Terms of Service
Dwellhand · Effective date: July 2, 2024 · Dwellhand has served Los Angeles County since 2024.
Welcome to Dwellhand. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of dwellhand.com and app.dwellhand.com (together, the "Service"), operated by Dwellhand ("we," "us"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms.
1. What Dwellhand Is
Dwellhand is a construction intelligence platform. We compile public building-permit records and state licensing records — from Los Angeles County jurisdictions and the California Contractors State License Board and related boards — into searchable profiles, maps, and tools. We also offer Builder Counsel, a service that introduces qualifying subscribers to independently licensed builders.
Dwellhand is an information service. We are not a contractor, architect, engineer, insurance adviser, or law firm, and nothing on the Service is professional advice. Hiring decisions are yours.
2. Accounts
You must be at least 18 to use the Service. You are responsible for your account credentials and for activity under your account. Provide accurate information and keep it current.
3. Subscriptions and Billing
Paid plans (currently Basic, Pro, Elite, and Vendor) are billed in advance on a recurring basis — monthly, or annually where offered — through our payment processor, Stripe. We do not see or store your full card number.
Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled. You may cancel at any time; cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. We may change plan prices or features with reasonable advance notice; changes apply from your next renewal.
Refunds. If you are a first-time subscriber, you may request a full refund of your first payment within 7 days of that charge by contacting us through dwellhand.com/contact with "Refund" in your message; we will cancel your subscription and refund that payment. After those first 7 days, and on any renewal, payments are non-refundable and no partial refunds are given for unused time, except where a refund is required by law. Approved refunds are issued to your original payment method through Stripe and may take a few business days to appear.
4. The Data — What We Promise and What We Don't
Our records come from government sources. We work continuously to compile them accurately, and we correct errors when we find them or when they are reported to us. However, public records contain errors, omissions, and lags at the source, and processing can introduce others. The Service is provided "as is," and we do not warrant that any record is complete, current, or error-free. Always verify license status directly with the CSLB and permit details with the issuing jurisdiction before making decisions that depend on them.
Data neutrality. The public permit and license records displayed on Dwellhand are the same for every builder and professional, whether or not they participate in our referral program or have any commercial relationship with us. No builder can pay to alter, suppress, or improve their public record on Dwellhand.
5. Builder Counsel — Referrals and Compensation
Builder Counsel introduces subscribers to builders who have passed our qualification review. In plain language, here is how the money works:
You do not pay us for introductions. Access to Builder Counsel is included with qualifying subscriptions; there is no additional homeowner fee for being introduced to a builder.
Participating builders compensate us. When a homeowner we introduce signs a construction contract with a participating builder, that builder pays Dwellhand a referral fee based on the signed contract value. This is how the referral service is funded.
Builder participation is conditional on our qualification standards, not on the fee. Builders are included, retained, or removed based on our ongoing vetting; paying a referral fee does not exempt any builder from those standards and does not change how their public records appear on the Service (see Section 4).
What an introduction is — and is not. An introduction means a builder passed our review process at the time of introduction. It is not a guarantee of performance, price, timeline, workmanship, or outcome. You contract directly with the builder. Dwellhand is not a party to your construction contract, does not perform or supervise construction, and is not responsible for the builder's acts or omissions. Conduct your own diligence, verify licenses and insurance, and involve your own advisers before signing anything.
6. Acceptable Use
You agree not to: scrape, bulk-download, or systematically extract data from the Service; resell, republish, or redistribute Service data or content without our written permission; share account access beyond your plan's terms; interfere with the operation of the Service; or use the Service for unlawful purposes, including unlawful solicitation. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.
7. Intellectual Property
The Service — including its compilation of records, profiles, software, design, and branding — is owned by Dwellhand or its licensors. Underlying government records are public; our selection, arrangement, enrichment, and presentation of them are not. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Service for your own informational and project purposes while your account is in good standing.
8. Third-Party Links
The Service links to third-party resources such as government permit portals. We are not responsible for their content or availability.
9. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. DWELLHAND WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOSS ARISING FROM RELIANCE ON SERVICE DATA OR FROM ANY AGREEMENT OR DISPUTE BETWEEN YOU AND ANY BUILDER OR PROFESSIONAL, EVEN IF INTRODUCED THROUGH THE SERVICE. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM RELATING TO THE SERVICE IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE.
Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations; where prohibited, these limits apply to the fullest extent permitted.
10. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify Dwellhand against claims arising from your misuse of the Service or your breach of these Terms.
11. Termination
You may close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate access for breach of these Terms. Sections that by their nature should survive (including 4, 5, 7, 9, and 12) survive termination.
12. Governing Law and Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California. Any dispute will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you consent to their jurisdiction.
13. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new effective date, and material changes will be notified to account holders by email or in-product notice. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.
14. Contact
Questions about these Terms: use the contact form at dwellhand.com/contact.