Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Use of the Archtoolbox.com website ("the site", "the website", "Archtoolbox") and the information contained herein constitutes full acceptance of the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy listed below. Archtoolbox.com is owned and operated by Aggregate Digital LLC.

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Terms of Service

The data, drawings, tables, and other information contained in the site have been created by Archtoolbox.com with information obtained from many sources. The owners, authors, and consultants of Archtoolbox.com ("we") have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and current information; however, we do not provide any warranties, implied or explicit, and assume no liability for the use of the information, nor the accuracy and completeness of the information, nor its fitness for any specific purpose. The information contained in the site shall be used at the sole risk of the viewer. IT SHALL BE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE OWNERS, AUTHORS, AND CONSULTANTS OF ARCHTOOLBOX.COM ARE NOT RENDERING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. It is the responsibility of the viewer of the site to apply their professional knowledge and judgment to the information provided and to verify the information with other professional sources. CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECT, ENGINEER, AGENCY, OR CONSULTANT FOR ADVICE ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS, BUILDINGS, CONDITIONS, CODES, AND/OR REGULATIONS.

Limitations on Liability

YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, WE, OR OUR VENDORS OR SERVICE PROVIDERS (COLLECTIVELY, “WE” OR “US”), SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM YOUR ACCESS TO OR USE OF OR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE THE WEBSITE. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF ANY OF US EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT PAID OR PAYABLE TO RAPTIVE BY YOU FOR THE WEBSITE DURING THE SIX-MONTH PERIOD PRIOR TO THE ACT, OMISSION, OR OCCURRENCE GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY; OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL APPLY TO ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, STATUTE, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTIES HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH DAMAGE, AND EVEN IF A REMEDY SET FORTH HEREIN IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

Artificial Intelligence

We occasionally use AI to help us do research for articles or to generate an outline of important topics to cover. However, we do not use AI to write the article and any AI generated content is fact-checked by a human editor.

Archtoolbox makes a commission when you click on any of the advertisements (Ads by Google, AdChoices, Ezoic, AdThrive, etc.) displayed on the site. All advertisements are automatically served and are not selected by Archtoolbox.com. We do not recommend particular building products on this website.

Reviews

We provide recommendations for books, courses, study guides, and other products that we find useful; however, we do not accept payment to include reviews of any products on the site. Our reviews are impartial and based on our own experience using and/or reviewing the product.

Affiliate Links

We earn a commission when you purchase items from companies with whom we have an affiliate relationship (Amazon, GBES, Projectific, Archiroots, etc.) after having followed our affiliate links or used our coupon codes. Our reviews are impartial and we do not embellish reviews to earn more commissions. Rather, we find products that are helpful to us and our readers. If you return a product then we don't make anything so it only makes sense for us to recommend products that will make you happy. Full disclosure, some companies will provide access to their products at our request so we can do a thorough review or so we can update an older review when their product is updated.

Consent to Data Collection

These Terms of Service incorporate our Privacy Policy, which discloses how we, our vendors, and our service providers collect and use data when you use the Site and/or mobile applications. You hereby consent to the collection and use of data by us, our vendors, and our service providers as described in the Privacy Policy (including any links to other policies therein). You can revoke this consent at any time by following the opt-out instructions in the Privacy Policy or clicking the provided links on the Site.

Trademark

Copyright

Binding Arbitration (“Arbitration Agreement”)

a. Applicability of Arbitration Agreement. You agree that any dispute or claim against us, or our vendors or service providers(collectively, “We” or “Us”), related in any way to your access or use of this website, to these Terms, or to any aspect of your relationship with Us, will be resolved by binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that (1) you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify, so long as the matter remains in such court and advances only on an individual (non-class, non-representative) basis; and (2) you or We may seek equitable relief in court for infringement or other misuse of intellectual property rights (such as trademarks, trade dress, domain names, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents). You agree that you must commence any arbitration or other claim within one (1) year after the dispute arises; otherwise, the claim is permanently barred, which means that you will no longer have the right to assert a claim regarding the dispute. This Arbitration Agreement will apply, without limitation, to all claims that arose or were asserted before the effective date of these Terms or any prior version of this Arbitration Agreement.

