Editorial Policy

This page explains who writes the articles, state guides and calculators on this site, how they are checked, how mistakes get fixed, and how the site makes money.

Who writes it

The content is written and reviewed by Thayne Muthler, owner of Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania (PA HIC #PA212584). The company builds patios, retaining walls, concrete, drainage and site work with its own crews.

How articles are made

• A builder’s view. Articles are written from what a crew actually has to dig, compact, pour or set to get a job right.
• Primary sources. Every number traces to a primary source: building codes, state agencies, manufacturer installation guides, industry standards and university extension services.
• A separate fact-check. Before anything is published, a separate review pass that did not write the draft checks every number and claim against its cited source. Anything that can’t be backed up is fixed or cut.
• A Sources line on every article. Each article ends with links to the sources it relies on, so you can check them yourself.
• Nothing made up. No invented stories, customers, jobs, statistics, quotes or reviews.
• Honest images. Job photos are our own, and their alt text describes what the photo actually shows. Drawn or generated images are captioned as illustrations.

How the state guides are verified

• Each value in the state guides comes from an official state source, such as a statute, code, state agency or official program.
• Every guide gets a state-by-state, row-by-row check against those sources, plus a separate fact-check, before it goes live.
• The data is re-verified every 6 months. A value is changed only after it has been checked against an official source.
• Each guide shows a “Last checked” date, updated whenever the data is reviewed.

Updates and corrections

Codes, products and prices change, so older articles are refreshed when something they rely on changes.

If you find an error, tell us through the contact page or call or text (570) 397-9800. Say which page it is on and, if you can, the source that shows the right answer. We check it against the source, and if we got it wrong, we correct the page and date the correction.

Ads and money

• Ads. Ads served by Mediavine appear on our articles, calculators, state guides and weed identification guide. They never appear on our service, pricing, local or Groundwork pages. We don’t choose the individual ads, and an ad is not a recommendation.
• Our own products. Groundwork Design Co. design plans are our own product. When an article or calculator points to them, it is pointing to something we sell.
• No paid placements. No company pays to be mentioned, ranked or recommended in our content.

Not legal or engineering advice

Everything on this site is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Rules vary by state and town and can change. A tall retaining wall, a structural slab, a permit question or a contract dispute needs a licensed engineer, your local code office or an attorney who has seen your site or your paperwork.