Cost data methodology

Every cost number on FixItReal has a source and a date. This page explains where the numbers come from, how we validate them, and how often we refresh them.

At launch: published industry sources

For our initial cost guides, we seed figures from published industry sources and cross-reference across at least three of them per data point. Current primary sources:

• HomeGuide and Fixr — for contractor-quoted price ranges (both sites track quotes across their networks).
• This Old House and Bob Vila — cross-reference for reasonableness.
• RSMeans (where accessible) — for labor-rate benchmarking.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — for occupational wage data (plumbers, electricians, HVAC).
• Manufacturer price datafor fixtures and parts — Moen, Kohler, Delta, etc. — via retailer listings (Home Depot, Lowe's, Supply.com).
• ICC / IRC code references for permit and code requirements, state-specific where available.

When figures diverge materially between sources, we investigate the divergence, cite both, and either show a wider range or explain which source we believe is more reliable and why.

Growing: primary contractor quotes

Starting in our second quarter, we're paying licensed contractors for anonymized recent quotes on common residential jobs — across at least 10 metropolitan markets — to build a proprietary dataset. As this dataset grows, our cost guides will progressively replace published-source figures with this primary data and disclose the shift per article.

The long-term goal is to publish quarterly updates backed by contractor-verified quotes with metropolitan granularity and confidence intervals. Every cost page will eventually show the sample size behind the range it quotes.

What every cost guide discloses

• The date the figures were last updated.
• The source category (published industry data / contractor-tracked / manufacturer).
• Materials, labor, and permit costs broken out separately when the data supports it.
• Regional variation when regional data exists.
• Our opinion on what you shouldn't pay more than — stated explicitly.

What we won't do

• Fabricate precise-looking numbers ($1,347 when the real range is $1,100–$1,600). False precision misleads readers.
• Publish one-size-fits-all national “averages” without regional or permit context.
• Take money from cost-data providers in exchange for displaying their figures favorably.
• Game search rankings by cosmetic-editing articles and bumping the update date.

Spot a bad number?

If you see a cost figure on FixItReal that doesn't match your market — especially if you just paid a contractor for that job and the real number differs meaningfully — email hello@fixitreal.com with the metro, date, and quote details. We update our data on real feedback.