Editorial Policy
Last updated: 2026-04-21
Our goal
Give homeowners the cheapest, fastest path to a fair-range renovation cost estimate — without gating the numbers behind a lead form or a consultation call. Every calculator on this site is a tool we'd send to a friend.
How we calculate
Every estimate on this site is computed the same way: project per-square-foot band × square footage × finish-level multiplier (basic 0.75×, standard 1.0×, upscale 1.65×) × regional multiplier, plus a 15% planning contingency shown separately. No estimate is hand-typed; every number is generated from the same data tables the calculator uses.
Data sources
Every cost figure, multiplier, and reference table on Renomath is traceable to a published source. We currently pull from:
- BLS OEWS May 2025 state and metro construction wages (public domain) for location multipliers.
- Multiple published cost guides (HomeGuide, Bob Vila, This Old House) as benchmarks for per-sqft bands.
- U.S. Census American Community Survey for regional housing stock characteristics referenced in some scope notes.
The full derivation — formula, sourcing, and sensitivity — lives in the "How we calculate" section above. Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report may appear as a benchmark reference we compare against; it is not a data source for our figures.
When two sources disagree, we publish the mid-point and link both. When a source updates, we refresh our tables within 30 days of the new data being available.
AI assistance disclosure
We use large-language-model tools (including OpenAI and Anthropic models) in our editorial workflow. Specifically:
- Draft generation: long-form article drafts may be started by an AI model and then fact-checked, edited, and approved by a human editor before publishing.
- Cost-table research: AI tools are used to cross-reference and summarise public data; the final numbers in our tables are verified by a human against the cited primary source before going live.
- What AI does NOT do: AI does not set per-square-foot values or regional multipliers without human verification against a published source. Numbers you see on this site have been checked by a person.
This disclosure is not a legal boilerplate — it is how we actually work. If that ever changes, this page updates first.
Corrections
If we publish a wrong number, we want to hear about it. Email [email protected] with:
- The page URL
- The specific number you believe is wrong
- A link to a public source with the correct figure, if possible
We update data tables in place and note material corrections at the bottom of the affected page with a date stamp. We do not silently rewrite history.
Fact-check process
Before any calculator or article goes live:
- Numbers are cross-referenced against the primary source cited on the page.
- Formulas are spot-checked with at least three synthetic inputs (small / typical / large).
- External links are hit to confirm they resolve and point at the correct page.
Independence
Renomath does not accept paid placement, sponsored content, or contractor referral fees. We may display programmatic advertising (Google AdSense) in the future; editorial decisions are kept separate from ad-inventory decisions, and we never accept money to change a cost figure.