Terms of Service

Agreement to Terms

By accessing and using DesignFee.net (the "Service"), you accept and agree to be bound by the terms and provision of this agreement. If you do not agree to abide by the above, please do not use this service.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of our website located at https://designfee.net and our fee estimation tool for architecture and engineering projects.

Description of Service

DesignFee.net provides a web-based tool for estimating architecture and engineering design fees based on project parameters such as construction cost, complexity, and discipline requirements. The tool is designed to assist professionals in the A/E industry with preliminary fee estimation and project planning.

Our service includes:

• Interactive fee calculation tool
• Phase distribution analysis (SD/DD/CD/CA)
• Discipline-specific fee breakdowns
• Project complexity adjustments
• Export functionality for fee estimates
• Educational content about A/E fee structures

Disclaimer of Accuracy

IMPORTANT: The fee estimates provided by our tool are for informational and planning purposes only. These estimates are based on industry standards, market data, and historical project information, but they are not guaranteed to be accurate for any specific project.

Actual design fees may vary significantly based on numerous factors including but not limited to:

• Specific project requirements and scope
• Client expectations and delivery schedule
• Local market conditions and competition
• Firm overhead and profit requirements
• Regulatory complexity and approval processes
• Special technical requirements or challenges

Users should apply professional judgment and consider project-specific factors when using our estimates in actual fee proposals or contracts.

Professional Responsibility

Our tool is intended for use by qualified architecture and engineering professionals who understand the complexities of design project fee structures. Users are responsible for:

• Applying appropriate professional judgment when using estimates
• Adjusting estimates based on project-specific requirements
• Ensuring compliance with local professional licensing requirements
• Maintaining appropriate professional liability insurance
• Following applicable professional standards and codes of ethics

Acceptable Use

You agree to use our Service only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

• Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or activity
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or data
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble our software
• Copy, distribute, or create derivative works from our content
• Use automated systems to scrape or harvest data from our Service
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of our Service
• Attempt to access data or materials not intended for you

Intellectual Property Rights

The Service and its original content, features, and functionality are and will remain the exclusive property of DesignFee.net and its licensors. The Service is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws. Our trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service without our prior written consent.

The fee calculation methodologies, algorithms, and data compilations used in our tool represent proprietary intellectual property developed through significant investment in research and industry analysis.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL DESIGNFEE.NET BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE.

We specifically disclaim liability for:

• Financial losses resulting from use of our fee estimates
• Lost business opportunities or project awards
• Professional liability claims related to fee proposals
• Errors or omissions in our calculations or methodologies
• Service interruptions or technical difficulties

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless DesignFee.net and its licensors, employees, contractors, agents, officers, and directors from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees).

Service Availability

We strive to maintain continuous availability of our Service, but we do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Service may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or technical issues. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time without prior notice.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy, which also governs your use of the Service, to understand our practices regarding the collection and use of your information.

Changes to Terms

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material, we will try to provide at least 30 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect.

What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion. Your continued use of the Service after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be interpreted and governed by the laws of the United States, without regard to conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Service and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have between us regarding the Service.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please contact us: