Certainty should never outrun the evidence.

We begin with a proposed use

Research starts with a specific living arrangement, project, dwelling, and utility plan. We do not treat “off-grid” as a legal classification. A statewide claim is narrowed when the evidence only supports a county, municipality, service area, source type, system type, or other defined situation.

We use an evidence hierarchy

1. Controlling authority: constitutions, statutes, administrative rules, ordinances, adopted codes, court decisions, and recorded property documents.
2. Official administration: agency manuals, permit forms, bulletins, maps, meeting records, and written agency clarification.
3. Secondary orientation: credible professional or institutional explanations used to locate issues—not as a substitute for primary authority.
4. Practical evidence: site tests, surveys, engineering, bids, operating data, and experienced professional judgment, clearly separated from legal claims.

Every finding carries its boundaries

A publishable finding records the exact question, answer, applicability, requirements and exceptions, responsible authority, primary evidence, effective or review dates, and the next action a property buyer should take. Unknown is an acceptable answer. Silence in the reviewed sources is not treated as permission.

We reconcile overlapping authorities

State, county, municipality, district, utility, association, deed, and private agreement can all matter at once. We do not force these into a false one-rule hierarchy. A page identifies what the reviewed authority establishes and which separate authorities still need to be checked.

Pages are composed, not stamped out

The factual record is structured internally so the same finding does not contradict itself across the site. Presentation is editorial. A state with a decisive water problem may need a water-led field guide; another with unusual dwelling classifications may need a visual decision tree. We do not publish automatic pages merely because a place exists in a list.

Practical guides and numerical examples

The practical guides connect official reference material with questions, records and comparisons a buyer can use. Sources appear next to the statements they support. Recommendations about organising a property file or comparing bids are editorial guidance, not quoted legal requirements.

Worked examples identify their assumptions. Invented household loads, collection losses and quote amounts explain a calculation; they are not measured project data, typical costs or equipment specifications. The downloadable CSV files are blank templates without automatic calculations. Readers must supply their own evidence, units and formulas. Publication of a practical guide does not renew the source-check dates on linked state research.

Use of research tools

AI-assisted research and editing tools are used to help locate sources, compare provisions, organize notes and develop drafts. Search, extraction and structured-data tools also support that process. They are not treated as legal authority. A substantive finding must be traced to the cited source, scoped to what that source supports, and editorially reviewed before publication. We do not publish a generated summary simply because it sounds plausible.

Review and correction

Every substantive finding shows when its sources were last checked. Pages with active rulemaking or time-sensitive agency material receive earlier review. When evidence conflicts, the conflict remains visible while we seek resolution. Material corrections change the finding, its review date, and the public correction record.

What a check date means

A source-check date records review of the cited evidence for the stated finding. It does not mean that every local ordinance was searched, an agency endorsed our interpretation, or a licensed professional reviewed the page. An editorial update can add navigation or clarify wording without changing the source-check date. We do not refresh a research date merely because a link still responds.

How to read our evidence labels

Source-verified means the cited official evidence supports the scoped statement. Conditions apply means stated facts or exceptions affect the outcome. Local answer required means the state research identifies the question or authority but cannot decide the property. A research gap means evidence is insufficient for a conclusion; it is not permission or prohibition.

Maintaining this edition

Before a substantive revision, recheck the affected authority, applicability and effective date. Prioritize active rule changes, changing permit offices and reported errors. Repair moved citations without silently substituting a different rule. A link check establishes reachability only; it does not establish that the cited text remains correct. Readers should use the responsible office’s current forms and requirements when applying.

What research cannot do

Published research cannot approve a parcel, interpret private documents for the owner, measure site conditions, guarantee an agency decision, or replace advice from a licensed attorney, engineer, surveyor, designer, contractor, well professional, or other qualified local expert.