Privacy policy.

Scope and who we are

This policy applies to HomeCostGrid.com, its calculators, editorial pages, directories, forms and administration services. HomeCostGrid is a U.S.-focused independent planning publisher. Privacy questions and requests can be submitted through our contact form or sent to info@homecostgrid.com.

Information we collect

Information you submit. Contact requests contain your name, email address, subject and message. Dealer, professional-directory and sponsored-content submissions may also include contact details, company information, public business phone, website, address, brands, services, article text, images, payment status and review notes. An evidence-first professional-introduction request contains only the name, email, optional phone, optional state and coarse service category that you enter in that form. It does not copy your address, city, ZIP, budget, estimate, confidence score, documents, quote totals, notes, proposal text or other calculator inputs.

Site and device information. After you accept optional analytics, we may receive pages viewed, referral source, approximate city or region, device and browser category, visit times and a masked IP address. Full IP addresses are not stored in our first-party traffic log. Anonymous visit identifiers are produced with a one-way hash and first-party traffic records are retained for up to 90 days.

Calculator and search inputs. Most calculator inputs are processed to return an estimate and are not saved as a personal calculation history. Search terms that return no useful result may be stored without your name or email so editors can identify missing topics.

Anonymous real-cost evidence passports. The Real Cost Database form does not request a name, email, contractor name, full ZIP code or street address. It may collect project type and stage, state, city, optional metro and ZIP3, approximate area, project month, scope, materials, itemized costs, quoted and final totals, change orders, evidence category and optional context. Individual rows remain private. Completed-cost distributions require at least 12 eligible completed-final reports; quote-only and legacy-unclassified records are excluded. The underlying privacy floors are 5 nationally by project, 8 by state + project, 10 by metro + project and 12 by ZIP3 + project. Do not place personal information in free-text fields.

How we use information

We use information to answer requests, review and moderate submissions, provide estimates and local results, operate payments for approved sponsored content, prevent abuse, maintain security, measure site performance, correct and improve content, comply with law and keep business records. We do not use contact details to create public profiles, and private applicant email addresses are not published.

ZIP and location tools

A ZIP code entered in the local planner is sent to Zippopotam.us solely to identify the matching U.S. city and state. Do not enter a street address. Location-based store offers and incentives are starting points; the destination provider may request an address and applies its own privacy policy.

Google Places, Maps and local businesses

When live directory access is active, HomeCostGrid sends a service-and-city search to the Google Places API and displays business names, ratings, review counts, addresses, phone numbers, websites and map links returned by Google. Live Places results are not added to the HomeCostGrid business database. Google handles the request under the Google Privacy Policy. Google Maps and Apple Maps links open third-party services governed by their own terms and privacy practices.

Cookies, analytics and advertising

Essential functions work without optional advertising or analytics cookies. If you choose “Accept,” Google Analytics may measure site use and Google AdSense may select, deliver and measure advertisements using cookies or similar technologies. If you choose “Reject optional,” those optional scripts are not loaded by HomeCostGrid. You can reopen “Your privacy choices” from the footer at any time. A browser Global Privacy Control signal is treated as a rejection of optional tracking when no saved choice exists.

HomeCostGrid does not sell personal information for money. Some privacy laws may define personalized advertising or cross-context advertising as “sharing.” You can opt out by rejecting optional cookies or reopening the privacy choices. Google's own controls are available at My Ad Center.

Affiliate links, paid referrals, sponsored content and payments

Affiliate clicks may take you to Amazon or another retailer. A clearly labeled paid-referral link may take you directly to a participating professional's website. The destination receives the normal request information needed to open its page, and its own privacy policy applies; HomeCostGrid does not add calculator inputs or personal details to these outbound links. HomeCostGrid may receive compensation if you use an affiliate link or complete a qualifying introduction. Compensation does not change calculator results, evidence gaps or the order of referral offers.

An introduction form is reviewed by HomeCostGrid first. No provider receives those form details automatically. If you explicitly authorize a manual introduction, HomeCostGrid may share only the name, email, optional phone, optional state and coarse service fields shown in that form with at most one participating professional for that request. Approved sponsored-content payments are completed on PayPal; HomeCostGrid receives transaction references, amount, currency and payment status needed to verify publication, not your full card or bank credentials.

Who receives information

We disclose information only as reasonably needed to providers that host the site, store submissions, deliver form notifications, measure consented traffic, serve advertising, process approved payments, prevent fraud or provide requested maps and local data. If you explicitly authorize a professional introduction, HomeCostGrid may manually share only the name, email, optional phone, optional state and coarse service fields entered in that request with at most one participating professional; the form is not an automatic provider handoff. We may also disclose information when required by law, to enforce our terms or to protect users, the public or the service. We do not publish private contact details unless you expressly submitted them as public business information.

Retention and security

We retain records for only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described above, including responding to requests, moderating listings and cost reports, maintaining payment and tax records, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements and preventing repeated abuse. Anonymous project reports may be retained longer to support historical price analysis and model validation; rejected or unsafe submissions may be deleted or archived. Retention can vary by record type and legal obligation. We use access controls, encryption in transit, masked traffic identifiers and limited administrative access, but no online service can guarantee absolute security.

Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion or a copy of personal information; to object to or restrict certain processing; to opt out of sale, sharing or targeted advertising; and to appeal a denied request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising a privacy right. Submit a request through the contact form using “General question” and write “Privacy request” at the start of the message. We may ask for information necessary to verify your identity and authority. Authorized agents may make a request where applicable law permits.

Children

HomeCostGrid is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. A parent or guardian who believes a child submitted information can contact us to request deletion.

International visitors

HomeCostGrid is operated for a U.S. audience. If you visit from another country, information may be processed in the United States or another country where our service providers operate, subject to applicable safeguards and law.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the site, providers or legal requirements change. The date at the top identifies the latest version. Material changes will be posted conspicuously when required.

Editorial and calculator transparency

Privacy is separate from editorial accuracy. See the responsible editorial desk, Editorial Policy, Review Policy, Methodology and Data Sources for how public information, estimates and corrections are handled.