Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern web design, development, and related digital services provided by Stephen Paul Booth Milden dba Buildin' With Milden — The Studio as a sole proprietorship operated by Stephen Milden ("we," "us," "our," or "the Studio"), to you ("you" or "the Client"). Our working process is described on our "How I Work" page and is incorporated by reference. The specific scope, price, and terms of any project are governed by the separate written proposal/agreement we sign for that project; if anything there conflicts with these Terms, the signed agreement controls.

1. Acceptance

By engaging us, approving a proposal, or paying a deposit, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

2. Services

We provide custom websites, web and mobile applications, AI integrations and voice agents, video production, site audits, rescues/migrations, security hardening, maintenance, and related services as described on our Services page and defined in each proposal.

3. Proposals and fixed pricing

Projects are quoted as a fixed project price based on an agreed scope, set out in a written proposal before work begins. Work beyond the agreed scope is handled through a written change (Section 6).

4. Deposits, revisions, and payment schedule

• Design deposit. Design begins with a $300 deposit for three web design directions; an optional $100 adds three logo concepts. These amounts are credited toward your project total. If you choose not to proceed after seeing the concepts, you have paid only for the design work delivered (which is yours to keep) and owe nothing further.
• Revisions. The chosen design includes two rounds of revisions (a "round" being one collected set of feedback). Additional rounds are $200 each, agreed before they begin.
• Payment schedule. The $300 design deposit starts design; when you approve the final design, half the remaining balance starts the build; the remaining balance is due when you approve the finished site, before launch. Launch only happens when the final payment is received.

5. Third-party costs

Domains, hosting, premium fonts or plugins, stock media, and similar items purchased from third parties are passed to you at cost, disclosed up front, with no markup. Those third parties' own terms and fees apply to their products and services.

6. Changes to scope

Any request beyond the agreed proposal — an extra page, a new feature, another language, etc. — is quoted (price and timeline) and approved by you before we start.

7. Intellectual property and ownership

• On final payment, ownership of the final deliverables — the website, its source code, and its content we created for you — transfers to you. Your domain is registered in your name, and we hand over all logins and accounts.
• We build on standard, portable technology and do not lock you into proprietary systems; you may move your site or engage another provider at any time.
• Exceptions: third-party components, open-source libraries, fonts, plugins, and stock media remain owned by their respective licensors and are provided under their licenses; and we retain ownership of our own general tools, techniques, and know-how.
• Portfolio. Unless you specifically request otherwise in advance, you agree that we may display the completed work on our website and in our marketing materials.

Until final payment, all deliverables and rights remain ours.

8. Client responsibilities

You agree to provide timely content, feedback, approvals, and access (accounts, assets, credentials) needed to do the work; to hold the rights to any materials you give us; and to review deliverables. Delays on your side may affect the timeline. The launch review is for catching bugs, typos, and content fixes; new design directions at that stage are a quoted change.

9. Maintenance, hosting, and support

Ongoing maintenance, backups, hosting, and updates are optional and offered under a separate month-to-month care plan you may cancel at any time. Absent a care plan, the site is delivered "as is" at launch and ongoing upkeep is your responsibility. Every account remains in your name; where we provide hosting or management, we act as an authorized user you can remove at any time.

10. Warranties and disclaimers

We perform services in a professional and workmanlike manner and will correct defects in our work reported within 30 days of launch. Except as expressly stated, services and deliverables are provided without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. We do not warrant uninterrupted or error-free operation, search-engine rankings, or the performance of third-party services, hosts, or platforms.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or relating to a project will not exceed the total fees you paid us for that project, and we will not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages (including lost profits or data).

12. Dispute resolution and governing law

These Terms and any project are governed by the laws of Ecuador. If a dispute arises that we cannot resolve between ourselves, the parties agree to attempt mediation before pursuing other remedies. Said mediation shall take place in Loja, Ecuador, in Spanish, unless the parties agree in writing to conduct it remotely.

13. Termination

Either party may terminate a project as set out in the proposal. On termination, you agree to pay for work performed and costs incurred through the termination date; deposits already earned are non-refundable.

14. General

These Terms and the applicable proposal are the entire agreement between us on their subject matter. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. We may update these Terms; the "Last updated" date reflects the current version.

15. Contact

Buildin' With Milden — The Studio  ·  stephen@buildinwithmilden.com  ·  WhatsApp +593 99 522 5308  ·  Vilcabamba, Ecuador.

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern construction and general-contracting services provided by Stephen Paul Booth Milden dba Buildin' With Milden — The Workshop, a sole proprietorship, operated by Stephen Milden ("we," "us," "our," or "the Contractor"), to you ("you" or "the Client"). Our detailed working process is described on our "How I Work" page and is incorporated by reference. The specific scope, price basis, and terms of any project are governed by the separate written agreement we sign for that project; if anything in that agreement conflicts with these Terms, the signed agreement controls.

