Editorial Standards
How we grade what we publish
Every factual claim on this site traces to a documented source, kept in a single evidence file and cited on the page. We grade each one by how strong that source is — and we tell you which grade it earned.
The three grades
A primary source: a manufacturer spec sheet or warranty document, an official municipal permit page, a utility (ComEd / Nicor) document, a U.S. CPSC notice, or a U.S. Census (ACS) table.
A figure that is real but carries a caveat — a national range that may not match the Chicago labor market, a manufacturer MSRP that is a starting price, or an estimate from a single or secondary source. Labeled as such in the copy.
Something we could not confirm from a primary source. We disclose the gap and say so on the page rather than publish a number we cannot stand behind.
You will see these same colored dots next to source lines throughout the site. They are not decoration — they tell you, at a glance, how much weight a figure can carry. Standards are only worth as much as the party applying them, so it is fair to ask who that is: who runs this site and how it is funded is stated in full.
The rules we hold copy to
Every figure traces to a source
Prices, permit fees, spec numbers, and demographics are not written from memory. Each one traces to a record in our evidence file, and the source is shown on the page so you can check it yourself.
No placeholders
If a local figure has not been verified for a given city yet, that section is left out entirely — we never ship a filler number or an invented statistic to fill a gap. A page shows only what has actually been confirmed.
No empty marketing language
You will not find “trusted experts,” “industry-leading,” or “peace of mind” here. Copy is specific and sourced, or it is not published.
Dated, and updated when it changes
Every guide carries an editorial publish and update date that reflects when its content last changed — not when the site was last redeployed. When a figure moves, we update the figure and the date together.
The mechanics behind these rules — the sources we rely on and the checks that run before anything ships — are documented in our methodology. When something is wrong, our corrections policy covers how we fix it.