You agree in advance that you will not participate in or seek to recover monetary or other relief in any lawsuit filed against Us, alleging class, collective, and/or representative claims on your behalf. Instead, by agreeing to arbitration, you may bring your claims against any of Us in an individual arbitration proceeding (except for any Batch Arbitration, as described below). If successful on such claims, you could be awarded money or other relief by an arbitrator. You acknowledge that you have been advised that you may consult with an attorney in deciding whether to accept these Terms, including this Arbitration Agreement.

The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Arbitration Agreement.

b. Process. To begin a claim, you must first send a letter describing your claim in detail, including your name and contact information, your legal claim, the specific facts giving rise to your claim (including the date(s) and amount(s) of any relevant transaction or interaction with us), and the requested relief, to Aggregate Digital LLC, 20 2nd Street, Unit 623, Cambridge MA, 02141. You and We agree to attempt in good faith to negotiate an informal resolution of your claim. If a resolution is not reached within thirty (30) days, you may commence an arbitration action as set forth herein. The arbitration will be conducted by JAMS, an established alternative dispute resolution provider. Disputes involving claims and counterclaims under $250,000, not inclusive of attorneys' fees and interest, will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Streamlined Arbitration Rules and procedures available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-streamlined-arbitration/; all other claims will be subject to JAMS's most current version of the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures, available at http://www.jamsadr.com/rules-comprehensive-arbitration/. JAMS's rules are also available at www.jamsadr.com or by calling JAMS at 800-352-5267. If JAMS is not available to arbitrate, the parties will select an alternative arbitral forum. You may choose to have the arbitration conducted remotely, based on written submissions, or in person at a mutually agreed location. We will be entitled to make an offer of judgment in the arbitration proceeding. If the offer of judgment is not accepted, and the award is not more favorable than the unaccepted offer, you will be solely responsible for all costs incurred by Us after the offer of judgment is made to the extent permitted by applicable law. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

c. Fees. If the arbitrator finds that you cannot afford to pay JAMS's filing, administrative, hearing, and/or other fees, and you cannot obtain a waiver from JAMS, we will pay them for you. If the arbitrator determines the claims are frivolous, you agree to pay Us our attorneys’ fees and costs in the arbitration, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

d. Authority of Arbitrator. The arbitrator, and not any federal, state, or local court or agency, will have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute related to the interpretation, applicability, enforceability, or formation of this Arbitration Agreement, including, but not limited to, any claim that all or any part of this Arbitration Agreement is void or voidable. The arbitration will decide the rights and liabilities, if any, of you and Us. The arbitration proceeding will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties. The arbitrator will have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim. The arbitrator will have the authority to award monetary damages and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under applicable law, the arbitral forum's rules, and these Terms (including the Arbitration Agreement). The arbitrator will issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based, including the calculation of any damages awarded. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and Us.

e. Waiver of Jury Trial. You and We hereby waive any constitutional and statutory rights to sue in court and have a trial in front of a judge or a jury. You and We are instead electing that all claims and disputes will be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement, except as specified in Section (a) above. An arbitrator can award on an individual basis the same damages and relief as a court and must follow this Agreement as a court would. However, there is no judge or jury in arbitration, and court review of an arbitration award is subject to very limited review.

f. Waiver of Class or Consolidated Actions. Except with respect to Batch Arbitration (as defined below), all claims and disputes within the scope of this Arbitration Agreement must be arbitrated on an individual basis and not on a class basis, only individual relief is available, and claims of more than one customer or user cannot be arbitrated or consolidated with those of any other customer or user. In the event that this subparagraph is deemed invalid or unenforceable neither you nor We are entitled to arbitration and instead claims and disputes will be resolved in a court as set forth in these Terms.

