Terms of Use

Terms of Use

Last updated: September 22, 2025

costs.fyi is operated by Zephry Homes, LLC.

1) Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using costs.fyi (the “Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, you must not use the Service. costs.fyi is a product of Zephry Homes, LLC.

2) What We Do

We provide contractor cost benchmarks and related analytics derived from user submissions, public sources, and partner data. These figures are estimates only and may not represent the exact cost of services in your area.

3) No Professional Advice

Information on the Service is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, construction, or professional advice. You should consult licensed professionals before making contracting or financial decisions.

4) Accounts & Eligibility

  • You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account.
  • You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction) to create an account or submit data.
  • You agree to provide accurate and complete information when registering or submitting content.

5) Acceptable Use

  • Do not misuse, interfere with, or disrupt the Service.
  • No scraping, bulk harvesting, or automated access beyond permitted API use and published rate limits.
  • Do not upload unlawful, infringing, fraudulent, or abusive content.
  • Respect intellectual property rights and applicable laws when using the Service.

6) Intellectual Property

All software, content, trademarks, and branding on the Service are owned by us or our licensors. You are granted a limited, revocable, non-transferable license to access and use the Service for personal or internal business use only. No rights are granted to copy, modify, or distribute content without prior written consent.

7) User Content

By submitting content (such as contractor quotes, invoices, or notes), you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, analyze, modify, and display that content to operate and improve the Service. You represent and warrant that you have the right to submit such content and that it is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

8) Data Sources & Accuracy

Cost data is aggregated from historical submissions, public datasets, and partner information. While we attempt to validate, normalize, and de-bias data, we do not guarantee accuracy, completeness, or applicability to your specific situation.

8a) Public Permit Data and Attribution

We may ingest and display public building permit data released by cities and counties under applicable public records and open data laws. When we use such data, we:

  • Provide attribution to the source when required by the license (e.g., “Source: City/County Open Data Portal”).
  • Do not display personally identifiable information (PII) such as owner names, applicant names, phone numbers, or exact street addresses. We summarize at city/ZIP or similar granularities.
  • Do not imply any government endorsement or affiliation, and we do not use government seals or logos.
  • Respect the update cadence and disclaimers of the source (e.g., “updated weekly” vs. “real-time”).

Example attribution displayed on our site may read: “Source: Public building permit data, [City/County] Open Data Portal (accessed Oct 2025).”

9) Third-Party Services

The Service may rely on or link to third-party providers (e.g., authentication, payments, analytics). Your use of those services is subject to their own terms and policies, and we are not responsible for them.

10) Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE.” TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

11) Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR BUSINESS, 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 CLAIM RELATING TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) AMOUNTS YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) $100.

12) Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claims, liabilities, damages, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your use of the Service, your submitted content, or your violation of these Terms.

13) Suspension & Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at our discretion, including if you violate these Terms, misuse the Service, or create risks for other users. You may stop using the Service at any time.

14) Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of California, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes will be resolved exclusively in the courts located in California, unless applicable law requires otherwise.

15) Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms periodically. Material changes will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

16) Contact

Questions about these Terms? Visit our FAQ or contact us.

These Terms are provided for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. You should consult qualified legal counsel to tailor this agreement to your business and jurisdiction.