1. Acceptance

By engaging us, requesting a quote, or entering into a project agreement with us, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

2. Services

We provide general-contracting and construction services in Ecuador within the Vilcabamba–Loja region, which may include new construction, additions, remodels, and related trades as described on our Services page and defined in each project agreement. We direct the work on site and coordinate a crew of craftsmen and, where applicable, licensed specialists.

3. Estimates and budgets

• Before work begins, we provide a good-faith estimate based on current per-unit costs. An estimate is a planning ballpark, not a fixed-price quote, and actual costs will vary with site conditions, material prices, scope, and selections.
• A detailed, line-item estimate prepared from your plans is available as a separate paid service; we will quote the cost of preparing it in advance.

4. Pricing — cost plus

Unless a project agreement states otherwise, work is billed on a cost-plus basis: materials, labor, equipment, transportation, and tools are billed at cost, and to that we add a 25% contractor fee. Any supplier discounts we receive are passed to you. We may adjust the contractor fee for smaller jobs or unusual locations/scope, and any such adjustment will be agreed with you before work begins.

5. Payments, the working fund, and reporting

• Working fund. We ask for an advance that functions as a petty-cash fund to cover mobilization (initial materials, equipment, and payroll). Every cash expense and the running balance appear in the weekly report, and any unused balance is returned to you at project completion.
• Weekly reports and invoices. Each week you receive an invoice with copies of supplier invoices and payroll, current expenses, costs to date, and status against the budget.
• Payment terms. Invoices are due upon receipt. Any payment due that is not received within 3 business days results in work stoppage. Should any payment not be received within 7 business days from receipt of invoice, the construction agreement is null and void. Because the weekly report always shows costs to date, the running balance, and the working-fund position, the amount owed at any moment is the documented costs incurred through that date (plus the contractor fee on those amounts), less payments received and any remaining working-fund balance. The Contractor's own tools and equipment remain the Contractor's property at all times; title to materials passes to the Client as those materials are paid for, and any materials on site that have not yet been paid for remain the Contractor's property and may be removed.

6. Plans, permits, and the architect's role

• New construction proceeds from a complete set of plans and specifications.
• In Ecuador, the architect is legally responsible for the structural integrity and code compliance of the building. Where a project involves an architect you have engaged independently, that architect — not the Contractor — bears that legal responsibility, and changes to plans require their approval.
• Where a permit is required, your architect submits the application; that filing is legally theirs to make. We will confirm whether a permit is needed and can assist with municipal gaps as an optional extra (Section 7).

7. Change orders and optional extras

• Change orders. Any change to the agreed scope is documented in a written change order describing the change and its effect on scope, timeline, and cost, and is approved by you before it is performed.
• Optional extras. Certain services outside the build — for example, representing you in meetings with your architect, engineers, or municipal officials; helping close gaps between the drawings and municipal requirements; or sourcing materials in person — are billed at $50 per hour, travel included, only if you request them.

8. Suppliers, crew, and materials

We coordinate suppliers and a crew to source and deliver specified materials. Material availability, pricing, and delivery timelines are affected by third parties and market conditions outside our control, and estimated timelines are not guarantees.

9. Client responsibilities

You agree to: provide timely decisions, approvals, selections, and access to the site; ensure you hold good title/authority for the property and work; and make payments when due. Delays in these may affect the timeline and cost.

10. Warranties and disclaimers

We perform work in a professional and workmanlike manner. The architect is responsible for ensuring that the construction is performed in accordance with the plans and building code. Except as expressly stated in the project agreement or required by law, our services are provided without other warranties of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. We are not responsible for the acts, omissions, or products of manufacturers, suppliers, or independent professionals you engage.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, and except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct, the Contractor's total liability arising out of or relating to a project will not exceed 10% of the contractor fee paid by you, and the Contractor will not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages.

12. Dispute resolution and governing law

These Terms and any project are governed by the laws of Ecuador. If a dispute arises that we cannot resolve between ourselves, the parties agree to attempt mediation before pursuing other remedies. Said mediation shall take place in Loja, Ecuador, in Spanish.

13. Termination

Either party may terminate a project as set out in the project agreement. On termination, you agree to pay for work performed, materials committed, and costs incurred through the termination date, plus the contractor fee on those amounts.

14. General

These Terms and the applicable project agreement are the entire agreement between us on their subject matter. If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. We may update these Terms; the "Last updated" date reflects the current version.

15. Contact

Buildin' With Milden — The Workshop  ·  stephen@buildinwithmilden.com  ·  WhatsApp +593 99 522 5308  ·  Vilcabamba, Ecuador.