g. Batch Arbitration. You and We agree that, in the event that there are fifty (50) or more individual requests for arbitration of a similar nature filed against Us within an approximately (30) thirty-day period (or otherwise in close proximity) regardless of the state(s) in which such claims are filed, JAMS will administer all such similarly situated arbitration demands on a collective basis as a single, consolidated arbitration (subject to a single set of fees, proceeding schedule, and, if required, hearing) before a single arbitrator in accordance with the requirements outlined elsewhere in this section, provided that – in the event that the arbitrator deems it impracticable or inequitable to administer all such claims collectively in a single arbitration – (s)he may group demands for arbitration into groups of not fewer than twenty (20) matters, plus a remainder group as needed (or as otherwise deemed by the arbitrator to be practicable, equitable, and in best keeping with the spirit of this provision) and arbitrate each group of matters as a single, consolidated arbitration (either structure a “Batch Arbitration”). You and We agree (1) to work with JAMS in good faith to facilitate the resolution of disputes on a Batch Arbitration basis and (2) that requests for arbitration are of a “similar nature” if they arise out of the same event, agreement, or factual scenario and raise the same or similar legal issues and seek the same or similar relief. Disagreements over the applicability of this Batch Arbitration process will be settled in a single, consolidated arbitration proceeding that includes all affected parties and is resolved by a single arbitrator subject to the requirements of this section. This Batch Arbitration provision shall in no way be interpreted as authorizing a class or collective arbitration or action of any kind, or any suit or arbitration involving joint or consolidated claims, under any circumstances other than those expressly set forth in this section.

h. Severability. If any part or parts of this Arbitration Agreement are found under the law to be invalid or unenforceable, then such specific part or parts will be of no force and effect and will be severed, and the remainder of the Arbitration Agreement will continue in full force and effect.

i. Survival. This Arbitration Agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with Us.

j. Modification. Notwithstanding any provision in these Terms to the contrary, We agree that if We make any future material change to this Arbitration Agreement, it will not apply to any individual claim(s) for which that you had already provided notice to Us.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is very important to us. At Archtoolbox.com, we have a few fundamental principles:

The following policy is an attempt to provide you with a clear understanding of what information we collect. We have kept the principles above in mind while creating this document.

Website Visitors

Like most website operators, Archtoolbox.com collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. The purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Archtoolbox.com visitors use the website. From time to time, Archtoolbox.com may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.

Google Analytics is a web analytics tool Archtoolbox.com uses to help understand how visitors engage with this website. It reports website trends using cookies and web beacons without identifying individual visitors. You can read more at the Google Analytics Data Privacy and Security.

Archtoolbox.com also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users sending messages with Archtoolbox.com's various contact forms. We only disclose logged in user and form-submitter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below, except that logged in user and form-submitter IP addresses and email addresses are visible and disclosed to the administrators and staff of Archtoolbox.com.

Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information

Certain visitors to Archtoolbox.com websites choose to interact with Archtoolbox.com in ways that require us to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that is gathered depends on the nature of the interaction. Those who engage in transactions with Archtoolbox.com – by purchasing products, for example – are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Archtoolbox.com collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with Archtoolbox.com. Archtoolbox.com does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.

Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information

Archtoolbox.com discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Archtoolbox.com’s behalf or to provide services available at Archtoolbox.com’s websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Archtoolbox.com’s websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Archtoolbox.com discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Archtoolbox.com believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Archtoolbox.com, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an Archtoolbox.com website and/or have supplied your email address, Archtoolbox.com may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what’s going on with our websites and our products. If you send us a request (for example via email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Archtoolbox.com takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Archtoolbox.com uses cookies to help identify and track visitors, their usage of the website, and their website access preferences. Archtoolbox.com visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Archtoolbox.com’s websites, with the drawback that certain features of the websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.

We use cookies in the following ways:

Google Analytics (third party): to understand how many people visit our site, where they come from, and what content they read.
Google Adsense (third party): to serve advertisements to visitors.
Kit.com (third party): to manage our mailing list signup process.
Archtoolbox (first party): to allow users to log in to the website and maintain their settings.
AdThrive (third party): to serve advertisements to visitors. Read more about CMI Marketing, Inc. and Raptive cookies below.

Advertising

CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a Raptive (“Raptive”) is a service provider of this Site for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and Raptive will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Raptive’s data usage, click here: https://raptive.com/creator-advertising-privacy-statement.