Privacy Policy
Last updated: 12 September 2026
This policy explains what personal data BuilderFinder ("we", "us", "our") collects when you use builderfinder.uk (the "Platform"), why we collect it, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over it. It applies to homeowners, builders, and visitors alike.
1. Who we are
BuilderFinder is operated by WestBridge Renovations Ltd (company number
16594482), the data controller for personal data processed through the Platform. We are
registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration number
ZC209486.
Contact: contact@builderfinder.uk (email only - we do not accept postal contact).
2. What we collect
| Data | From | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Name, email, phone | Registration | Account identification; phone is shared with the other party once a lead is accepted |
| Verification address (line 1, line 2, city, postcode) | Registration / account settings | Internal fraud-prevention and identity verification only - never shown to other users, never used for matching |
| Password (hashed) or Google account ID | Registration / "Continue with Google" | Authentication |
| Job details, photos, budget, postcode area | Homeowners posting a job | Matching to relevant builders; postcode area (not full address) is shown to matched builders |
| Company details, trades, service areas, portfolio, reviews | Builders | Public profile shown to homeowners |
| ID, insurance, certification documents | Builder verification | Confirming a builder's identity and credentials before showing a "Verified" badge |
| Messages between a homeowner and an accepted builder | In-platform messaging | Enabling communication about a job |
| Payment/subscription data | Builders on a paid plan | Billing - card details are handled entirely by Stripe; we never see or store full card numbers |
| IP address, browser/device info, pages visited | Automatically, via cookies/logs | Security, fraud prevention, and (only with consent) analytics - see our cookie section below |
3. Our lawful basis for processing
- Contract - creating your account, matching jobs to builders, and enabling messaging is necessary to provide the service you signed up for.
- Legitimate interests - fraud prevention (including the verification address), platform security, and improving the service.
- Consent - non-essential cookies, and any marketing communications (you can withdraw this at any time).
- Legal obligation - retaining certain financial records as required by UK law.
4. Who we share it with
- Matched builders/homeowners - once you accept a lead, your phone number (and, for builders, your company details) becomes visible to the other party. Your address is never shared with them.
- Noviqent IdCheck - when you register or claim a builder profile, your live selfie, photo ID, and proof of address are processed by Noviqent IdCheck (a separate Noviqent product, run on its own isolated infrastructure - never a third-party AI provider) purely to confirm you're a real person, that the address you gave matches your proof of address, and, for a limited company, that your name matches a registered Companies House director. That automated check is never the final word - a real person on our team always manually reviews every registration and claim as well, regardless of whether the automated check passed, before your Verified badge goes live. These documents are held privately, solely for that verification purpose - never published or used for anything else. Your selfie is never stored by Noviqent IdCheck or by us at all - see section 6 below for how long the ID/proof-of-address images themselves are kept.
- Stripe - processes builder subscription payments. See Stripe's privacy policy.
- Google - if you use "Continue with Google", Google authenticates your identity. See Google's privacy policy.
- Hosting and email infrastructure providers - to run the Platform and send account-related emails.
- Regulators or law enforcement - only where we're legally required to.
- The other party to a builder's contract, in a legal dispute - if you're a builder and a contract for building work (written or verbal) is formed between you and a homeowner through the Platform, you are personally liable as a party to that contract. In that situation, we may disclose your verified name and address to that homeowner (or their legal representative) and to any relevant legal or regulatory body, solely for the purpose of correspondence in a legal matter relating to that specific contract. This only happens once we've confirmed a genuine contract exists between you and that party through the Platform, and disclosure is limited to what's needed for that correspondence - see our Terms & Conditions for the full agreement.
We never sell your personal data.
5. International transfers
Some of our processors (e.g. Stripe, Google) may process data outside the UK/EEA. Where this happens, it's covered by their own Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards.
6. How long we keep it
Under UK GDPR's storage limitation principle, we don't keep personal data for longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected for. In practice, that means:
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Active account data | For as long as your account is active |
| Builder's verified name and address | See "Retention of Builder Identity Information" below |
| Closed/deleted account data | 12 months after closure, then deleted or anonymised, except where noted below |
| ID document / proof of address (automated Noviqent IdCheck verification) | Kept for 30 days from the date you complete verification, then automatically deleted. Your live selfie photo is never kept at all, by us or by Noviqent IdCheck - it exists only for the moment it takes to compare against your ID. |
| Insurance / certification documents | 5 years after the verification decision or account closure, for fraud-prevention purposes |
| Financial/billing records | 6 years, as required by UK tax law |
| Messages between users | 12 months after the related job is closed |
| Published reviews | The review itself may be retained to preserve an accurate track record for the builder, but your identity is removed from it (see erasure, below) |
| Data after an erasure request | Erased or anonymised within 30 days of your request being confirmed - see section 7 |
Retention of Builder Identity Information
BuilderFinder uses identity and proof-of-address documentation for the purpose of verifying a builder's identity and address.
BuilderFinder does not retain copies of identity documents or proof-of-address documents as part of the builder's permanent account record following completion of the applicable verification process.
We retain the builder's verified legal name and verified address, together with appropriate verification records and audit information, for the duration necessary to operate the builder's account, maintain platform security and accountability, prevent and investigate fraud, manage complaints and disputes, and establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
Where a builder closes their account, relevant personal information will be deleted or anonymised when it is no longer required, subject to any applicable legal, regulatory, fraud-prevention, dispute or legal-claims retention requirements.
If a complaint, contractual dispute or legal matter exists or is reasonably anticipated when an account is closed, relevant information may be retained for an appropriate additional period where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal rights.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate data (most of this you can edit yourself in Account settings)
- Request erasure of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Restrict or object to certain processing
- Receive your data in a portable format
- Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent
- Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you think we've mishandled your data
To exercise any of these rights, email contact@builderfinder.uk. If you request erasure, we'll confirm your request and then automatically and permanently erase or anonymise your personal data - your name, contact details, address, and any uploaded documents - within 30 days. Some information may be kept beyond that where we have a legal obligation to (for example, financial records required by UK tax law, per the table above), and content you've contributed that has ongoing value to other users (such as a review) may be retained with your identity removed rather than deleted outright.
8. Cookies
We use cookies for:
- Essential - keeping you logged in, remembering your session, and security (CSRF protection). These can't be switched off, as the Platform won't function without them.
- Analytics - understanding how the Platform is used, so we can improve it. Only set with your consent.
You can change your cookie choices at any time using the "Cookie preferences" link in the footer.
9. Children
The Platform is intended for users aged 18 and over. We don't knowingly collect data from children.
10. Security
We use industry-standard measures (encrypted connections, hashed passwords, access controls) to protect your data. No system is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to keep your information safe.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top will always reflect the latest version.
12. Contact
Questions about this policy or your data: contact@builderfinder.uk