Choose a source for the question you have
This directory is organized by the question a reader is trying to answer, not by file type. Each entry names the publisher, explains the document's purpose, gives a date or version when known, and states a scope limit. FTC and NAHB items address project preparation; NIST and USGS items address WTC-related technical records; the AE911Truth item is a dated campaign publication. Choose the entry matching your question, then check the original publisher's page.
FTC: preparing contractor questions
The Federal Trade Commission's March 2014 PDF, Hiring a Contractor, offers general consumer preparation questions: reputation and references, written estimates, licensing checks, a defined scope, material lists, change-order handling, payment records and final sign-off. It is U.S. consumer guidance, not a current statement of contract, payment, insurance or cancellation law; local requirements vary. Use its preparation principles as historical guidance and check current local rules separately. The available copy is the original publisher PDF, not a restored BuildingWhat file. [1]
NAHB: questions for a new-home builder
The National Association of Home Builders' HTML page, Questions to Ask Your Home Builder, is a first-party industry list for prospective new-home buyers. Its questions cover recent references, standard versus customized features, floor-plan options, appliance upgrades or downgrades, additional fees, homeowners-association dues and coverage, and warranties. No publication date is established in the available copy. Treat it as an industry perspective on what to ask, not law, financing advice or a membership endorsement; its scope is U.S. new-home selection, not remodeling or universal contract obligations. The available copy is the original association page. [2]
NIST: investigation evidence and model limits
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's FAQ page, created September 13, 2011 and updated April 5, 2022, presents NIST's account of the WTC 7 investigation. This entry covers FAQs 21–25: why steel samples were unavailable, what evidence and assumptions informed the models, how model results compared with video observations, and where NIST states limitations. Attribute findings to NIST; this is not an independent reproduction, and linked NCSTAR reports are separate documents outside this entry's scope. Use it to understand NIST's reasoning and stated uncertainties, not as a rule for other buildings. The official FAQ page is accessible. [3]
USGS: interpreting bulk dust chemistry
The U.S. Geological Survey's Open-File Report 01-0429 (2001) page reports bulk chemical analyses of dust from the WTC area and steel-girder coatings from WTC debris. It presents total element concentrations and USGS's interpretation that the mixed samples reflect building materials, paints and other sources, while calling for further study of where metals reside. This is not an explosive-residue test, a replication or rebuttal of a separate 2009 paper, or a specific-building provenance finding. No independent figure or table analysis, health-risk assessment or broader environmental conclusion is supplied here. The available copy is the original USGS report page. [4]
AE911Truth: historical campaign newsletter
The AE911Truth Blueprint Newsletter, Vol. XIV, is dated November 2010 even though its URL contains 2010/12. The available copy is a first-party campaign publication: it describes a Building What? television-advertising campaign in New York City and names AE911Truth among its co-sponsors. Those statements are self-reports, not independent technical findings, a complete participant roster or evidence of current affiliation. This separate publisher newsletter is not a recovered BuildingWhat newsletter. Use it as historical source context for how the campaign described itself, not as proof of technical claims or present-day activity. [5]
Keep each source within its scope
Use the publisher's own page or file as the reference copy, and retain its date or version with any note you make. An index, excerpt or campaign page can point to a document, but it is not an authenticated original or an independent finding. Where a source is historical, local or industry-perspective, do not turn it into current law, universal contract terms, technical proof or evidence of present affiliation. If a question falls outside these sources' scope, use the relevant official publisher or a qualified local authority. External availability can change.