Privacy Policy

1 Who We Are

Forthright Construction, Inc. ("Forthright," "we," "us," or "our") is a Vermont commercial general contracting company located at 351 Mead Farm Road, Hinesburg, Vermont 05461. We operate this website at forthrightvt.com (the "Site") to market our construction services, connect with subcontractors and project owners, and communicate with current and prospective clients.

This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through the Site and through any related communications — including email, phone, and SMS/text messaging programs you may opt into.

2 What We Collect

We collect two broad categories of information: information you give us directly, and information collected automatically when you visit our Site.

Information You Provide Directly

• Contact information — your name, email address, phone number (including mobile number), company name, and mailing address
• Project information — descriptions of your construction project, scope, timeline, location, and budget
• SMS opt-in consent — when you choose to receive text messages from us, we record that consent along with the date, time, and method of opt-in
• Communications content — messages, inquiries, and requests you send through our contact forms or directly by email
• Employment information — if you submit a resume or application, we collect your professional history, references, and related data

Information Collected Automatically

• Log data — IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring URL, and pages visited
• Cookie and tracking data — see Section 6 for full details on cookies, pixels, and ad platform tags we deploy
• Analytics data — session duration, click paths, and aggregate site usage statistics

3 How We Collect It

• Contact and quote request forms on our Site
• Phone calls and emails you initiate with us
• SMS opt-in programs — web forms, keyword opt-ins, or verbal consent confirmed in writing
• Online advertising platforms — Google Ads and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) place tracking technologies on our Site when you click our ads or visit certain pages
• Third-party lead sources — referrals, directories, or platforms that share contact information with us in accordance with their own privacy policies
• Cookies and similar technologies — placed automatically when you visit the Site (you may limit these via browser settings)

4 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Responding to your inquiries — answering questions, providing estimates, and following up on project discussions
• Project and business communications — coordinating on active or prospective construction projects
• SMS and email outreach — sending appointment reminders, project updates, and marketing messages to contacts who have opted in
• Advertising and remarketing — serving relevant ads to people who have visited our Site or submitted their contact information
• Hiring and recruitment — evaluating applications for open positions
• Site improvement — understanding how visitors use our Site so we can make it more useful
• Legal compliance — meeting our obligations under applicable law, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

5 SMS / Text Messaging

We operate an SMS/text messaging program to communicate with prospects, clients, and subcontractors who have opted in.

What kinds of messages we send:

• Follow-up messages after you submit a quote request or contact form
• Appointment and site visit reminders
• Project status updates
• Periodic marketing messages about our services, promotions, or company news

Message frequency: Frequency varies based on your engagement with us. Most contacts receive no more than 4–6 messages per month.

How to opt out: Reply STOP to any message we send. After you text STOP, we will send a single confirmation and remove you from our SMS list. You can re-subscribe at any time by replying START.

Help: Reply HELP to any message or contact us at gerry@forthrightvt.com or 802-848-1848.

Data handling: Mobile numbers collected for our SMS program are used exclusively for that program and are not sold to third parties. We retain SMS consent records for a minimum of four years in accordance with TCPA recordkeeping best practices.

6 Advertising & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to understand how visitors use our Site and to serve relevant advertising.

Google Ads & Google Analytics
Our Site uses the Google tag to track conversions and build remarketing audiences. Google's use of your data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. You can opt out at adssettings.google.com.

Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram)
We may use the Meta Pixel to measure ad effectiveness and run retargeting campaigns. Meta's use of your data is governed by Meta's Data Policy. You can manage preferences at facebook.com/adpreferences.

Other Cookies: We use standard analytics cookies to understand site traffic patterns. These cookies do not identify you personally. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings.

Do Not Track: Our Site does not currently respond to browser-level Do Not Track signals, as no uniform standard exists.

7 Third Parties We Work With

We share your information only with the following categories of third parties, and only to the extent necessary:

• Technology providers — our website host, CRM platform, email platform, and SMS delivery provider, under confidentiality obligations
• Advertising platforms — Google and Meta, as described in Section 6
• Professional advisors — our attorneys, accountants, and insurers, under confidentiality obligations
• Law enforcement or regulators — when required by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Forthright, our clients, or the public
• Business successors — in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with unaffiliated third parties for their own marketing purposes. Period.

8 Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as we have a legitimate business reason to do so — and no longer.

• Contact and inquiry records: Retained for up to 3 years from the date of last contact or project completion
• Active client records: Retained for the duration of the business relationship plus 7 years, consistent with Vermont construction and contract law
• SMS consent records: Retained for a minimum of 4 years
• Job application records: Retained for 2 years from the date of application
• Analytics and cookie data: Typically retained for 13–26 months per platform default settings

When we no longer need your information, we delete or anonymize it.

9 Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical precautions to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. Our Site uses HTTPS encryption. Access to personal data within our systems is limited to personnel who need it to do their jobs.

That said, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you have reason to believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately at gerry@forthrightvt.com.

10 Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you
• Access a copy of that information
• Correct inaccurate or outdated information
• Delete your information (subject to legal obligations that require us to retain certain records)
• Opt out of marketing communications — click "unsubscribe" in any email, reply STOP to any text message, or contact us directly
• Object to certain uses of your data, including advertising and remarketing

To make a request, email gerry@forthrightvt.com with "Privacy Request" in the subject line. We will respond within 45 days and will not charge a fee for reasonable requests.

11 Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are directed to adults and business professionals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately and we will delete it promptly.

12 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. If we make material changes, we will provide more prominent notice — such as a banner on our Site or an email to contacts in our database.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our Site after a change constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13 Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, please reach out. We take privacy questions seriously and will respond promptly.