# Staines.Build — Terms of Service
Last updated: 18 June 2026
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These Terms of Service govern your use of the Staines.Build platform, operated by James Staines, trading as Staines.Build, based in Thetford, England ("we", "us", "our"). The platform operates at staines.build. References to "Staines.Build" and "staines.build" refer to the same platform. By registering an account or using the platform, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the platform.
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## 1. Who we are
Staines.Build is a construction marketplace platform that connects clients — including homeowners, tenants, and organisations — with verified trade professionals in the United Kingdom. We are a facilitator, not a contractor. We do not carry out construction work, employ trades, or act as a party to any contract between a client and a trade.
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## 2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to register an account on Staines.Build. By registering, you confirm that you are 18 or over and that the information you provide is accurate and complete. We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account where eligibility requirements are not met.
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## 3. Account types
**Client accounts** are for individuals, homeowners, tenants, and organisations looking to find and engage trade professionals for construction, maintenance, or property-related work.
**Trade accounts** are for sole traders and limited companies offering construction or trade services. Trades must complete our verification process, including submission of relevant professional documents, before their profile becomes active on the marketplace.
**Organisation accounts** are for property managers, landlords, and businesses managing multiple properties or job requirements. Organisation account terms are set out in a separate agreement where applicable.
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## 4. Trade verification and conduct
Trades are responsible for ensuring that all information provided during registration and verification is accurate, current, and complete. This includes business details, trade categories, public liability insurance certificates, and any other documents requested by Staines.Build.
Staines.Build reserves the right to approve, reject, suspend, or remove any trade account at its sole discretion. Approval of a trade account does not constitute an endorsement of the quality of that trade's work.
Trades must hold valid public liability insurance at all times while active on the platform. Trades are solely responsible for the quality, safety, and legality of any work they carry out.
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## 5. Client conduct
Clients are responsible for providing accurate job scope information. Clients must not use the platform to solicit trade services outside the platform in order to avoid platform fees. Clients must treat trade professionals with respect and must not submit false or misleading job scopes.
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## 6. The marketplace introduction fee
Staines.Build charges an access fee for trades to unlock client job scopes. This fee is a marketplace introduction fee — payment to access the contact and job details of a client who has expressed interest in trade services. This fee is not a guarantee of work, a deposit, or a payment for services rendered.
The marketplace introduction fee is non-refundable once a scope has been unlocked, except where Staines.Build determines at its sole discretion that a refund is appropriate, for example where a scope is found to be fraudulent or materially inaccurate.
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## 7. Payments
All payments on Staines.Build are processed by Stripe. By making a purchase on the platform, you agree to Stripe's terms of service and payment terms. Staines.Build does not store card details. Payment disputes must be raised with us at legal@staines.build in the first instance.
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## 8. Credits and tokens
Staines.Build may issue credits or tokens to trade or client accounts at its discretion, for example as part of a promotional offer, founding cohort access, or compensation for platform issues. Credits and tokens have no cash value, are non-transferable, and may not be redeemed for cash. They expire if an account is suspended or terminated.
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## 8a. Subscription plans
Trade accounts may access additional platform features through a paid subscription plan. Subscription plans are billed monthly via Stripe. You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. Staines.Build reserves the right to modify subscription pricing or available features with reasonable notice to subscribers. If a subscription payment fails, your account will revert to the free tier. Credits and tokens issued as part of a subscription plan are non-refundable on cancellation.
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## 9. Platform availability
We aim to keep the platform available at all times but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. We reserve the right to suspend, modify, or discontinue any part of the platform at any time, with or without notice, for maintenance, security, or operational reasons.
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## 10. Our role as facilitator
Staines.Build is a platform facilitator only. We are not a party to any contract or agreement entered into between a client and a trade. Any disputes regarding the quality, completion, or payment for construction work are between the client and the trade directly. Staines.Build accepts no liability for the outcome of any work arranged through the platform.
