HavenCostGuide

Terms

Terms of Service.

Plain-English summary of the rules for using HavenCostGuide. By using this site you agree to these terms — but the practical version is: our estimates are budgeting tools, not contractor bids; we built the calculators in good faith but you're responsible for verifying numbers with licensed pros before you spend money.

Effective date: February 1, 2026

TL;DR

  • Our estimates are budgeting tools, not bids. Always get 3 written quotes from licensed local contractors before committing.
  • Our cost guides are licensed CC-BY 4.0 — republish freely with attribution.
  • No warranties on accuracy. We update twice yearly and disclose our methodology.
  • Disputes resolved under Delaware law via individual arbitration (small claims exception).

1. Acceptance of terms

By accessing or using HavenCostGuide (the "Service") at havencostguide.com, you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service. These Terms apply to all visitors, calculator users, email subscribers, and anyone else who interacts with HavenCostGuide.

2. The Service — what we provide

HavenCostGuide provides free home-renovation cost estimates via:

  • Multi-step calculators for individual renovation projects (kitchen, bathroom, roof, deck, pool, etc.)
  • Bundle estimators that aggregate multiple projects into a state-adjusted total
  • Editorial guides and 50-state cost atlases
  • Optional email follow-up with project breakdown and contractor shortlist suggestions

The Service is free for personal use. We do not sell anything, do not run paid advertisements on the site, and do not charge for access.

3. Estimate disclaimer (the most important section)

All cost estimates produced by HavenCostGuide are budgeting tools, not contractor bids. Estimates reflect typical national and regional ranges as of the effective date and are adjusted by our state cost index. Actual project costs vary based on:

  • Contractor pricing in your specific metro area and time of year
  • Material availability and current commodity prices
  • Pre-existing structural conditions revealed during demolition
  • Local permit requirements, HOA restrictions, and inspection results
  • Your specific design choices and finish selections

Always obtain at least three written bids from licensed local contractors before committing to a project. HavenCostGuide is not a contractor, licensed estimator, architect, engineer, or financial advisor. We do not perform site inspections, do not guarantee the accuracy of any estimate for your specific project, and disclaim all liability for renovation decisions made based on our numbers.

4. Acceptable use

You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes. You agree not to:

  • Submit false information (fake email addresses, impersonate others)
  • Use automated tools to scrape, mirror, or republish more than 10 cost guides without an explicit CC-BY attribution (see section 6)
  • Reverse-engineer the calculators or attempt to extract proprietary cost-modeling logic
  • Attempt to interfere with the Service's security, rate-limiting, or availability
  • Use the Service to compete with HavenCostGuide by re-hosting our cost data under your own brand without attribution
  • Submit content that infringes others' intellectual property, defames a person or company, or violates any applicable law

We reserve the right to rate-limit, block, or permanently suspend any user who violates these terms — including blocking IP addresses, email domains, or referrer URLs.

5. Email and contact forms

When you submit your email through a calculator or bundle estimator, you consent to receive:

  • The cost breakdown you requested
  • A 3-touch nurture series with relevant project tips and contractor shortlist suggestions
  • The Full-Home Renovation Snapshot PDF if you complete both indoor and outdoor estimators with the same email

Every email contains a one-click unsubscribe link. We will not send you marketing email unrelated to your stated project interest, and we will never share your email with advertisers. See the Privacy Policy for full details on data handling.

6. Intellectual property and CC-BY license

6.1 Our content — yours to republish (with attribution)

Editorial cost guides, state atlases, and methodology pages on HavenCostGuide are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY 4.0). You may republish, adapt, and build upon this content for any purpose, including commercial, provided you give appropriate credit with a link back to the original page. See the License page for exact attribution wording.

6.2 What's NOT covered by CC-BY

The following remain proprietary and may not be reproduced without written permission:

  • The HavenCostGuide name, logo, and branding
  • The interactive calculator JavaScript code and underlying cost-modeling formulas
  • Our state cost index, ROI multipliers, and any proprietary aggregate datasets
  • Software, design, and the UI/UX of the Service itself
  • AI-generated hero images and variant cover images (separate license, contact for terms)

6.3 Your content

You retain all rights to information you submit (project details, email, free-form notes). By submitting, you grant HavenCostGuide a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use that information to provide the Service (delivering your breakdown, sending follow-up emails) and to aggregate anonymized data for cost-model improvement. We will not publish your individual submission without explicit consent.

7. Third-party links and contractor referrals

When we mention specific contractors, brands, retailers (e.g., Home Depot, IKEA, Wayfair), or services (e.g., Resend, Google Analytics), we do so as helpful examples — not endorsements. We do not currently operate a paid affiliate program. If we add affiliate links in the future, they will be clearly disclosed inline. We are not responsible for the quality of work performed by any third-party contractor you contact based on our shortlists.

8. Disclaimer of warranties

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR ACCURACY OF COST ESTIMATES. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

9. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, HavenCostGuide and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to lost profits, project cost overruns, contractor disputes, or property damage, arising out of or relating to your use of the Service — even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability for any direct damages shall not exceed $100 USD or the amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim (which will typically be $0 since the Service is free).

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless HavenCostGuide, its operators, employees, and contractors from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the Service, or your infringement of any third-party rights.

11. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice. You may stop using the Service at any time. Sections 3 (estimate disclaimer), 8 (warranties), 9 (liability), 10 (indemnification), and 13 (governing law) survive termination.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page and (where reasonably possible) notify email subscribers. Continued use of the Service after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you don't agree to changes, your remedy is to stop using the Service.

13. Governing law and dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, USA, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved through binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, in Wilmington, Delaware or via remote video at the claimant's option.

Small claims exception: Either party may bring a claim in small claims court if it qualifies. You may also opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first using the Service by emailing legal@havencostguide.com with the subject "Arbitration Opt-Out" and your registered email.

Class action waiver: All claims must be brought in an individual capacity, not as a plaintiff or class member in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. The unenforceable provision will be replaced with one that comes closest to the original intent.

15. Contact

Questions about these Terms: