U.S. government agencies, regulators, official forms, industry data, reputable research and clearly identified secondary references. Sources, access dates, geography and data years should be recorded when cost ranges are used.

Fact checking and calculator verification

Claims, figures, links and calculator formulas should be checked before a page is marked launch-ready. Demonstration coefficients remain preview assumptions until supporting research is documented.

Dates and updates

Published and updated dates should reflect real editorial work. A reviewed date should appear only when a real review happened.

AI-assisted workflow

AI may help with outlines, organization, summaries, editing and code. Human review is required for factual claims, calculations, sources and final publication decisions.

Conflicts, ads and affiliates

Advertising, affiliate links and sponsored content must be clearly separated from editorial conclusions. Sponsored or compensated links should be labeled and use appropriate link attributes.

Corrections

Material corrections should be verified, fixed and reflected with an updated date or visible note where appropriate.