Our methodology & editorial standards

Last updated June 23, 2026 · edited by Andrii Boltag

We want every page to be checkable, not just believable. Here's how we research and what our wording means.

1. Primary, official sources first

We build each page from primary, official sources and link them inline so you can verify directly. Examples we rely on:

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA loan pest requirements) and HUD/FHA
• U.S. EPA (termites and treatment)
• The National Pest Management Association (Form NPMA-33)
• State agencies (e.g., Texas Department of Agriculture; California Structural Pest Control Board)
• Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida Statutes, and Citizens Property Insurance (4-point & wind mitigation)
• County/city governments for local rules

Where a figure comes from non-official aggregators (for example typical cost ranges), we label it as a directional estimate, not an official price.

2. Plain-language editing

We translate dense regulations into a direct verdict ("do you need one?"), a facts table, and a short FAQ. We avoid hedging where the official rule is clear, and we flag where the rule varies by state, lender, or insurer.

3. Guidance, not a determination

Our calculators estimate a likely answer from limited inputs. They are decision-support tools, not official determinations. The binding answer for your transaction comes only from your lender, insurer, the relevant authority, or a licensed professional.

4. Review dates & freshness

Each page shows a "last reviewed" date. Rules and fees change, so we re-check pages against their official sources and update the date when we revise. A date is a claim that we verified the page against sources on that day — not a guarantee nothing has changed since.

5. How we keep prices and rules current (and our verification rule)

Freshness is part of the product, so we maintain pages on a schedule rather than letting them go stale:

• Prices are refreshed regularly — our cost figures are re-checked against public pricing sources on a recurring basis, and each figure carries its own "verified" date and the sources we read. See the live Cost Index.
• Laws and regulatory rules are monitored at their primary official sources (VA, EPA, state agencies, Florida OIR/Citizens, county/city governments). When a rule, threshold, deadline, or form appears to change, a person verifies it against the primary source before any page is updated.
• We keep a price history so changes are traceable over time, and we log which sources we checked.

Our core verification rule: we do not state a fact we have not verified. Every figure is dated and sourced; legal and regulatory facts (requirements, age thresholds, deadlines, forms, fees) are confirmed by a person against the primary official source before publishing. If something cannot be verified, we mark it as unconfirmed and do not present it as fact — we never invent or guess.

6. Corrections

If you spot an error or an out-of-date rule, please tell us. We review every report and correct verified mistakes promptly, updating the review date.

7. Independence & disclosure

Calcopic is independent and not affiliated with any government agency, lender, insurer, or inspection company. If we ever add advertising, affiliate, or paid-referral relationships, we will disclose them clearly.