Editorial policy

Independence

Editorial decisions are made by the editorial team, not by merchants. A commercial partner cannot buy a ranking, a score, a "best" label, or a place in a roundup. If we cannot recommend a category honestly, we say so.

Sourcing

Articles cite manufacturer documentation, adopted code, government guidance, or named contractor reports. Statistics without a source are removed. Estimates are labelled and their inputs are shown.

Affiliate links

Some outbound links are affiliate links. They are marked withrel="sponsored", and every article carries a disclosure. The commission does not change the price you pay. See thefull disclosure.

Reviews and scores

Scores are relative to the site, not absolute. A segmental block wall that is right for a two-foot garden terrace is the wrong system for a six-foot wall carrying a driveway. We state the height, soil and surcharge the judgement assumes rather than hiding them in a number.

Corrections

We correct factual errors promptly and note the update date. To report an error, email contact@retainingwalllab.comwith the URL and a source.

AI assistance

Drafts may be prepared with software assistance, but every published article is reviewed against its sources by the editorial team. We do not publish unreviewed generated text.

Review cycle

Design and method guides are rechecked when the adopted code, an engineer's guidance or a manufacturer's design tables change. Cost guides are rechecked quarterly. A page that has not been reviewed in twelve months is flagged in the editorial calendar rather than left to drift.