Privacy Policy

BrambleRidge Home Design Group (“BRHDG,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our clients, prospective clients, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information in accordance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

1. Accountability

BRHDG is responsible for the personal information under our control. Our Principal Designer serves as our Privacy Officer and is accountable for our compliance with this policy and with PIPEDA.

2. Personal Information We Collect

We collect only the personal information necessary to provide our architectural design and related services. This may include:

• Contact information: your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address
• Project information: property location, project type, timeline, and details you share about your design requirements
• Financial information: billing details necessary for invoicing and payment processing
• Communications: correspondence between you and BRHDG, including emails and messages submitted through our website
• Website usage data: technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited, collected automatically when you use our website

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information through the following means:

• Directly from you when you complete our website contact form or design brief questionnaire
• Through email, telephone, or in-person communications
• Automatically through our website via server logs and cookies (see Section 9 below)
• From third parties with your consent, such as builders, engineers, or municipal offices involved in your project

4. Purposes for Collection, Use, and Disclosure

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To communicate with you about your project, inquiries, or requests
• To provide architectural design, building permit, and related professional services
• To prepare and submit drawings, applications, and reports to municipalities on your behalf
• To issue invoices and process payments
• To coordinate with contractors, engineers, or other professionals involved in your project
• To improve our website and services
• To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

We will not use your personal information for purposes beyond those identified at or before the time of collection without first obtaining your consent.

5. Consent

We obtain your consent before or at the time we collect your personal information. By submitting your information through our website forms, contacting us by phone or email, or engaging us for services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this policy.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual obligations, by contacting our Privacy Officer. We will inform you of any consequences of withdrawing consent, such as our inability to continue providing services.

6. Disclosure of Personal Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your personal information with third parties only in the following circumstances:

• Service delivery: with structural engineers, contractors, surveyors, or other professionals directly involved in your project, and only with your knowledge or consent
• Municipal submissions: with municipal building and planning departments as required for permit applications, zoning reviews, or variance requests you have authorized
• Service providers: with trusted third-party service providers who assist our business operations (such as web hosting and email services), who are contractually obligated to protect your information
• Legal requirements: where required by law, regulation, court order, or governmental request

7. Third-Party Services

Our website and business operations make use of the following third-party services:

• Web Host Canada (WHC): our website hosting provider, with servers located in Canada
• Cloudflare: provides content delivery, security, and email obfuscation services for our website
• Zoho: provides our business email services

Each of these providers has their own privacy policies governing their handling of data. We encourage you to review their policies if you have concerns about how your data may be processed by these services.

8. Data Storage and Security

We are committed to protecting your personal information through appropriate physical, organizational, and technological safeguards. These include:

• Secure, encrypted website connections (SSL/TLS)
• Canadian-hosted web servers for website data
• Password-protected systems and files
• Limiting access to personal information to authorized personnel only
• Secure disposal of personal information that is no longer needed

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

9. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies for:

• Essential website functionality (such as form submissions)
• Understanding how visitors use our website so we can improve it

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can choose to block or delete cookies, though this may affect your experience on our website.

10. Retention of Personal Information

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Project-related records, including architectural drawings and permit documentation, may be retained for a longer period to meet professional obligations and building code requirements. When personal information is no longer needed, it is securely destroyed or anonymized.

11. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

Under PIPEDA, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

• Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Withdrawal of consent: You may withdraw your consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions.
• Complaint: You have the right to challenge our compliance with this policy and with PIPEDA.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the details provided above. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

12. Transfers Outside of Canada

Our website is hosted in Canada by Web Host Canada (WHC). Some of the third-party services we use (such as Cloudflare) may process data through servers located outside of Canada. Where your personal information is transferred outside of Canada, it may be subject to the laws of those jurisdictions. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any such transfers are conducted with appropriate safeguards in place.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The updated policy will be posted on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us: