Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using Built By Duo's services (the "Services"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you disagree with any part of these terms, please do not use our Services.

These terms apply to all clients, visitors, and others who access the Services. Built By Duo is operated by Nicholas Ballard and Christine Ballard ("we," "us," or "our") in Ludowici, Georgia.

2. Services

Built By Duo provides web design and digital services for local businesses, including:

• Website design and development
• Google Search and Maps optimization (local SEO)
• Website hosting and technical support
• Analytics and attribution tracking
• Ongoing maintenance and updates

The specific services provided to you will be outlined in your project proposal or service agreement.

3. Ownership & Intellectual Property

You Own Everything. Upon full payment, you own all rights to your website, including:

• All custom design files and layouts created specifically for your project
• All written content, images, and media you provide or that we create for you
• All custom code and website functionality we develop for your site
• Domain name registrations (registered in your name from the start)

No Lock-In. You can take your website to another hosting provider at any time. We will provide you with all files and credentials needed to maintain or migrate your website. There are no proprietary systems that trap you with us.

What We Retain. Built By Duo retains ownership of:

• General knowledge and techniques gained from your project
• Reusable code libraries and components not specific to your business
• Our brand assets, templates, and internal tools

We may showcase your website in our portfolio unless you request otherwise. We'll always ask permission before using detailed case studies that include business metrics or strategies.

4. Payment Terms

Project Payments:

• A 20% deposit is required to begin work on new website projects
• Remaining balance due upon project completion and your approval
• Larger projects may be divided into milestone payments as outlined in your proposal
• Payment accepted via credit card (Stripe) or bank transfer

Monthly Services:

• Hosting, maintenance, and support are billed monthly in advance
• Automatic billing on the same day each month via stored payment method
• Cancel anytime with 30 days written notice

Refunds:

If we cannot deliver services as promised, we'll refund unused portions. For monthly services, refunds are prorated based on days remaining in the billing period. Deposits are non-refundable once work has begun, but may be applied to revised project scope if needed.

5. Delivery & Revisions

Timeline Commitments: Standard website projects are completed within 3 weeks from deposit. Complex projects may require additional time as outlined in your proposal.

Revision Policy: We offer unlimited revisions until you're satisfied with the result. Our "Love It or Fix It" guarantee means we'll keep working until you love what we've built. However, significant scope changes beyond the original agreement may require additional fees.

Client Responsibilities: Timely delivery depends on you providing requested content, feedback, and approvals within 5 business days of our requests. Delays in providing materials may extend the project timeline.

6. Cancellation & Termination

Monthly Services: You may cancel hosting, maintenance, or support services with 30 days written notice to hello@builtbyduo.com. You'll receive a prorated refund for any prepaid period beyond the 30-day notice window.

Active Projects: You may cancel an in-progress website project at any time. You'll be charged for work completed to that point at our standard hourly rate, minus any deposits already paid.

Website Handover: Upon termination, we'll provide:

• Complete website files and database exports
• Access credentials for all third-party services we set up for you
• Documentation for your website's technical setup
• Transfer assistance (1 hour included, additional time billed hourly)

Termination by Us: We may terminate services immediately for non-payment, illegal use, abuse of our staff, or violations of these terms. Prepaid amounts will be refunded for unused services.

7. Warranties & Guarantees

We stand behind our work with several guarantees:

Love It or Fix It Guarantee: We'll revise your website until you're completely satisfied with the design and functionality.

On-Time Delivery: If we miss our agreed-upon deadline due to our fault (not yours), you'll receive a 10% discount on the final invoice.

90-Day Results Promise: For clients who purchase our Dominate package with ongoing SEO, we guarantee measurable improvement in Google search visibility within 90 days. If you see no improvement, we'll continue working at no additional cost until you do.

12-Month Guardian Support: All websites include 12 months of technical support for bugs and issues with our work. This covers fixing things we built, not adding new features or fixing third-party services.

These guarantees are subject to you fulfilling your responsibilities outlined in Section 5 (providing content and feedback promptly).

8. Limitation of Liability

We take responsibility for the services we provide, but we need to set reasonable limits:

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Built By Duo's total liability for any claims arising from our services is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim.

We are not liable for indirect damages like lost profits, lost business opportunities, or data loss unless caused by our gross negligence or willful misconduct.

Third-Party Services: We are not responsible for outages, data loss, or issues with third-party services (hosting providers, payment processors, email services, etc.) beyond our reasonable control. We'll help troubleshoot but cannot guarantee their performance.

9. Dispute Resolution

We believe in resolving issues through honest conversation:

Good Faith Negotiation: If you have a problem with our services, please contact us at hello@builtbyduo.com. We'll work with you to find a fair solution.

Mediation: If we can't resolve the issue directly, we agree to try mediation before pursuing litigation. Mediation costs will be split equally.

Governing Law: These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, USA, without regard to conflict of law provisions. Any legal proceedings must be brought in the courts of Long County or Liberty County, Georgia.

10. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms occasionally to reflect changes in our services or legal requirements.

Notice: We'll notify you of material changes at least 30 days in advance via email or a notice on our website. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the current version.

Acceptance: Continued use of our services after changes take effect means you accept the updated terms. If you don't agree with changes, you may terminate services as outlined in Section 6.

11. Contact Information

Questions about these terms? We're here to help.

Email: hello@builtbyduo.com
Response Time: Within 24-48 hours during business days