1. Our Editorial Mission
HomeCalc exists to give homeowners free, clear, accurate tools for the numbers that matter most in owning a home. Every calculator and reference article is written with the same test in mind: would this help a first-time buyer, an owner planning a renovation, or a seller trying to price improvements make a better decision this week? If it does, it belongs on the Site. If it's filler, it doesn't.
2. How Our Content Is Created
All content on HomeCalc is originally written and edited by the HomeCalc Editorial team. We use standard research tools (industry publications, government data, cost databases, and manufacturer specifications) and modern writing tools (spell-check, grammar-check, and, on occasion, an AI assistant to check phrasing or outline structure). Every draft — including anything an AI assistant may have helped rough out — is reviewed, fact-checked, and rewritten by a human editor before publication. We do not publish machine-generated text without editorial review.
We do not accept sponsored articles. We do not accept payment in exchange for a favorable mention. If we ever change this policy — for example, by adopting affiliate links to a specific service — we will disclose it clearly on this page and in each affected article.
3. How We Verify Facts
Every figure that drives a calculator or article — a national average, a benchmark rate, a code minimum — is sourced from primary or industry-standard references. Sources we regularly cite include:
- Tax Foundation and state departments of revenue for property-tax data;
- Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report for renovation cost and resale figures;
- U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and Department of Energy for appliance and energy data;
- Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index for home-value comparables;
- National Association of Realtors and Zillow research for market context;
- International Residential Code (IRC) and ASHRAE handbook for construction and HVAC guidance;
- Manufacturer specification sheets for product-specific claims.
Every calculator page includes a "How This Calculator Works" section describing the formula and its main assumptions, plus (where relevant) a "Factors That Affect Your Results" section explaining why real-world outcomes deviate from the estimate.
4. How Often We Update
We conduct a full editorial review of every calculator and reference article at least once per year, on a rolling basis. In addition:
- Property-tax rates and homestead exemptions are refreshed after each state legislative session and after Tax Foundation's annual report release.
- Renovation ROI benchmarks are refreshed within four weeks of the Cost vs. Value Report's annual publication.
- Interest-rate anchors used in mortgage and refinance examples are refreshed quarterly.
- Cost averages for materials (roofing, flooring, decking, concrete) are refreshed semi-annually or sooner when a supply-chain event moves prices materially.
The "Last updated" line at the top of each reference article shows when the article was last revised in a substantive way (not counting minor copy edits).
5. Our Calculator Methodology
Every calculator on HomeCalc runs entirely in your browser. Formulas are open — we document the math in the "How This Calculator Works" and "Understanding Your Results" sections on each calculator page. Where a calculator uses an amortization schedule, present-value calculation, or industry rule of thumb, we cite the source. Where we make a simplifying assumption (for example, level property-tax growth or a flat closing-cost percentage), we call it out.
6. Corrections Policy
If you find an error in a calculator or article, please tell us. Verified factual errors are corrected within seven business days of confirmation. When we make a substantive correction — a changed number, a fixed formula, or a corrected policy statement — we update the "Last updated" line at the top of the affected page and note the correction in the page's version history where applicable. Typographical fixes and minor clarifications are made silently.
7. Editorial Independence
HomeCalc is supported by advertising served through Google AdSense. Google selects which ads to show; HomeCalc has no editorial input into the ads that appear on any given page. Advertisers do not pay for coverage, do not review our content before publication, and cannot influence what calculators we build, what averages we cite, or what conclusions we reach. If we ever add sponsored placements, affiliate partnerships, or paid reviews, we will disclose them clearly on this page and on each affected page.
8. Authorship and Review
Articles and calculators are written and reviewed by the HomeCalc Editorial team, a small group with backgrounds in personal finance writing, residential construction, and software engineering. Where an article requires deep specialized expertise beyond our team's own experience (for example, HVAC load-sizing methodology or roofing-code interpretation), we consult industry professionals and cite the relevant standards. We prefer citing evergreen, government or code-body sources over transient news articles.
9. Reader Feedback
The best HomeCalc improvements come from reader questions and corrections. If a calculator gave you a result that didn't match a professional's quote, if an article missed an important consideration for your situation, or if you know a better source for a figure we cite — please contact us via the About page. We read every message and act on every verified issue.
Contact
Questions? Reach us via our About page.