Privacy notice
This notice explains what information is involved when you use this website, what we keep (almost nothing on our side), and how third parties such as advertising or affiliate partners may process data. It is written in plain language for builders and other visitors—not as a substitute for legal advice.
Short summary
- No accounts. You do not create a login, and we do not ask for your name or email to use the calculators.
- Calculator inputs stay on your device. Measurements you type are processed in your browser. We do not operate a backend that stores those values for later.
- A few preferences may stay on your device. Theme (light/dark) and text size are saved in browser local storage so your choices persist between visits.
- Ads may use cookies. If Google AdSense is active, Google and its partners may set cookies and collect data as described in Google’s policies.
- Affiliate links (if used). Links to retailers such as Amazon may use tracking so we can earn a commission; that is disclosed in this notice and near such links when they appear.
Who we are
“Builder’s Formula Lab,” “we,” and “us” refer to the operator of this website and its free construction formula calculators. When you publish the live domain, replace the contact details below with your real operator name and email.
Contact for privacy questions: privacy@example.com (update this address in production).
What we do not collect or retain
As designed, this site:
- Does not require registration or a user profile.
- Does not save your calculator inputs (lengths, loads, roof pitch, etc.) on a server we control.
- Does not sell a personal data “product” built from your takeoffs.
- Does not intentionally collect sensitive categories of personal data (health, precise geolocation for our own database, government IDs, etc.).
Hosting providers and content delivery networks may process standard technical request data (for example IP address, user agent, and timestamps in access logs) as part of delivering any website. That logging is typical of web hosting and is controlled by the host’s policies, not by a Builder's Formula Lab user database.
Information stored on your device
We use browser local storage (not a tracking cookie of our own) for display preferences:
bfl-theme— light or dark appearancebfl-text-scale— text size setting
These values stay on your device until you clear site data or change the setting. They are not used to identify you across other websites.
Calculator fields live in the page while you use them. Closing the tab or navigating away typically discards them unless your browser restores form state on its own.
Google AdSense and advertising
This site is designed to display third-party advertisements through Google AdSense (and may use Google Auto ads or manual ad units). Ads are labeled “Advertisement” in the layout.
Google and its advertising partners may use cookies, device identifiers, and similar technologies to serve ads, measure performance, and—where permitted—personalize ads based on your activity on this site and elsewhere. That processing is governed by Google’s policies, not solely by us.
- Google’s advertising and privacy information: How Google uses cookies in advertising and Google Privacy Policy
- Ad personalization controls (where available): Google Ad Settings
- Industry opt-out tools (examples): Digital Advertising Alliance · Network Advertising Initiative
If AdSense is not yet enabled on a particular deployment, ad-related third-party scripts may not load; the rest of this notice still applies to preferences and future ads.
California / multi-state “sale” or “sharing” notes: Some U.S. state privacy laws treat certain advertising cookies as a “sale” or “share” of personal information. We do not sell your calculator inputs. Advertising partners may collect identifiers for cross-context behavioral advertising when ads run. Use the tools above or your browser controls to limit tracking where available. If you operate this site commercially in those jurisdictions, consider adding a “Do Not Sell or Share” mechanism and a privacy request process that matches your real legal obligations.
Affiliate links (including Amazon)
We may earn a commission if you click certain product links and make a purchase. That can include the Amazon Associates program and similar affiliate programs. Affiliate programs typically use cookies or referral parameters so the retailer can attribute a purchase to this site.
What this means for privacy: when you follow an affiliate link, the retailer (for example Amazon) and the affiliate network may receive information such as that you came from this site, device/browser data, and later purchase details under their privacy policies. We do not receive your full payment card details from Amazon.
What this means for disclosure: U.S. advertising rules (including FTC guidance) generally require clear disclosure of material connections—i.e. that we may earn a commission. That disclosure often appears:
- in this privacy notice (data / cookies / third parties), and
- near affiliate links or in a short site-wide affiliate statement when those links are used.
Amazon Associates (standard style disclosure, when links are live): As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Until affiliate links are actually published on the site, treat this section as advance notice of how they will work. When links go live, we will keep this notice accurate and add on-page disclosures where links appear.
Analytics and other tools
The default Builder's Formula Lab package does not ship with Google Analytics or a similar product. If we (or a site operator) later add analytics, heatmaps, or email tools, this notice should be updated to name the provider and the data involved.
Children
This site is aimed at adults working in construction and related trades. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us through a contact channel, contact us and we will delete it where applicable.
Your choices
- Preferences: change theme and text size anytime in the header; clear site data in your browser to remove local storage keys.
- Cookies / ads: use browser settings, Google Ad Settings, and industry opt-out pages linked above.
- Affiliate cookies: blocking third-party cookies may reduce tracking and may also prevent commission attribution (it does not change calculator math).
- Do not use the site if you do not agree with this notice.
Security
Because calculator work runs in your browser and we do not maintain accounts of takeoff data, our main responsibility is to serve the site over HTTPS when hosted and to avoid introducing unnecessary trackers. No method of transmission over the Internet is perfectly secure.
International visitors
If you visit from outside the United States, your information may be processed in the U.S. or other countries where our host or advertising partners operate. Those countries may have different data-protection rules than your home country.
Changes to this notice
We may update this page when the site’s practices change (for example, enabling AdSense, adding Amazon links, or adding analytics). The “Effective date” at the top will be revised when material changes are made. Continued use of the site after an update means you accept the revised notice.
Not legal advice
This notice is a practical transparency document for a small calculator website. Privacy and advertising laws vary by place and business model. If you operate this site as a commercial publisher, have counsel review your notices, cookie consent needs (especially outside the U.S.), and affiliate program requirements.