HomeGuideIS community features — discussion posts, comments, and local recommendations in our community section — exist to help homeowners solve real problems with real experience. These guidelines explain what is welcome, what is not, and how moderation works.
Be Honest
Share genuine experiences and opinions. Do not post fabricated claims about a business or individual, and do not present speculation as fact. If you are affiliated with a business you mention — owner, employee, paid marketer, friend or family member — disclose that relationship in your post. Undisclosed promotional content is removed.
Be Useful
The best posts include specifics: what the project was, what it cost, where you are located (city or metro level is enough), and what you would do differently. Context helps neighbors far more than “great job” or “avoid them.”
Be Civil
Disagreement is fine; personal attacks are not. Do not post content that is hateful, harassing, threatening, sexually explicit, or that encourages illegal activity. Do not publish others’ private information — personal phone numbers, home addresses, or similar details — without consent.
Keep It Legal and Relevant
No spam, scams, phishing, or chain posts. No content that infringes copyright. No advertising or lead solicitation except through approved professional listing tools. Posts must relate to home, real estate, or local services topics.
Local Recommendations
Recommendations are most useful when they are specific. Name the neighborhood or metro area, say what work was done and roughly when, and describe the experience – communication, pricing, follow-up, how the job ended. If any relationship exists between you and the business you are recommending – you work there, you were compensated, you are related to the owner – say so plainly in the post. A recommendation here is one neighbor’s experience, not a guarantee, and our verified professional directory remains the place to check credentials.
Reviews Are Separate
Reviews of businesses are governed by the Review Policy, which sets additional standards including bans on incentivized reviews without disclosure. Business owners may respond to reviews once per review, respectfully and factually.
Moderation and Enforcement
Our team moderates community content and may remove posts or restrict accounts that violate these guidelines, with or without notice, depending on severity. Typical enforcement actions, in ascending order: content removal, warning, temporary restriction, permanent suspension. Egregious violations — credible threats, fraud, illegal content — may be reported to authorities.
If your content is removed and you believe it was a mistake, email [email protected] with the subject line “Community Appeal” and a link to the content. We review appeals in good faith and explain our decisions where we can.
Report Problems
Use the report controls on any piece of content, or email [email protected] with the page URL and the specific concern. Reports are confidential to the extent possible.