Terms of Service

Welcome to Builders Monitor, a website and data service provided by Builders Monitor, Inc. ("Builders Monitor," "we," "our," or "us"). These Terms of Service (the "Agreement") govern your access to and use of our website, application programming interface (API), data feeds, dashboards, and any other tools or services we make available (collectively, the "Service").

For purposes of this Agreement, "you" and "your" means you as the user of the Service. If you use the Service on behalf of a company or other entity, "you" includes that entity, and you represent and warrant that you are an authorized representative with authority to bind the entity to this Agreement.

PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SERVICE.

You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract to use the Service. By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet these requirements and that all information you provide is accurate and complete.

3.1 Description

Builders Monitor aggregates standardized U.S. municipal construction data — including building permits, contractor records, inspections, certifications, and related government filings — from public municipal portals across the United States. The Service makes this data available via API, downloadable feeds, and a web-based dashboard.

3.2 Data License

Subject to your compliance with this Agreement, Builders Monitor grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, revocable license to access and use the data made available through the Service ("Data") solely for your internal business purposes during the term of this Agreement.

Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, you must immediately cease all use of the Data, delete all copies from your systems, and certify such deletion upon request.

3.3 Service Availability

We do not guarantee uninterrupted access to the Service. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service — or any portion of it — at any time without liability. Scheduled and unscheduled downtime, rate limits, and data refresh delays do not constitute a breach of this Agreement.

You may not, directly or indirectly:

• Resell, redistribute, sublicense, publish, or otherwise make Data available to any third party, except as expressly permitted in a separate written agreement with us.
• Use Data to train, fine-tune, or otherwise build machine-learning models, AI systems, or derived datasets intended to replicate or compete with the Service.
• Copy, modify, or create derivative works of the Service or Data, in whole or in part, except as expressly authorized.
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract any source code or underlying algorithms from the Service.
• Use the Service to compete with, or gather intelligence for a competitor of, Builders Monitor.
• Attempt to circumvent rate limits, access controls, or any security measures protecting the Service.
• Use the Service in any way that violates applicable law, regulation, or the rights of any third party.
• Remove or obscure any proprietary notices, attributions, or labels in the Service or Data.

5.1 Registration

Certain features of the Service require you to create an account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete registration information and to keep it up to date.

5.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us immediately at security@buildersmonitor.com if you suspect unauthorized access.

5.3 API Keys

API keys are issued for your sole use and may not be shared or embedded in publicly accessible client-side code. We may revoke keys without notice if we detect abuse, policy violations, or unusual usage patterns.

All intellectual property rights in the Service and its contents — including the Data, software, trademarks, and any compilations or enhancements thereof — are owned by Builders Monitor or its licensors. Nothing in this Agreement transfers ownership of any intellectual property to you. The limited license in Section 3.2 is the full extent of your rights.

The Data made available through the Service is compiled, standardized, and enriched from public government sources. While the underlying government records are public, our selection, compilation, standardization, and database structure are proprietary and protected by copyright.

Data is sourced from U.S. municipal and county government systems. While we work to ensure accuracy and freshness, we make no warranties regarding completeness, timeliness, or fitness for any particular purpose. Government records contain errors, omissions, and delays that are outside our control.

You are solely responsible for independently verifying any Data before relying on it for business decisions, legal purposes, financial transactions, or any other consequential use.

Certain features of the Service are available free of charge. Paid plans, API access tiers, and enterprise licenses are subject to the fees stated at time of purchase or in a separate order form. All fees are non-refundable except as required by applicable law or as expressly stated in your order.

We reserve the right to modify pricing at any time. For subscription plans, price changes take effect at the next renewal period following reasonable notice.

THE SERVICE AND DATA ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BUILDERS MONITOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND TITLE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE ERROR-FREE, UNINTERRUPTED, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BUILDERS MONITOR AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES — INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY — ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIMS ARISING UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIMITED TO THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU PAID TO US IN THE THREE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM OR (B) ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100).

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Builders Monitor and its officers, directors, employees, licensors, and agents from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of the Service or Data; (b) your breach of this Agreement; (c) your violation of any applicable law or third-party right; or (d) any content or information you submit through the Service.

12.1 Informal Resolution

Before initiating any formal proceeding, you agree to contact us at legal@buildersmonitor.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

12.2 Binding Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, all disputes arising from or relating to this Agreement will be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will be conducted by a single arbitrator. You may elect to conduct the arbitration by telephone or written submissions. The arbitrator's decision is final and binding and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

12.3 Class Action Waiver

ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. YOU WAIVE THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS ACTIONS, CLASS ARBITRATIONS, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS.

12.4 Governing Law

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. To the extent any matter is not subject to arbitration, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of Delaware.

Either party may terminate this Agreement at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access immediately and without notice if we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated this Agreement or that continued access poses a risk to the Service or other users.

Upon termination, Sections 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14 survive.

14.1 Entire Agreement

This Agreement, together with any order forms or supplemental terms, is the entire agreement between you and Builders Monitor regarding the Service and supersedes all prior agreements on the same subject.

14.2 Modifications

We may update these Terms at any time. When we do, we will revise the "Last revised" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

14.3 Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.

14.4 Waiver

Failure to enforce any right under this Agreement does not constitute a waiver of that right.

14.5 Assignment

You may not assign your rights or obligations under this Agreement without our prior written consent. We may assign this Agreement freely, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at legal@buildersmonitor.com.