EVIDENCE & EDITORIAL TRANSPARENCY

Sources & Methodology

Where our information comes from, how we check it and what its limits mean for your home.

Where does Coastal Home IQ get its information?

Our published planning pages link to manufacturer resources, product-rating organizations and the government offices responsible for local requirements. Future project articles must use approved Contract Exteriors records and photographs. Every material claim needs evidence appropriate to that claim; a source’s name alone does not verify an article.

Coastal Home IQ is owned by Contract Exteriors. Articles use the Coastal Home IQ Team byline and require Contract Exteriors review and editing before publication. This directory explains our method. It does not replace the specific citations, review details and limitations on an individual page.

Published October 21, 2026. Sources listed here are research resources, not sponsors or endorsements of this publication.

Sources linked from our current planning pages

These resources support the existing guide hubs. Manufacturer homepages are starting points: an exact specification, care instruction or warranty claim needs the document for the actual product and configuration.

James Hardie — siding and exterior-product research.
CertainTeed — vinyl siding and trim research.
TimberTech and its care and cleaning guide — decking, railing and product-specific care.
OKNA — window and patio-door product research.
ProVia entry doors — door materials and configurations.
National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) — window and door energy-performance ratings. A product rating is not a prediction of one household’s energy savings.

Local government and the actual property

Our official local-resource directory links to city and county building departments across the Grand Strand and Lowcountry, including inland communities. The Myrtle Beach and Charleston guides provide regional starting points.

Confirm the authority serving the actual parcel and describe the proposed work. A ZIP code, mailing city or coastal label does not determine jurisdiction, exposure or applicable requirements. Association approval and government approval are separate processes. General information here does not approve a permit or establish a product’s suitability for your property.

Project evidence: real work, with permission

Project stories must match the relevant Contract Exteriors records with the same project’s CompanyCam notes and approved photographs. We verify the documented scope, installed products, general location and any attributed homeowner statement. A photograph alone cannot establish a product model, concealed damage, code compliance, homeowner motivation or an energy-saving result.

Raw CRM records and private project files are not public source material. Publication copies must exclude customer contact details, precise addresses, financial information and identifying details that have not been cleared for publication. Original files remain private. Decorative site images are visual illustrations and do not document an actual Contract Exteriors job.

Public datasets for future analysis

The following are potential resources for future, appropriately sourced articles. Listing them does not mean we have already published an analysis using them or maintain an automatic data feed.

NOAA / NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — climate context, with the station or grid and reporting period identified.
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey — relevant housing and community estimates, with the table, geography, release period and uncertainty identified.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center — applicable map research, with map version and effective date checked. Floodplain and project requirements still need confirmation with the responsible authority.

We will cite the exact dataset or document used in an article. We will not relabel city or county data as ZIP-level data, treat a regional average as a measurement at one home, or infer site conditions solely from a postal area.

How we evaluate a claim

Identify the question and the evidence needed to answer it.
Match the source to the claim: project records for documented work, exact product documents for specifications, and the responsible authority for requirements.
Check the document version, reporting period, geography and applicability.
Make uncertainty, missing information and material limitations visible.
Record the actual approving reviewer, relevant role, review scope and date before publishing technical article claims.

AI may assist research organization and drafting. It is not a factual source, a permission grant or a substitute for human review. An owner’s or author’s employment does not establish engineering, inspection or code-enforcement credentials.

Measured, reported and modeled results

A measured result needs the underlying measurement, period, method and relevant conditions. A customer-reported observation is attributed as that person’s experience. A calculation or model must show its inputs, assumptions, method and limitations. We do not present a modeled estimate as an achieved result.

For example, a window’s glass rating and a local temperature average do not establish a household’s utility savings. An energy analysis needs appropriate building, window, shading, climate and equipment inputs. Unknown values must remain explicit assumptions, not invented facts about a customer’s home.

Page-level citations, updates and corrections

Individual articles should cite the specific document or dataset near the claim it supports, with relevant source and review details. A link in this directory is not evidence for every statement about that institution or product. Articles must identify substantive updates and distinguish pending drafts from reviewed work.

See our Editorial Standards & Corrections, ownership disclosures and Privacy Policy. To report an error, contact the Coastal Home IQ Team with the page URL, statement and supporting evidence. Please do not send sensitive customer records.