Build Advice — Privacy Statement

1. Personal information we may collect

The information we collect depends on how you use Build Advice and the service you request. It may include:

• your name, email address and phone number;
• account and sign-in information where applicable;
• the Build Advice service you select;
• project value and information needed to determine pricing;
• information supplied when requesting a price;
• property and project information, including a property address where relevant;
• descriptions of building problems, projects, concerns or disputes;
• photographs, reports, quotations, plans, specifications and other documents you provide;
• correspondence or information involving builders, contractors, consultants or other people;
• information supplied in response to requests for clarification or further information;
• records relating to Build Advice services provided to you;
• payment or transaction information where applicable, including any discount or Build Advice Reward applied to an order;
• feedback you choose to provide after a completed service;
• limited technical, authentication and security information generated through use of the website; and
• where you choose to allow measurement, limited website usage, referrer, campaign and conversion information.

Build Advice aims to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it is being collected.

2. How we collect personal information

We may collect personal information directly from you when you use the Build Advice website, select a service, request a price, create or use an account, submit information about a building matter or project, upload files, respond to a request for information, request clarification, provide feedback or otherwise provide information to us through the Build Advice service.

When you complete service information before payment, your authenticated draft answers, property address and private files are saved progressively, including if payment is abandoned. We retain submission lifecycle and timestamps for service administration and analysis of the launch trial. This is not a marketing opt-in; answers, addresses and file contents are not sent to Google Analytics or Google Ads. Saving or submitting unpaid information does not start professional review or AI assessment.

We may also receive personal information about other people through documents, photographs, correspondence or other material supplied to us by a customer.

3. Why we collect personal information

Build Advice may use personal information to assess requests for a price, determine the applicable service or pricing result, provide and administer Build Advice services, manage customer accounts and cases, review information supplied by customers, request additional information, prepare and deliver Build Advice responses, communicate with customers about their orders, cases and payments, seek feedback on completed services, administer discounts and Build Advice Rewards, maintain appropriate records, operate and protect our systems, manage concerns or disputes, and meet legal obligations.

Where you choose to allow measurement, Build Advice may also use limited website usage, referrer, campaign and conversion information to understand how people find and use the website and to measure the effectiveness of its advertising campaigns.

We will not use personal information for an unrelated purpose unless that use is permitted or required by law.

4. Providing information is generally voluntary

Providing personal information to Build Advice is generally voluntary.

However, some information is necessary for us to assess a request, determine a price, provide a service or communicate with you.

If required information is not supplied, Build Advice may be unable to assess your request, offer a price, process a service or provide advice.

5. Who may have access to your information

Personal information may be accessed by Build Advice staff and authorised people who reasonably require access to provide, review, administer or support Build Advice services.

We may also provide information to technology providers and other service providers where reasonably necessary for them to perform services on behalf of Build Advice.

Information may also be disclosed with your authority, to professional advisers where reasonably necessary, where required or permitted by law, where necessary to protect the security or integrity of Build Advice, or where otherwise permitted under applicable New Zealand privacy law.

6. Technology providers

Build Advice uses third-party technology providers to operate parts of its website and services.

Current core providers include Supabase, which is used for database services, authentication and private file storage, and Lovable, which is used as part of the Build Advice website and application environment.

Build Advice uses Stripe for hosted payment processing and refund processing. Card details are entered on Stripe's hosted payment page and are not stored by Build Advice. Build Advice records payment and transaction information needed to administer an order, payment, receipt or refund, including relevant transaction references and payment evidence.

Build Advice uses Lovable-managed transactional email functionality to send operational customer communications such as payment confirmations, requests for information, advice availability, clarification replies and refund confirmations.

After a completed service, Build Advice may send one service follow-up email asking how the advice worked out and inviting optional feedback. Providing feedback through that email may make a Build Advice Reward available for a future service, as described when the reward is offered. You can unsubscribe from service follow-up emails. Operational emails about orders, cases and payments remain separate.

Where a visitor chooses to allow measurement, Build Advice uses Google Analytics and Google Ads for website, campaign and conversion measurement. Google may process this measurement information as a technology provider, which may include processing outside New Zealand as described in section 8.

Build Advice also currently has internal AI functionality that can use Google Gemini through the Lovable AI Gateway when that functionality is deliberately invoked as part of the Build Advice workflow.

Where optional dictation is available in a text field, it uses your browser's built-in speech-recognition feature, which may be handled by your browser or device speech service. Build Advice receives the resulting text, not an audio recording, and that text is handled in the same way as text you type.

These technology providers may process personal information on behalf of Build Advice where reasonably necessary to provide their services.

Build Advice may change the technology it uses over time. Where a material change affects how personal information is handled, this Privacy Statement should be reviewed and updated accordingly.

7. AI-assisted processing

Build Advice may use artificial intelligence tools internally to assist with activities such as organising supplied information, analysing information and preparing working drafts.

AI is an assistance tool and is not the final authority for customer advice. AI tools do not independently issue Build Advice responses. Build Advice responses and clarification replies are reviewed and approved by a person before issue.

AI output may contain errors, which is one reason human review is required before a Build Advice response or clarification reply is issued.

Information submitted through the initial Price on Application request process is not sent to AI for assessment as part of that request process.

Where AI functionality is later used as part of a Build Advice service, it must operate within the applicable Build Advice human-review and service controls.

8. Overseas storage and processing

Some technology providers used by Build Advice may store or process personal information outside New Zealand.

Where a provider stores or processes personal information on behalf of Build Advice and does not use that information for its own independent purposes, Build Advice remains responsible for how that information is handled.

Where Build Advice discloses personal information to a person or organisation outside New Zealand for that person's or organisation's own purposes, Build Advice will comply with applicable New Zealand privacy requirements, including Information Privacy Principle 12 where it applies.

Build Advice does not represent that all personal information is stored exclusively in New Zealand.

9. Information about other people

Information supplied to Build Advice may contain personal information about builders, contractors, consultants, property owners or other people.

Customers should only provide personal information about another person where they are lawfully entitled to provide it and where the information is reasonably relevant to the Build Advice service.

Where Build Advice collects personal information about a person indirectly, Build Advice will comply with applicable notification requirements under New Zealand privacy law, including Information Privacy Principle 3A, unless an applicable exception permits notification not to be given.

10. Security

Build Advice takes reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure.

No online system can guarantee absolute security. Customers should avoid providing personal information that is not reasonably required for the service they are using.

11. How long we keep personal information

Build Advice retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or another lawful purpose.

Unpaid drafts and abandoned submissions are scheduled for a retention review after 90 days without activity, to securely delete or anonymise information no longer needed. This is a review date, not an automatic deletion promise. Unresolved payments, disputes or legal obligations may require longer retention with the reason recorded. Paid service records remain subject to the business and legal retention purposes below. You may request access, correction or deletion through the privacy contact; applicable legal obligations may limit deletion.

This may include providing and administering Build Advice services, maintaining appropriate business records, resolving concerns or disputes, meeting legal obligations, and protecting the security and integrity of our systems.

When personal information is no longer reasonably required, Build Advice will take reasonable steps to securely delete or anonymise it where appropriate.

12. Accessing or correcting your information

You may ask Build Advice for access to personal information we hold about you.

You may also ask us to correct information if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete or misleading.

We may need to verify your identity before providing access to personal information.

Access and correction requests can be sent to:

13. Cookies and website technology

Build Advice may use cookies or similar technical storage where reasonably necessary for website operation, authentication, sessions and security.

Build Advice uses Google Analytics and Google Ads measurement only after a visitor chooses to allow measurement. This measurement is not essential, and it is not activated unless the visitor allows it. Choosing to continue without measurement does not prevent use of Build Advice, including accounts, checkout, payment and advice services.

Build Advice does not use heatmaps or session recording, and does not use remarketing or personalised advertising.

You can review or change your measurement preference at any time using the Measurement preferences control on this Privacy page.

If other analytics, advertising or tracking technologies are introduced later, the privacy information provided to customers should be reviewed and updated where required before those technologies are used.

14. Privacy breaches

Build Advice will assess and manage privacy breaches in accordance with applicable New Zealand privacy law.

Where a privacy breach meets the legal threshold requiring notification, Build Advice will take the steps required by law, including notifying affected people and the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner where required.

15. Privacy questions or concerns

If you have a question about how Build Advice handles personal information, want to request access to or correction of your information, or wish to raise a privacy concern, contact:

This privacy contact is for privacy matters only. It is not a general customer-service or support channel.

If you are not satisfied with how a privacy matter has been handled, you may also contact the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

16. Changes to this Privacy Statement

Build Advice may update this Privacy Statement when its services, technology, legal obligations or information-handling practices change.

The current version will be published on the Build Advice website with an updated date.