Privacy Policy

Overview

BuildGrade is a free construction cost estimation tool. We are committed to being transparent about what data we collect and why. No account or login is ever required to use BuildGrade. We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, or any other personally identifying information unless you voluntarily provide your email address to receive an estimate.

BuildGrade does collect limited anonymous usage data to help us understand how the calculators are used and improve our estimates over time. This data is described in detail below.

What We Don't Collect

BuildGrade does not:

• Require account creation or login
• Collect your name, phone number, or address
• Collect your email address unless you voluntarily provide it to receive an estimate
• Use cookies for tracking or advertising
• Sell, rent, or share personal data with third parties
• Store your IP address long-term

Calculator Usage Data

When you actively use a BuildGrade calculator (for example, changing dimensions, building type, or finish level and generating an estimate), BuildGrade may record the following information to its servers:

• Calculator type (e.g. garage, shop, warehouse)
• Project inputs: dimensions, building type, finish level, regional cost selection, and any add-ons you configured
• The modeled estimate range that was generated
• Project location if you enter a ZIP or select a state (future feature)
• How you arrived at BuildGrade (e.g. from OppMap or a direct search)
• A random anonymous identifier described below

This data contains no personally identifying information. It is used to understand how BuildGrade's tools are used, validate and improve our cost models over time, and develop future features. We do not build individual user profiles or use this data for advertising.

Only estimates where you actively configure inputs are recorded. Passive page loads that use default values are not stored.

Contractor Quote Comparisons

BuildGrade provides an optional feature allowing you to voluntarily submit a contractor or project cost for comparison with a BuildGrade estimate. If you use this feature, BuildGrade may store:

• The dollar amount you submit
• The evidence category you select (e.g., written quote, signed contract)
• The scope comparability category you select
• An optional quote or project date if provided
• The BuildGrade estimate configuration (same data as calculator usage above)
• Your anonymous identifier described below

This feature does not ask for contractor names, company names, your name, email address, exact project address, or any other personally identifying information. Submitted comparisons are used only for aggregate model validation and quality analysis. Individual submissions do not automatically change any BuildGrade estimate.

Submission is entirely optional. Skipping this feature does not affect your use of BuildGrade's calculators.

Email This Estimate

BuildGrade offers an optional “Email this estimate” feature that lets you send yourself a copy of your current estimate. Providing an email address is entirely voluntary.

If you use this feature, BuildGrade will:

• Send a single transactional email to the address you provide containing your estimate
• Store your email address securely on BuildGrade's servers solely for delivering that email
• Link your email send to the anonymous estimate run described above (no name required)

BuildGrade will notsend you marketing email unless you explicitly check the “I'd like to hear about BuildGrade updates” checkbox when submitting your address. This checkbox is unchecked by default.

Your email address is never exposed through BuildGrade's public API or anonymous data access. It is stored server-side and accessible only to BuildGrade via a privileged service key.

Email is delivered via Resend, a transactional email provider. Resend may process your email address to deliver the message. See Resend's privacy policy for their data handling practices.

Anonymous Identifier

When you use BuildGrade's calculators, a random UUID is generated in your browser and stored in localStorage. This identifier does not contain your name, email address, or other directly identifying information. It allows us to understand usage patterns across sessions (for example, whether a single visitor used multiple calculators) without identifying who you are.

You can clear this identifier at any time by clearing your browser's site data for BuildGrade. A new random identifier will be generated on your next visit.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 and Vercel Analytics to understand aggregate traffic patterns. This may include:

• Page views and general traffic patterns
• Referral sources (e.g. search engines, partner sites)
• Device type and browser (aggregated, not individually identifiable)
• Country or region (approximate, based on IP)

URL Parameters & Referrals

When you arrive at BuildGrade from a partner site such as OppMap, your calculator inputs may be passed through URL parameters (e.g. building dimensions, building type). These pre-fill the calculator for your convenience. If you proceed to generate an estimate, the referral source and any pre-filled inputs may be included in the usage record described above.

Data Storage

Calculator usage data is stored securely using Supabase. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit. BuildGrade retains anonymized calculator usage records for product analysis, model validation, and improvement, unless the information is no longer needed or deletion is requested where applicable.

Third-Party Links

BuildGrade may link to third-party websites including DealForge and OppMap. When you click an outbound link, you leave our site and are subject to the privacy policies of those third parties. We encourage you to review their policies before providing any personal information.

Hosting

BuildGrade is hosted on Vercel. Vercel may collect standard server logs (IP address, request time, user agent) as part of normal web hosting operations. See Vercel's privacy policy for more details.

Your Rights

Because we do not collect personally identifying information, most privacy rights requests do not apply in the traditional sense. However:

• You can clear your anonymous BuildGrade identifier at any time by clearing your browser's site data for this site.
• If you believe we hold information you wish to have deleted, contact us and we will respond promptly.
• If you are a resident of California, the EEA, or another jurisdiction with applicable privacy laws, you may have additional rights. We will honor them upon request.

Children's Privacy

BuildGrade is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised date. Continued use of BuildGrade constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Reach us at alex@usebuildgrade.com.