Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

a. Information You Provide

When you fill out our contact form, request an estimate, or otherwise communicate with us, we may collect:

• Full name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Service type requested
• Message content describing your plumbing needs

b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, certain information may be collected automatically, including:

• Device & Browser Data — browser type and version, operating system, screen resolution
• Usage Data — pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URL, and click behavior
• Network Data — IP address and approximate geographic location (city/region level)

This data is collected through server logs and, where applicable, Cloudflare’s content delivery network which processes requests on our behalf.

c. Cookies & Similar Technologies

We use minimal cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of our Site:

• Session cookies — used for form security (CSRF protection) and rate limiting; these expire when you close your browser
• Cloudflare cookies — used for security, performance, and bot detection by our CDN provider

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics tools that profile individual users.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to inquiries — replying to your contact form submissions, providing estimates, and scheduling services
• To deliver services — performing the plumbing or backflow work you request
• To communicate — sending appointment confirmations, service updates, and follow-up communications related to work you requested
• To improve our Site — understanding how visitors use our Site so we can improve its design and content
• To protect our Site — detecting and preventing spam, fraud, abuse, and security incidents

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers — trusted third parties that help us operate our business (e.g., our web hosting provider, email service, or CDN), bound by obligations to keep your data confidential
• Legal requirements — when required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request
• Business protection — to protect the rights, property, or safety of Carter Backflow & Plumbing, our customers, or the public

4. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy. Specifically:

• Contact form submissions are retained for up to 24 months to support ongoing customer relationships and service records
• Server logs are retained for up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes
• Session cookies expire at the end of your browser session

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time by contacting us (see Section 7 below).

5. Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect your personal information, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our Site
• Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF) protection
• Server-side input validation and sanitization on all form submissions
• Spam prevention measures including honeypot fields and rate limiting
• Restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements
• Opt-out of communications — you can opt out of non-essential communications at any time by contacting us

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 7. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

8. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every site you visit.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is not directed to individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.