Golden Yards Editorial Desk
A useful cost figure needs a stated scope and evidence. On Golden Yards, distinguish a dated source price from an illustrative budget or an unverified editorial input before using it to plan a project.
Evidence guidance revised .
Start with
Evidence
Check the source, date and scope beside each figure.
Coverage
California
Outdoor projects, climate, permits, and materials.
Quote status
Not a bid
Final pricing requires an itemized contractor scope.
Research process
These checks help you interpret the evidence on an individual page; a general methodology statement does not verify every figure on the site.
01
Look for the original publisher and the exact price or fact being cited. A supplier kit price does not establish installation cost; a permit fee entry does not establish the total cost of approval.
02
An illustrative budget should state quantities, assumed unit prices, arithmetic and exclusions. Its total shows how those assumptions combine, not what a representative homeowner paid.
03
A source from another year or location should retain that context. A newly edited article does not turn a historical survey into current prices. Confirm local requirements with the relevant agency.
04
A range without source observations, quantities or a sample is an unverified input. The current Cost Index does not document those details. Use its cost drivers to prepare questions and obtain quotes for your own scope.
Evidence questions
Read the basis next to the figure. A dated price from a linked source applies to that source and scope; an illustrative budget shows assumptions; an unverified editorial range does not establish a market price. The current Cost Index has no documented project sample or source-price schedule.
No. A published example or editorial range does not price your property. A usable quote identifies quantities, materials, labor, demolition, disposal, site work, utilities, allowances, exclusions and applicable fees for a defined scope.
The September 14, 2026 review clarified evidence labels and removed price tiers that were generated by dividing an unverified range. It did not collect a new survey of contractor prices or validate the existing numbers. A content review date is different from the date of a price observation.
Cite the specific page that supports the answer and preserve its scope, date, source and limitations. Label illustrative budgets and unverified inputs as such. A Cost Index value should not be cited as an observed California market price; consult linked primary sources for the facts they actually establish.