Terms & Conditions

1. About

These terms and conditions govern the provision of web development and related services by Paul Jacobs, sole trader, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom (“I”, “me”, “my”).

By engaging my services — whether by accepting a proposal, making a payment, or instructing work to begin — you (“the Client”) agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not proceed.

Contact: contact@pauljacobs.dev

2. Services

I provide web design, web development, bespoke application development, SaaS product development, hosting, maintenance, and related digital services as described in the proposal or package selected by the Client.

The scope of work will be confirmed in a written proposal or project specification before work begins. Any work outside that scope will be quoted and agreed separately before I carry it out.

I reserve the right to decline any project at my discretion, including before or after a proposal has been issued.

3. Payment Terms

4. Intellectual Property

Upon receipt of full and final payment, I assign to the Client full ownership of the custom code and design assets created specifically for their project.

I retain ownership of any tools, frameworks, libraries, methodologies, or generic code components I use or develop that are not unique to the Client’s project. These may be reused in other projects.

Until full payment is received, all work product remains my intellectual property. I reserve the right to withhold delivery or take a site offline if payment obligations are not met.

The Client warrants that any content, images, copy, or materials they provide to me are either owned by them or they have the appropriate licences to use them. I accept no liability for third-party intellectual property infringement arising from client-supplied materials.

5. Client Responsibilities

Projects run smoothly when both sides hold up their end. The Client agrees to:

• Provide content, materials, and feedback within agreed timeframes
• Nominate a single point of contact for approvals and decisions
• Review and approve deliverables promptly — delays caused by the Client may affect the project timeline and cost
• Ensure that all content and materials supplied are legal, accurate, and do not infringe third-party rights

If a project stalls for more than 30 days due to lack of Client response or materials, I reserve the right to invoice for work completed to date and close the project. Restarting the project will require a new agreement.

6. Revisions & Scope Changes

Reasonable revisions within the agreed scope are included. What counts as a reasonable revision will be defined in the project proposal.

Requests that fall outside the agreed scope (“scope creep”) will be quoted separately at my standard day rate before any work begins. I will always flag scope changes clearly rather than just absorbing them or refusing them.

7. Cancellation

By the Client:

• If the Client cancels a project before work begins, the deposit is non-refundable
• If the Client cancels after work has begun, they are liable for the cost of all work completed to the date of cancellation, calculated at my standard day rate, up to the total agreed fee. Any balance over the deposit already paid will be invoiced immediately

Retainer cancellation:

• Retainers require a minimum 3-month commitment
• After the minimum period, either party may end the retainer with 30 days’ written notice
• If the retainer includes hosting provided by me, I will provide reasonable assistance with migration during the notice period

By me:

I reserve the right to terminate an engagement with 14 days’ written notice if the Client is in material breach of these terms (including non-payment). In such cases I will invoice for all work completed. I am not liable for losses arising from such termination where the Client is at fault.

8. Hosting

Where hosting is included in a retainer plan, I will arrange and manage hosting on the Client’s behalf using Fasthosts Internet Ltd (UK-based infrastructure). The hosting account will be held in my name and managed by me for the duration of the retainer.

If the Client wishes to take over the hosting account or migrate to a different provider, I will cooperate fully during the notice period. I do not hold the Client’s website or data hostage — all files and database exports will be provided within 5 working days of a valid request.

I target high availability but cannot guarantee 100% uptime, as this depends on the hosting provider. I am not liable for losses arising from hosting downtime that is outside my reasonable control.

9. Warranties & Limitation of Liability

I warrant that I will perform services with reasonable skill and care. I do not warrant that websites or applications will be entirely free of defects, but I will use reasonable endeavours to fix defects reported to me within a reasonable timeframe.

I am not liable for:

• Loss of revenue, profit, or business arising from the use or failure of a website or application
• Third-party services (hosting providers, payment processors, email services, APIs) that are outside my control
• Security breaches resulting from the Client’s own actions or the failure of third-party services
• Content supplied by the Client

My total liability to the Client for any claim arising under or in connection with these terms is limited to the total fees paid by the Client in the 12 months preceding the claim.

Nothing in these terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by my negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be excluded by law.

10. Confidentiality

I will treat all non-public information shared by the Client (business plans, financial data, customer data) as confidential and will not disclose it to third parties without the Client’s consent, except where required by law.

I reserve the right to include the Client’s project in my portfolio and to reference it in marketing materials, unless the Client requests otherwise in writing before project completion.

11. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from circumstances genuinely beyond their reasonable control, including but not limited to power outages, internet infrastructure failures, illness, or natural disasters. The affected party will notify the other as soon as reasonably possible and will take reasonable steps to mitigate the impact.

12. Governing Law & Disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes that cannot be resolved by negotiation between the parties shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

I would always prefer to resolve any dispute informally and promptly. Please contact me directly in the first instance at contact@pauljacobs.dev.

13. Changes to These Terms

I may update these terms from time to time. For ongoing retainer clients, I will give at least 30 days’ notice of any material changes. Continued use of my services after that period constitutes acceptance of the updated terms. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.