diff --git a/internal/normalizers/common/json.go b/internal/normalizers/common/json.go
index 29a74ff..1f7f483 100644
--- a/internal/normalizers/common/json.go
+++ b/internal/normalizers/common/json.go
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ func DecodeJSONPayload[T any](in event.Event) (T, error) {
 // label should be short and specific, e.g. "openweather observation".
 // outSchema should be the canonical schema constant.
 // build should contain ONLY provider/domain mapping logic.
+//
+// Error policy:
+//   - NormalizeJSON wraps ALL failures with consistent context: "<label> normalize: <stage>: ..."
+//   - build() should return specific errors without repeating the label prefix.
 func NormalizeJSON[T any, P any](
 	in event.Event,
 	label string,
@@ -55,8 +59,7 @@ func NormalizeJSON[T any, P any](
 
 	payload, effectiveAt, err := build(parsed)
 	if err != nil {
-		// build() should already include provider-specific context where appropriate.
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%s normalize: build: %w", label, err)
 	}
 
 	out, err := Finalize(in, outSchema, payload, effectiveAt)
diff --git a/internal/normalizers/nws/observation.go b/internal/normalizers/nws/observation.go
index d0aaeca..36891c4 100644
--- a/internal/normalizers/nws/observation.go
+++ b/internal/normalizers/nws/observation.go
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func buildObservation(parsed nwsObservationResponse) (model.WeatherObservation,
 	if s := strings.TrimSpace(parsed.Properties.Timestamp); s != "" {
 		t, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, s)
 		if err != nil {
-			return model.WeatherObservation{}, time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("nws observation normalize: invalid timestamp %q: %w", s, err)
+			return model.WeatherObservation{}, time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid timestamp %q: %w", s, err)
 		}
 		ts = t
 	}
diff --git a/internal/normalizers/openmeteo/observation.go b/internal/normalizers/openmeteo/observation.go
index 0a07c27..2d2fca4 100644
--- a/internal/normalizers/openmeteo/observation.go
+++ b/internal/normalizers/openmeteo/observation.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func buildObservation(parsed omResponse) (model.WeatherObservation, time.Time, e
 	if s := strings.TrimSpace(parsed.Current.Time); s != "" {
 		t, err := parseOpenMeteoTime(s, parsed.Timezone, parsed.UTCOffsetSeconds)
 		if err != nil {
-			return model.WeatherObservation{}, time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("openmeteo observation normalize: parse time %q: %w", s, err)
+			return model.WeatherObservation{}, time.Time{}, fmt.Errorf("parse time %q: %w", s, err)
 		}
 		ts = t.UTC()
 	}