Editorial Standards

Every fact on Contractors Guidebook comes from a source we link, checked on the date we show, and most of those sources are the government agencies that set the rules. Our guides are education only: we explain the rules and point you to the agency, and we don’t give tax, legal or insurance advice.

Our mission

We only speak the truth. We only help within the category we cover. We always cite our sources, and we’re friendly and easy to do business with. Our objective is to help you find a better alternative, or to confirm that your present choice is already your best choice. We’re creative in how we explain things, but we never exaggerate: we say only what’s true, and nothing misleading or unverified.

How do we pick topics?

We write about the questions tradespeople ask when they start their own contracting business, and only when we can answer them with official sources we can link: the IRS, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the U.S. Department of Labor, USCIS, and state licensing boards and labor and tax agencies.

How do we source a guide?

• We start with primary sources: agency pages, forms and their instructions, and the text of laws and regulations.
• Every source is opened on the day we write or update the guide, and each guide ends with a Sources list: title, link and the date we checked it.
• Fees and dollar thresholds are copied from the agency page, dated, and labeled with the year they apply to.
• State rules are labeled by state (for example, “California: …”) and aren’t presented as nationwide law.
• If we can’t verify something, we leave it out or mark it “Not verified.”
• When a rule is changing (for example, a proposed federal rule), we say what is in effect today and what is only proposed, with dates.
• Quotes are copied from the source page and checked again before publishing.

Why education only?

Licenses, taxes, payroll and insurance affect your money and your legal standing. The right answer depends on your state, your trade, your numbers and your plans, so a general website can’t make the call for you. We explain how the rules work and where they come from, and we tell you when to check with the agency or a licensed professional, such as a CPA or enrolled agent for taxes, an attorney for contracts and entity questions, or a licensed insurance agent or broker for coverage.

How do we use AI ourselves?

We use AI tools to help with research, outlines and first drafts. A person reviews every page, checks each fact against its source, and decides what’s published. If we add images, AI-made illustrations will be labeled “Illustrative image” where they could pass for a real photo, and their files will carry metadata saying they were made with AI. Any synthetic video narration will speak for the brand (“we checked…”) and won’t claim to be a human expert.

Money and independence

Ads and, in the future, paid links pay for the site; see our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure. Commissions don’t decide what we write, and we don’t accept payment for coverage. We don’t take money from insurance carriers, brokers or lenders. When we mention Top Rank ROI LLC’s own services, we label them as our own.

How do we handle corrections?

If you find a mistake or a rule that changed, contact us with the page and, if possible, the official source. We check every report. When we fix a page, we add a dated “Updated” note saying what changed. We also recheck dated facts (fees, thresholds, tax rates and pending rules) on a regular schedule.

Who’s responsible?

Esmeralda Cornejo and Rolando Cornejo, Top Rank ROI LLC (www.toprankroi.com).