Editorial policy

How our guides are written

The Wombat's guides are written and maintained by The Wombat editorial team. We are a lead marketplace, not a licensed trade, legal or safety practice - so this page explains exactly what our guides are, how they are put together, and where their limits sit.

Who writes the guides

Guides are produced by The Wombat editorial team as organisational publications. We do not attribute guides to individual named experts, and no guide should be read as having been reviewed by a licensed practitioner unless it is explicitly labelled with that reviewer's name and licence details. Where such a labelled review exists, the reviewer is a real, consenting person whose licence can be checked in the relevant public register.

How guides are sourced

Where a guide makes a regulatory, safety or legal claim, our policy is to link the primary government or standards-body source next to the claim, name the jurisdiction it applies to, and state its limits. Rules in Australia differ by state and territory, and a guide can only ever be a starting point - the authority responsible for your property is the source of truth.

Our pricing policy

We do not publish market price ranges that we cannot substantiate. Where a guide discusses cost, it describes the factors that drive price and how to compare itemised quotes on the same scope, rather than asserting what a job "typically costs" nationally. Where a tool shows an estimate, its fixed assumptions are labelled inline and the output is not a quote.

Review dates

A guide shows a review date only when it has actually been materially reviewed. We do not refresh dates cosmetically, and the absence of a recent date means exactly what it says: the page has not been re-reviewed recently.

What our guides are not

Guides are general information for Australian homeowners. They are not professional, legal, financial or safety advice, and they do not replace an onsite assessment, a licensed practitioner or the requirements of your state, territory or council. For anything involving safety - asbestos, electrical work, gas, pool barriers, structural change - use the licensed people and the regulator responsible for your property.

Corrections

If you find something in a guide that is wrong or out of date, tell us via our contact page. Corrections that change the substance of a guide are treated as a material review.

The Wombat connects homeowners with suppliers who pay for leads - that is how the site makes money, and it is why our guides keep quote requests separate from the information itself. Requesting quotes is free for homeowners and never an obligation.