Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Culpeper Deck Builders collects information in the following ways when you interact with our website at culpeperdeckbuilders.com:

Information You Provide Directly

When you submit a contact form, quote request, or other inquiry through our site, we collect:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Service requested (e.g., deck building, repair, staining)
• Zip code or service address
• Preferred contact method
• Any additional details you include in a message field

Chat Widget Conversations

If you use the AI-powered chat assistant on our site, the contents of your conversation — including any information you share — are collected and processed to respond to your inquiry. Chat transcripts may be retained for service quality and follow-up purposes.

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, certain technical information is collected automatically, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring URL (the page that linked you to our site)
• Date and timestamps of your visit
• Scroll depth and click interactions (via session recording tools)

2. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate our website and understand how visitors use it. Below is a breakdown of each category:

Essential Cookies — Cannot Be Disabled

These cookies are necessary for the website to function correctly. They support session management and form security (CSRF protection). Without them, forms and certain site features will not work. These cookies do not collect personal data for marketing purposes and cannot be opted out of while using the site.

Analytics Cookies — Opt-Out Available

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors interact with our site. GA4 collects:

• Pages viewed and navigation paths
• Scroll depth and time on page
• Conversion events (e.g., form submissions)
• General geographic region (not precise location)
• Device and browser type

IP addresses are anonymized before storage. You may opt out of GA4 analytics via our cookie consent banner or by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Session Recording — Opt-Out Available

We use Microsoft Clarity to record anonymized session replays and generate heatmaps. Clarity captures mouse movements, clicks, scrolling behavior, and general interaction patterns. It does not capture passwords or sensitive form fields. You may opt out of Clarity via our cookie consent banner.

Third-Party Cookies — Required for Certain Features

Our contact forms are protected by Google reCAPTCHA to prevent spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA sets its own cookies and sends data to Google to verify that form submissions are made by humans. This is required for form submission to function; disabling it will prevent form use. See Google's Privacy Policy for details.

Cookie Reference Table

3. How We Use Your Information

Information we collect is used to:

• Respond to your inquiries and provide estimates. We use your contact details and service request information to connect you with qualified local deck building professionals.
• Connect you with contractors. Your inquiry details are shared with vetted deck building professionals who can fulfill your service request in your area.
• Improve our website and services. Aggregated, anonymized analytics data helps us understand what information is most useful and where we can improve the site experience.
• Send project-related follow-ups. We may contact you to follow up on your inquiry or confirm a contractor connection. We do not send unsolicited marketing emails or sell your contact information to mailing lists.
• Monitor and prevent spam and abuse. reCAPTCHA and server- side validation help us keep the platform safe and functional.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following circumstances:

• With local deck building contractors. When you submit a service request, your contact details and project information are shared with qualified local professionals who can provide the service you requested. These contractors are independent businesses, not employees of Culpeper Deck Builders.
• With analytics providers. Anonymized usage data is processed by Google (Google Analytics 4) and Microsoft (Clarity). These providers receive technical data such as page views and interaction patterns — not your name, phone number, or email.
• With our AI provider (Anthropic).If you use the chat assistant on our site, your conversation is processed by Anthropic's Claude AI. Conversations may be transmitted to Anthropic's servers in accordance with their Privacy Policy.
• When required by law. We may disclose your information if required to do so by a court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Culpeper Deck Builders, our users, or the public.

5. Data Retention

• Form submissions: Retained for up to 24 months from the date of submission to manage your inquiry and any resulting contractor relationship.
• Chat transcripts: Retained for up to 24 months for service quality and follow-up purposes.
• Analytics data:Governed by Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity default retention policies (typically 14 months for GA4 user-level data; see each provider's documentation for current settings).

You may request deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us using the details in the Contact section below. We will honor deletion requests within a reasonable timeframe, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain records.

6. Your Rights

You have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

• Access. You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction. You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Deletion. You may request that we delete your personal data. We will comply subject to any legal retention requirements.
• Opt out of analytics cookies.Use our cookie consent banner (accessible via the “Cookie Preferences” link in the site footer) to disable Google Analytics 4 at any time.
• Opt out of session recording. Use our cookie consent banner to disable Microsoft Clarity session recording at any time.
• Unsubscribe from communications.Reply to any email from us with “unsubscribe” or contact us directly to be removed from follow-up communications.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@culpeperdeckbuilders.com.

7. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted personal information through our site, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete that information.

8. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information. Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers. Access to collected data is restricted to personnel who need it to respond to your inquiry. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (such as contractor profiles, product manufacturer sites, or permit authority sites). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated policy.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your data rights, or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact us: