How we research
Factual claims are checked against primary or authoritative sources first: the City of New Orleans (including the Department of Safety and Permits), Louisiana state agencies, federal sources such as the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service, and university extension material. Where trade terminology varies, such as what different contractors mean by leveling, shoring, or elevation, we say so instead of presenting one definition as universal.
We also study how other homeowner guides and local providers explain these topics, so we know what readers expect to find. We write our own explanations and do not reuse their wording or images.
What we will not publish
- Prices or statistics we cannot source. Where we cite an external cost range we say it is external and is not a bid.
- Invented reviews, testimonials, project stories, licenses, credentials, or staff.
- Remote diagnoses or instructions for dangerous structural do-it-yourself work.
Dates on pages
Each guide shows when it was last updated and last reviewed. We change those dates only when the content materially changes or has actually been re-checked against its sources, never to look current.
Who reviews content
Guides are published by NOLA Raised Home under the process on this page, and each one lists the sources it relies on. We do not name individual reviewers or claim professional credentials for the people who write them. Unless a page explicitly says otherwise, guides have not been reviewed by a licensed structural engineer, and they are not professional advice.
Our business model
NOLA Raised Home may be paid by an independent local provider for referrals. That is disclosed on every page and explained in how it works. Compensation does not decide what our guides say, and we will describe alternatives, such as getting multiple bids or an independent engineer’s assessment, where they serve the reader.
Education, not inspection
Guides explain what conditions can mean and what is commonly inspected. Only an in-person evaluation by qualified professionals can determine what is happening in a specific home.
Corrections
If you believe something here is wrong, tell the publisher through the correction form, which is separate from the request-help form and is never sent to a provider. We will review it and correct the page and its date if the content materially changes.