Editorial Standards
Every piece of content on The Dwelling Index follows a defined editorial process designed to support accuracy, transparency, independence, and usefulness for homeowners making real decisions about accessory dwelling units. This page explains the standards we apply across our publication.
Editorial Independence
The Dwelling Index is an independent ADU research publication. We earn revenue through affiliate partnerships, but affiliate relationships do not determine what we cover, how we evaluate companies, how we rank options, or what conclusions we reach.
Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial relationships.
No company can pay to:
- Receive editorial coverage
- Be included in a guide or comparison
- Rank higher in a list
- Be excluded from critical coverage
- Review or approve our editorial conclusions before publication
When we include an affiliate relationship on a page, we disclose it clearly. That relationship does not alter our editorial standards or evaluation criteria.
No Pay-to-Play Rankings
Our comparisons, rankings, and company evaluations are based on editorial criteria determined by The Dwelling Index.
A company with an affiliate relationship is evaluated under the same standards as a company with no affiliate relationship. If an affiliate relationship exists, we disclose it, but that relationship does not affect the company’s position in our editorial coverage.
We do not sell rankings, sponsored placements disguised as editorial recommendations, or preferred treatment in our research.
Research and Sourcing Standards
We prioritize primary sources whenever possible. Depending on the topic, those sources may include:
- State legislation and enrolled bill text
- Municipal codes, planning department materials, and ADU ordinances
- Agency guidance from sources such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, HUD, FHFA, and related housing entities
- Government-published data
- Official company disclosures, pricing pages, product pages, and policy materials
We use secondary sources for context, not as a substitute for underlying source documentation.
We do not rely on press releases, vendor blog posts, unsourced comparison pages, anonymous forum claims, or marketing copy as primary support for legal, financing, pricing, or permitting claims.
If a claim cannot be supported by a sufficiently reliable source, we either qualify it clearly, label it as an estimate or editorial analysis, or leave it out.
Cost and Pricing Standards
Cost content is especially sensitive because homeowners often make large financial decisions based on it.
When we publish cost figures, we aim to:
- Verify them against multiple data points where possible
- Identify the market, timeframe, and project type being referenced
- Distinguish between base price, advertised price, and installed or all-in project cost
- Explain major inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, or variables that materially affect price
We avoid presenting a single cost figure without context when the underlying variables are substantial.
Financing Content Standards
The Dwelling Index publishes financing education, not lender brokering or individualized financial advice.
When we cover financing topics, we aim to:
- Ground explanations in agency guidance, program rules, or lender-facing documentation where applicable
- Distinguish between broad eligibility frameworks and lender-specific overlays
- Avoid presenting a financing option as universally available, universally suitable, or guaranteed for a specific borrower
- Explain tradeoffs, limitations, and questions readers should verify directly with a lender or qualified professional
Our financing content is educational and informational only.
Legal, Zoning, and Permitting Standards
Because zoning, permitting, and legislative rules can materially affect whether a project is feasible, we apply a high standard to legal and policy content.
When we publish legal or permitting content, we aim to:
- Review the underlying legislation, code, ordinance, or planning documentation directly
- Confirm effective dates where relevant
- Distinguish statewide rules from city- or county-specific requirements
- Avoid treating news coverage or vendor summaries as primary support for legal claims
- Remind readers to verify local requirements directly with the relevant jurisdiction before acting
We do not provide legal advice.
Review Before Publication
Every article is reviewed before publication for:
- Factual accuracy
- Source quality
- Logical consistency
- Clarity for non-expert readers
- Alignment with our editorial and sourcing standards
Where appropriate, pages may also include update notes, methodology notes, source citations, labels such as verified or estimated, and reviewer information.
Expert Review
Some topics on this site can materially affect a reader’s finances, compliance decisions, or project planning. For higher-risk topics, we may apply additional editorial review or expert review.
When a page has been reviewed by a subject-matter expert, we identify that reviewer on the page and describe their role.
If a page does not name an expert reviewer, readers should assume it was reviewed internally under our editorial process and not externally reviewed by a licensed specialist.
See our Expert Review Policy and Expert Reviewers.
Last Updated and Last Verified
We use page-level dating to help readers understand the status of a guide.
Last updated
The date when material changes were made to a page, such as revised figures, new data, updated rules, or added sections.
Last verified
The date when the editorial team most recently reviewed the page against current sources and confirmed it remained accurate, even if no substantive edits were necessary.
These labels are intended to improve transparency, not to replace direct verification by the reader when a topic is time-sensitive.
Update Cadence
We review published content on a recurring basis and more frequently in areas that tend to change faster, including:
- State and local ADU laws
- Municipal zoning and permitting rules
- Financing program details
- Agency guidance
- Prefab pricing, company details, and service areas
When a significant change occurs, we prioritize updating affected pages as promptly as practical. When appropriate, we note material updates directly on the page.
Corrections Standards
If we publish a material error, we correct it promptly and transparently.
When appropriate, material corrections are noted on the affected page with the date and a brief description of what changed. Minor edits — such as typo fixes, formatting improvements, or non-substantive wording changes — may be made without a formal correction note.
Our goal is not to hide mistakes. Our goal is to fix them clearly and responsibly.
For more detail, see our Corrections Policy.
Affiliate Relationship Standards
Some links on The Dwelling Index are affiliate links. If a reader clicks one of those links and takes a qualifying action, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to the reader.
We disclose affiliate relationships on relevant pages. Affiliate relationships do not grant editorial influence, review rights, ranking preference, or approval authority over our content.
Where appropriate, affiliate links may use technical attributes such as rel="sponsored" or similar disclosure-oriented implementations consistent with platform requirements and our disclosure practices.
For full details, see our Affiliate Disclosure.
AI and Automation Standards
The Dwelling Index may use AI-assisted tools to support research organization, outlining, draft preparation, summarization, or formatting.
AI tools do not replace source review, editorial judgment, or final human approval.
We do not treat AI output as self-verifying. Factual claims, data points, interpretations, and citations are reviewed by a human editor before publication or substantial update. AI-assisted output is treated as draft material, not as final editorial authority.
Separation of Editorial and Commercial Decisions
Editorial and commercial functions are kept separate.
Editorial decisions include
- What topics to cover
- What claims require sourcing
- How companies are evaluated
- How rankings or comparisons are structured
- What conclusions are supported by the evidence
Commercial decisions include
- Which partnerships to pursue
- Where affiliate links may appear
- Operational business relationships
Commercial relationships do not control editorial conclusions. Editorial standards apply regardless of monetization.
Standards for Clarity and Reader Usefulness
Our content is written for homeowners making real decisions, not for industry insiders.
We aim to:
- Use plain language where possible
- Explain tradeoffs and uncertainty clearly
- Separate verified facts from estimates or editorial analysis
- Identify major limitations readers should understand before acting
- Help readers know what to verify next with a city, lender, builder, or qualified professional
Being useful is part of being trustworthy.
Contact
Questions about our editorial process: editorial@dwellingindex.com
To report a factual issue or request a correction, please visit our Corrections Policy or email corrections@dwellingindex.com.