Terms of Service

Welcome to Simple Home Builds. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Simple Home Builds website and application (the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms.

1. What Simple Home Builds is — and is not

Simple Home Builds provides software tools that help homeowners plan home construction projects, organize milestones and budgets, connect with contractors, and facilitate payments for completed work. We also help homeowners discover third-party financing options.

The Service is a neutral platform. Simple Home Builds is not:

• a party to any agreement between a homeowner and a contractor;
• a general contractor, builder, home-improvement contractor, or construction professional;
• a bank, money transmitter, or escrow agent;
• a lender, mortgage broker, or financing provider.

Any contract for construction work is solely between the homeowner and the contractor. Simple Home Builds does not perform, supervise, guarantee, warrant, or assume responsibility for any work, and does not verify, license, endorse, or vouch for any contractor or the quality, safety, legality, or timeliness of their work.

2. Payments and milestone payment protection

All payments made through the Service are processed by our third-party payment provider, Stripe, which is the regulated party responsible for moving and holding funds. Simple Home Builds never takes custody of your money. To send or receive payments, homeowners and contractors may be required to create their own accounts with Stripe and accept Stripe's Connected Account Agreement; those accounts and any funds in them are governed by Stripe, not by Simple Home Builds.

Milestone payment protection. A homeowner may choose to reserve funds for a milestone in advance. Reserved funds are charged and held by Stripe — not by Simple Home Builds — and are released to the contractor only when the homeowner approves the milestone and instructs release. Simple Home Builds does not decide whether work is complete, does not control the funds, and does not act as an escrow agent, trustee, or fiduciary. This feature is a convenience that lets you, the homeowner, time your own payment; it is not an escrow account or escrow service.

Agent for receiving payment. To the extent Simple Home Builds facilitates a payment, it does so solely as a limited agent of the payee for the purpose of conveying payment instructions, and not as a bank, money transmitter, or escrow agent.

Fees. Simple Home Builds may charge a transparent platform fee (currently 2%) on milestone releases, deducted from the contractor's payout and disclosed before a milestone is funded. Stripe's own processing fees may also apply. Refunds, cancellations, and disputes over reserved funds or completed work are resolved directly between the homeowner and the contractor (and processed through Stripe where applicable); Simple Home Builds does not adjudicate the quality, completion, or value of any work.

3. Financing (sponsored placements)

Any financing options presented through the Service are advertisements / sponsored placements from independent, third-party lenders. Labels such as "Recommended" or "Featured" indicate a sponsored advertising relationship — not an endorsement, recommendation, or determination that a product is suitable for you.

Simple Home Builds is not a lender, mortgage broker, loan originator, or financial advisor. We do not take loan applications, pull credit, steer you toward any product, or receive compensation tied to whether any loan is funded. You apply directly with the lender; any loan is solely between you and the lender under the lender's own terms, and the lender is solely responsible for its products, rates, decisions, and disclosures.

4. Your responsibilities

• Provide accurate account and project information.
• Comply with all applicable laws, permits, and regulations for your project.
• Independently evaluate and select your contractors and approve work and payments.
• Keep your account credentials secure.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to misuse the Service, including by attempting to disrupt it, access it without authorization, or use it for unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purposes.

6. Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. Simple Home Builds does not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that any contractor, project, or financing will meet your expectations.

7. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Simple Home Builds and its affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss arising from construction work, contractor conduct, financing, or disputes between users.

8. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Simple Home Builds from claims arising out of your use of the Service, your projects, or your dealings with contractors or lenders.

9. Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the date above; continued use of the Service constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email support@simplehomebuilds.com.