Our promise

Every factual claim that a reader might act on links to the source it came from. We say clearly when something is our own opinion or experience, and when something hasn’t been verified.

Bylines

Every guide is credited to the Gulf Coast Homeowner editorial team, not to a named expert. Articles are researched and drafted with AI assistance, checked against the official sources cited on each page, and independently reviewed by a separate AI system before they’re published (see our AI-use disclosure). The team holds no professional hurricane, insurance, legal or emergency-management qualifications, so follow official guidance and instructions from your local authorities.

Sources we prefer

  1. Primary law and government sources: Florida Statutes, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Department of Revenue, Division of Emergency Management, FEMA/NFIP, NOAA/National Hurricane Center, CDC, EPA, ENERGY STAR, county governments.
  2. University extension research: UF/IFAS Extension.
  3. Reputable reporting, used only to point to primary guidance. We label it as secondary.

We don’t cite anonymous blogs or competitor content as evidence.

How an article gets made

Articles are drafted by AI and checked automatically. A person does not review each one before it’s published unless the page says so (see our AI-use disclosure). Each article goes through these steps:

  1. Topic research from free public sources
  2. A brief covering search intent, an outline and the required official sources
  3. An AI draft
  4. An automated, claim-by-claim fact-check against the cited pages
  5. Originality, quality and SEO checks
  6. A separate AI review
  7. Automatic publication once all checks pass, only if the article is low-risk and within a daily and weekly limit (see below)
  8. Scheduled re-checks after publication

Every decision is logged with machine-readable reasons.

When articles publish automatically, and when a person decides

Fixed rules sort every article into one of three risk levels (rules version risk-v3). The level decides whether it can publish on its own:

  • Low risk: publishes automatically. It publishes only after it passes the automated fact-check against its cited sources, the originality and quality checks, and an independent review by a separate AI system. No person reviews each low-risk article before it’s published. New articles go out at most 1 per day and 5 per week for the first 30 days after launch, then at most 2 per day and 10 per week.
  • Medium risk: waits for an owner spot-check. An article is medium risk if it tells readers to do a hazardous do-it-yourself task (climbing a ladder or getting on the roof, using a chainsaw, pressure washer or power tools, cutting down a tree, mixing chemicals, or repairing, replacing or installing a roof, water heater, AC unit, plumbing, pipes or drywall) and that step doesn’t cite an official source such as a government agency or university extension. A sentence that only tells readers not to climb, cut or mix something doesn’t count. A medium-risk article doesn’t publish until Prince Jast, the site owner, has spot-checked that exact version.
  • High risk: needs a qualified person and the owner. Articles on insurance, legal rules, tax, HOA/condo rules, landlord-tenant and deposit rules, permits and building codes, financial topics, medical advice, electrical/gas/structural work, mold remediation procedures, prices or rates, claims about a named business, and contract and warranty terms are never published automatically. They need a review by a qualified, licensed person and the owner’s release. Any page that has had that kind of review says so.
  • Corrections and withdrawals. Published articles are re-checked automatically on a schedule. If a safety statement is no longer supported by its official source, the article is taken down right away while it’s fixed. Other problems are fixed, or the article is withdrawn after repeated failed checks. You can also report an error through our corrections page.

Fact-checking

Every factual statement must cite a source and include a short quote from it. The software fetches the source page and confirms that the quote is there. It also checks links and dates and recomputes any calculations. An article fails if a factual sentence has no citation or a quote can’t be found.

High-risk (YMYL) topics are never published automatically, and medium-risk DIY steps wait for an owner spot-check (see above). We don’t name reviewers who haven’t actually reviewed the page.

First-hand experience

First-hand notes are optional, and no article waits on them. When an article includes one, it comes only from Prince’s own verified records and is clearly labeled. We don’t invent anecdotes, customer stories, test results or photos, and we don’t describe hurricane or storm cleanup experience the business doesn’t have.

Updates and withdrawals

Each guide shows when it was last updated and when its sources were last checked. Published guides are re-checked on a schedule. A source that is temporarily unreachable is only flagged. A statement whose source no longer supports it is fixed, or the guide is withdrawn after repeated failed checks. If a safety statement (generators and carbon monoxide, electrical hazards, food safety, evacuation) is no longer supported by its official source, the guide is taken down right away while it’s re-checked and revised.

Independence

Advertisers don’t influence coverage. See our advertising disclosure.

Corrections

See our corrections policy.