This page explains where the numbers and rules on Ultimate Home Fix come from, how often they are checked, and what we do when we get something wrong. If you are about to make a four- or five-figure decision based on something you read here, you should know how it was made.
Where the prices come from
Every price on this site is a range, not a quote. The ranges are built from published cost data, manufacturer and distributor pricing, and current Texas permit fee schedules, and they describe typical jobs — not yours. Access, the age of the house, what is behind the wall and how busy contractors are that month all move the real number.
We do not survey contractors, collect bids from readers, or have a proprietary pricing database, and we will not claim to. When a guide gives a range, the useful parts are usually the line items: what a fair bid should include, and what a cheap one tends to leave out.
Where the rules come from
When a page says something about Texas law, building code or insurance, it is cited to a primary source:
- The statute itself — the Texas Occupations Code, Insurance Code, Property Code and Business and Commerce Code.
- The rule that implements it — the Texas Administrative Code, and federal rules in the Code of Federal Regulations.
- The agency that enforces it — TDLR, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, the Texas Department of Insurance, the EPA.
- Your city’s own documents — its code of ordinances, adopted-codes page, permit handouts and fee schedules.
Not another blog, and not a contractor’s website. Some of the best-ranking pages on these topics are written by lead-generation sites that make confident legal claims without a single citation; we use them, at most, as leads to go find the real source.
When the sources disagree
Sometimes they do, and no authority settles it. When that happens, the page says so plainly rather than picking one side and sounding certain. Whether a Texas homeowner may run their own gas line is one example: a plain reading of the statute and what the industry says point in different directions, and we could not find a ruling from the plumbing board either way. The page on DIY repairs tells you exactly that.
Codes also differ by city. Texas adopts a statewide electrical code, but inside city limits the edition your city has adopted is the one the inspector enforces, and cities move on their own schedules. Where that matters, the page names the city and the edition.
How often pages are checked
- Every September — new Texas laws and code changes take effect on September 1, so the pages that depend on them are re-checked then.
- Every January — tax credits, rebates and anything tied to the calendar year.
- Whenever a reader flags something.
Each guide shows the month it was last reviewed.
Corrections
When we find a mistake, we fix it and, if it changed the meaning of the page, we say so here. Recent corrections:
- September 23, 2026 — Fort Worth’s electrical code. Two pages briefly said Fort Worth was still on the 2023 National Electrical Code, based on the city’s online code library. The city’s own codes page says it adopted the 2026 edition effective September 1, 2026. Corrected the same day.
- September 23, 2026 — the outdoor emergency disconnect. Two pages said the requirement dated from the 2023 code. It first appeared in the 2020 edition. Corrected.
- September 23, 2026 — recharging your own AC. A page said federal law only stops homeowners from buying refrigerant. It also requires EPA Section 608 certification to add it, including to your own system. Corrected, and covered in full in can you recharge your own AC in Texas.
- September 23, 2026 — the mold remediation certificate. A page said the certificate is issued by the assessment consultant. Under the statute the licensed remediator provides it, carrying the assessor’s statement. Corrected.
Think something here is wrong? Tell us — especially if you do this work for a living. A correction that comes with a source gets made.
How this site makes money
Some outbound links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you use one. That has no bearing on the figures or the rules on any page, and nothing here is a paid placement. We do not sell repairs, we do not sell your contact details to contractors, and the email list is used only to send you what you signed up for.
Who does this
Ultimate Home Fix is written by Jimmy Hall, a Texas homeowner — not a contractor, plumber, electrician or adjuster. More about that, and why it matters.