Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly when using our estimator tool and contractor matching service:

• Homeowner data: ZIP code, home size, home type, year built, project type, finish level, and project scope entered during the estimation process.
• Email address: Collected when you request your estimate report to be emailed to you.
• Contractor applicant data: Name, business name, email address, phone number, ZIP code, years in business, trade types, and preferred lead model — collected when contractors join our waitlist.

We also collect certain information automatically when you visit our site:

• Usage data: Pages visited, time on site, buttons clicked, and estimate completions — collected via Google Analytics.
• Device data: Browser type, operating system, screen size, and IP address — collected automatically by our hosting provider and analytics tools.
• Cookies: Small text files placed on your device by our site and third-party services. See Section 5 for details.

How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To generate and deliver your renovation cost estimate
• To email your estimate report when requested
• To connect homeowners with relevant contractor networks and affiliate partners
• To manage the contractor waitlist and notify contractors when leads are available in their area
• To improve our pricing data, regional accuracy, and tool functionality
• To send follow-up emails related to your estimate (you may opt out at any time)
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for their own marketing purposes.

Affiliate Disclosure

LocalBuildCost participates in affiliate marketing programs with home services networks including Angi (HomeAdvisor), Modernize, and HomeLight. When you click on a "Get Quotes" button and submit a quote request through one of these networks, we may receive a referral commission from that network.

When you click an affiliate link and submit your information to a partner network, your data becomes subject to that partner's own privacy policy. We encourage you to review their policies before submitting.

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate LocalBuildCost. Each has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data:

Cookies & Tracking

LocalBuildCost uses cookies and similar tracking technologies for the following purposes:

• Essential cookies: Required for the site to function. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: Set by Google Analytics to track aggregate site usage. No personally identifiable information is stored.
• Advertising cookies: Set by Google AdSense to serve relevant advertisements. These may track your browsing activity across other sites.
• Affiliate cookies: Set when you click affiliate links to track referrals for commission purposes.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some site features. You can also opt out of Google's advertising cookies at adssettings.google.com.

Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on LocalBuildCost. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site and other sites on the internet.

Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.

We have no access to or control over cookies placed by Google. For more information on how Google uses data when you use our site, visit google.com/policies/privacy/partners.

Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as necessary to provide our services:

• Estimate data (ZIP, project type, etc.): Not stored permanently — used only to generate your estimate during the session.
• Email addresses: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Contractor waitlist data: Retained for up to 24 months or until you request removal.
• Analytics data: Retained per Google Analytics default settings (26 months).

To request deletion of your data at any time, contact us at the email address in Section 10.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email we send.
• Data portability: Request your data in a portable format.

California residents have additional rights under the CCPA including the right to know what personal information is collected and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address in Section 10. We will respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

LocalBuildCost is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately and we will delete it promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of LocalBuildCost after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.