The short version
We are a small web design and software studio in Brighton. These terms set out the deal between us when you hire us to build something. They are meant to be fair and readable, so you know what to expect and so do we. When you accept a quote or ask us to start work, you are agreeing to these terms. If anything here is unclear, just ask and we will explain it in plain words.
What these terms cover
These terms apply to the design, build, and software work we do for you, whether that is a website, a web app, a tool, or ongoing support. Alongside them, your quote or proposal describes the specific work, price, and anything agreed just for your project. If the quote and these terms ever disagree, the quote wins for that project. Together they form the agreement between us.
Quotes and pricing
We give you a written quote before we start. Wherever we can, we quote a fixed price for a clearly defined piece of work, so you are not watching a meter. The quote sets out what is included. Work that falls outside it, added scope, new pages, extra features, or changes of direction once we are underway, is quoted separately before we do it, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Quotes are valid for the period stated on them, usually 30 days. Prices are in pounds sterling and, unless we say otherwise, exclude any third-party costs such as domain names, premium plugins, stock imagery, or paid services, which we will always flag to you first.
Deposits and payment
For project work we usually ask for a 50% deposit to book you in and start the work, with the balance due on completion, before the finished project goes live or is handed over. For larger projects we may agree staged payments tied to milestones, which we will set out in the quote.
Invoices are payable within the period stated on them, typically 14 days. We accept bank transfer. If an invoice is overdue we may pause work until it is settled, and we reserve the right to charge reasonable interest on late payments as allowed by law. The deposit covers the time we set aside and the early work, so it is non-refundable once we have begun.
Half to book and begin, the rest when it is done and you are happy. Anything different for your project will be written into your quote before you commit.
Scope and revisions
Your quote describes the scope, what we are building and what is included. We want you to love the result, so a sensible number of revision rounds is built into design and build stages. What counts as sensible is set out in your quote, and it covers refining what we agreed, not rebuilding it to a new brief.
If you decide partway through that you want something materially different or larger, that is completely fine, we just treat it as new work, quote it, and fold it into the timeline. This keeps the original price honest and the project moving.
What we need from you
A project runs smoothly when both sides pull their weight. To keep to price and timeline, we will need you to:
- Provide the content we agreed, such as text, images, logos, and product details, in good time and in a usable format.
- Give timely feedback and approvals at each stage, so we are not left waiting.
- Make sure you have the rights to any material you give us, and that it does not break the law or infringe anyone else's rights.
- Nominate a single main point of contact who can make decisions on your behalf.
If content or feedback is delayed, timelines and costs may shift to reflect that. We will always tell you if that is happening rather than spring it on you.
Timelines
We give you a realistic timeline in the quote and do our best to hold to it. Dates depend on getting content, feedback, and payments from you on schedule, and on the agreed scope not changing. Delays on either side, or things genuinely outside our control, can move dates, and where they do we will keep you posted and agree a new plan. Any timeline is a good-faith estimate, not a guarantee to a fixed calendar date unless we have specifically promised one in writing.
Intellectual property and ownership
Here is the simple rule: once your project is paid for in full, you own the finished work, the design and the code we produced specifically for you, to use for your business however you like.
Until final payment is made, the work remains ours. A few sensible exceptions apply to the ownership handover:
- Any third-party components, open-source libraries, fonts, plugins, stock assets, remain under their own licences, which pass to you as those licences allow.
- We keep ownership of our own underlying tools, frameworks, and know-how, the reusable building blocks we bring to every project, and grant you the licence you need to run your project.
- Unless you ask us not to, we may show the finished work in our portfolio and mention that we built it.
Third-party services
Most projects rely on services run by others, hosting, domains, payment providers, email tools, analytics, and similar. These are governed by their own terms and pricing, and any third-party fees are your responsibility. We will help you choose sensible options and set them up, but we are not responsible for those providers' performance, outages, or changes to their terms, since they are outside our control.
Hosting and support
We can arrange hosting and offer ongoing care, updates, small changes, and support, either as a monthly plan or on request. The details, what is covered and what it costs, are set out separately in your quote or care plan. Where you host the project yourself, keeping it backed up, updated, and secure after handover is down to you, though we are always happy to help if something comes up.
Cancellation
Either of us can end a project if things are not working out. If you cancel, the deposit is non-refundable, and you pay for any work completed and any committed third-party costs up to that point. We will invoice for work done to a fair value and hand over what has been paid for.
If we have to cancel, for example if we cannot get the cooperation the project needs, we will let you know, settle up fairly for work done, and give you what you have paid for. We will not leave you stranded.
Liability
We take real care with our work, but no one can promise perfection or that software will never have a bug. So, to the extent the law allows:
- Our total liability for any project is limited to the fees you paid us for that project.
- We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, such as lost profits, lost data, or business interruption.
- We are not responsible for problems caused by third-party services, by changes you or others make after handover, or by content you supplied.
Nothing in these terms limits liability for anything that cannot legally be limited, such as death or personal injury caused by negligence, or fraud. Your legal rights as a consumer, where they apply, are not affected.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any dispute falls to the courts of England and Wales. We would always rather sort things out with a conversation first, so if you are ever unhappy, tell us and we will do our best to put it right.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. The version that applies to your project is the one in force when you accepted your quote. We will update this page and the date at the top when anything changes. This is the current version.
Questions
If anything here needs explaining, or you want something tailored for your project, email hello@pixelandshovel.co.uk and we will talk it through. For how we handle your data, see our Privacy Policy.