Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

WhatCanIBuild (“we”, “our”, “us”) operates the website whatcanibuild.co.uk. We provide automated planning permission guidance for UK homeowners. You can contact us at support@whatcanibuild.co.uk.

2. What data we collect

We collect only the data needed to deliver our service:

• Property details — postcode, property type, and project dimensions you enter into the assessment form.
• Email address — if you request a report by email, join the waitlist, or purchase a paid report.
• Contact details for architect introductions — your name, email address, phone number (optional), and project timeframe, only if you ask us to introduce you to a local architect or planning practice.
• Payment information — processed securely by Stripe. We never see, store, or have access to your card number or bank details.
• Technical data — IP address (for rate limiting only, not stored long-term), and standard server logs.

3. Why we collect it

We use your data to:

• Generate and deliver your planning permission report.
• Send your report by email (free summary or paid PDF).
• Process payments via Stripe for paid reports.
• Notify you when your area becomes available (waitlist).
• Introduce you to one local architect or planning practice — only if you explicitly request it and tick the consent box.
• Prevent abuse through rate limiting.

We do not sell your data, use it for advertising, or share it with third parties for marketing purposes. The one exception is at your request: if you ask us to introduce you to an architect, we share your name, contact details, project summary, and planning constraint summary with a single partner practice covering your area, so they can contact you about your project. This happens only with your explicit consent, the details go to that one practice and nobody else, and you can withdraw consent at any time before the introduction is made by replying to your confirmation email.

4. Third-party services

We use the following third-party services to operate WhatCanIBuild:

• Stripe — payment processing. Stripe handles all card data under their own privacy policy.
• Resend — transactional email delivery. Resend processes your email address to send reports and notifications.
• Railway — hosting and database infrastructure, located in the US.
• Partner architect practices — if you request an architect introduction, the one practice we match you with receives your contact details and project summary in order to contact you. They act as independent data controllers for that information once received.

5. Cookies

We use minimal cookies. We do not use any tracking, analytics, or advertising cookies.

• Admin session cookie — an httpOnly cookie used solely for administrator authentication. This does not apply to regular users.

6. Data retention

Property reports (including postcode, project details, and results) are stored indefinitely so that your report link continues to work. Waitlist entries are retained until you are notified or you request deletion. Payment records are retained as required by UK tax and accounting obligations.

7. Your rights

Under UK data protection law (UK GDPR), you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Deletion — ask us to delete your data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Portability — request your data in a machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, email support@whatcanibuild.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Children

WhatCanIBuild is not directed at anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The “last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

10. Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please email support@whatcanibuild.co.uk.