We do not provide construction advice, project management, or warranty for any work carried out by trades found through the platform.
Staines.Build does not process or record payments between users and does not generate invoices for transactions between users. The platform is not a party to any financial transaction. Final transaction values, invoices and payments are matters solely between the relevant trade, service provider or shop and their client or customer.
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## 10a. Commercial transactions, invoicing and payment
All commercial transactions, invoicing, payment terms and financial settlements between a trade, service provider or shop and a client or customer are conducted directly between those parties and are entirely outside the platform.
Staines.Build does not process, facilitate, hold, record or have visibility of payments made between users. The platform does not issue invoices for work carried out by trades, services rendered by service providers, or goods sold by shops. Any invoice issued in connection with work, services or goods arranged through the platform is the sole responsibility of the relevant trade, service provider or shop.
Documents generated by the platform, including Scope Agreements, Scope & Price Confirmations, Completion Certificates, Booking Confirmations and Collection References, are reference documents only. They record agreed intentions, price ranges or completion events. They do not constitute invoices, receipts or records of monies received or paid.
Trades, service providers and shops are solely responsible for their own invoicing, tax reporting, VAT obligations and financial record-keeping. Clients and customers are advised to obtain an invoice directly from the relevant trade, service provider or shop.
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## 10b. Platform documents
The platform generates the following document types. Each is defined below:
Intake Record. A structured record of the client's job requirements, captured at the point of submission.
Scope Draft. An AI-generated scope of work presented to the client for review before publishing to trades.
Scope Agreement. A record of the agreed scope of work, agreed price range and job reference, created at the point a trade accepts a client's job scope. This is a contractual reference document between the client and the trade. It is not an invoice.
Scope & Price Confirmation. A mid-job record from the trade to the client confirming the current expected price and scope position. It records the information available at the time of issue and may be superseded by a later Scope & Price Confirmation or an approved Scope Amendment. It is not an invoice, receipt, payment record, or final transaction value. If the confirmed price exceeds the agreed maximum from the Scope Agreement, a Scope Amendment must be approved before a new Scope & Price Confirmation can be issued.
Scope Amendment. A record of an agreed change to the original scope, approved by both the trade and the client.
Completion Certificate. A bilateral sign-off document generated when both the trade and client confirm the work is complete. It does not contain a final transaction value and is not an invoice or receipt.
Evidence Record. Before and after photos, timestamps and notes attached to the Completion Certificate.
Booking Confirmation. A reference document confirming a service appointment within the Services vertical. Final pricing is determined at the point of service between the service provider and the customer.
Collection Reference. A reference code issued to a customer within the Shop vertical to facilitate collection of listed goods. The final transaction value is determined at the point of collection between the shop and the customer.
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## 11. Suspension and termination
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate any account at any time, with or without notice, where we reasonably believe that a user has breached these terms, engaged in fraudulent or abusive behaviour, or where continued access poses a risk to other users or the platform.
On termination, your access to the platform will be removed. Any unused credits or tokens will be forfeited. Data retention following account closure is set out in our Privacy Policy.
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## 12. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Staines.Build will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or special loss or damage arising from your use of the platform, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of data, or loss arising from disputes between clients and trades.
Our total liability to you in connection with your use of the platform will not exceed the total amount paid by you to Staines.Build in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.
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## 13. Intellectual property
All content on the Staines.Build platform, including the platform design, text, graphics, and software, is owned by or licensed to Staines.Build. You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute any platform content without our prior written permission.
Trade profile content, including photos and descriptions uploaded by trades, remains the property of the trade. By uploading content to the platform, you grant Staines.Build a non-exclusive licence to display that content on the platform and in promotional materials.
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## 14. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of the platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. Where changes are material, we will notify registered users by email.
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## 15. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from these terms or your use of the platform will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
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## 16. Contact
Staines.Build
Thetford, England
legal@staines.build
staines.build