Field Guides · Last updated September 4, 2026

Know Before You Hire

The same public records that build the rankings on this site, written up for the questions homeowners actually ask. No lead forms, no gated downloads, and every source named.

Warren LeMay · CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)

The shelf

Every field guide

An ornate Italianate commercial building on Elm Street in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, with the date 1878 carved into its cornice.

Vetting

How to Choose a Contractor in Ohio Before You Sign Anything

What to ask, what to compare, and what to get in writing before work starts.

Updated September 4, 2026

A yellow-brick Craftsman house with a green tile roof and a wide porch on Hamilton Avenue in Northside, Cincinnati, with snow on the ground and an air-conditioning condenser beside it.

Costs

What HVAC Replacement Costs in Cincinnati (2026)

What furnaces, AC and heat pumps actually cost to install here.

Updated August 18, 2026

A stone-fronted bungalow and a Tudor Revival house with a brick chimney, on a residential street in Oakley, Cincinnati, on a winter afternoon.

Permits

Do You Need a Permit for HVAC, Electrical, or Plumbing Work in Cincinnati?

When a permit is required here, and what to ask your contractor about it.

Updated September 4, 2026

A block of nineteenth-century brick buildings on Elm Street in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, under overhead power lines, with a painted sign reading Cincinnati Electrical Repair Co.

Vetting

Hiring a Contractor in Ohio, Trade by Trade

What each trade’s work involves, and the question worth asking before you book.

Updated September 4, 2026