Terms of Service

1. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms of Service:

• “Big Easy Basements,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to [Legal company name], doing business as Big Easy Basements.
• “Customer,” “you,” or “your” refers to any person or household entering into a written agreement with Big Easy Basements, or any visitor to this Site.
• “Services” refers to the work Big Easy Basements performs, including: assessment, diagnosis, waterproofing, foundation repair, crawl space repair, mold remediation, sump pump installation, and basement finishing.
• “Project” refers to the specific scope of work documented in a written agreement signed by both parties.
• “Site” refers to this website, located at [domain].

2. Scope of Work

Services are limited to the scope documented in the signed written agreement for the Project. Verbal estimates and informal conversations are non-binding. Only the written agreement controls.

If conditions discovered during the Project require a change in scope — additional excavation, unexpected structural issues, asbestos or other hazardous materials, or any work outside the original written scope — Big Easy Basements will pause work and present a written change order. No additional work begins until the change order is signed by the Customer.

3. Payment Terms

Unless otherwise documented in the written agreement, payment follows this structure:

1. Deposit due on signing of the written agreement.
2. Progress payment due at the project milestone defined in the written agreement.
3. Final payment due upon Project completion and Customer’s inspection sign-off.

Accepted payment methods include check, ACH bank transfer, and major credit cards. Credit card payments may incur a processing surcharge as permitted by law.

Late payments

Balances unpaid more than 30 days after the invoice date accrue interest at 1.5% per month (or the maximum rate permitted by [state] law, whichever is lower). Returned payments (NSF checks, reversed ACH transactions) incur a $35 returned-payment fee plus any third-party charges incurred by Big Easy Basements.

4. Warranty Terms

Big Easy Basements provides a lifetime workmanship warranty on waterproofing-system installation. The warranty covers the system Big Easy installs, in the area we installed it. Materials warranties pass through manufacturer terms where applicable.

Transferability

The lifetime waterproofing warranty is transferable one time to the next homeowner at no cost, provided the Customer notifies Big Easy Basements in writing within 30 days of the property sale.

Exclusions

The warranty does not cover:

• Damage from sources unrelated to the installed system — for example, burst plumbing, roof leaks, window-well overflow, or structural movement we were not retained to address.
• Modifications to the installed system performed without Big Easy Basements’ written involvement.
• Acts of God beyond reasonable engineering tolerance (catastrophic flooding, named storms exceeding 100-year return intervals, etc.).
• Properties not maintained per the post-install maintenance instructions Big Easy Basements provides at Project completion.

5. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Big Easy Basements’ total liability for any claim arising out of or relating to a Project is limited to the contract price paid for that Project.

Big Easy Basements is not liable for consequential, incidental, indirect, special, or punitive damages, including but not limited to: lost rental income, lost sale opportunities, diminution in property value, delay damages, or emotional distress.

Customer is responsible for maintaining adequate homeowners insurance on the property throughout the Project and afterward. Big Easy Basements’ insurance does not replace the Customer’s homeowners policy.

6. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

If a dispute arises between Customer and Big Easy Basements, the parties agree to the following resolution sequence:

1. Good-faith conversation. Customer contacts Big Easy Basements directly to discuss the dispute. Most issues resolve at this stage.
2. Mandatory mediation. If unresolved within 30 days of the initial conversation, the parties agree to non-binding mediation in [State/County: CONTENT-PENDING — choose CT or NY based on company HQ]. Costs of mediation are shared equally.
3. Binding arbitration. If mediation does not resolve the dispute, both parties agree to binding arbitration under the Construction Industry Rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). The arbitrator’s decision is final and enforceable in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Governing law: These Terms and any Project agreement are governed by the laws of [State], without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles.

Class action waiver: Customer waives any right to participate in a class action, class arbitration, or representative proceeding against Big Easy Basements.

Small claims preserved: Nothing in this section prevents Customer from seeking relief in a small-claims court in the state where the Project occurred, for claims within that court’s jurisdictional limit.

7. Connecticut Home Improvement Contractor Disclosure

Big Easy Basements’ work in Connecticut is governed by Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 400, the Home Improvement Act (CGS § 20-418 et seq.).

Our Connecticut Home Improvement Contractor registration number, [HIC.XXXXXXX], is required by CT law to appear on all written contracts and is included on every written estimate and agreement we provide.

Three-day cancellation right (Connecticut): Under Connecticut law, you have the right to cancel any home-improvement contract over $200 within three business days of signing, for any reason, by delivering written notice of cancellation to Big Easy Basements. You will receive a full refund of any deposit paid.

8. New York Home Improvement Contractor Disclosure

Big Easy Basements’ work in New York is governed by New York General Business Law § 770 (the New York Home Improvement Business Law) and applicable county- and city-level home-improvement licensing requirements.

Our New York Home Improvement Contractor license number, [HIC-XXXXXXXX], appears on every written estimate and contract delivered in New York.

Three-day cancellation right (New York): Under New York General Business Law § 771, you have the right to cancel a home-improvement contract within three business days of signing by delivering written notice of cancellation to Big Easy Basements. You will receive a full refund of any deposit paid.

9. Website Acceptable Use

The content of this Site — including text, images, illustrations, layout, and underlying code — is the property of [Legal company name] and is protected by United States copyright and trademark law.

Permitted use

• Viewing the Site in a standard web browser for personal, non-commercial research purposes.
• Sharing direct links to Site pages with friends, family, or contractors.
• Submitting the contact form in good faith to request an inspection or ask a question.

Prohibited use

• Scraping, crawling, or harvesting Site content for competitive intelligence or republication.
• Copying Site content for republication on another website, social channel, or printed material without written permission.
• Reverse-engineering, decompiling, or attempting to extract Site source code beyond what a standard browser permits.
• Automated submission of the contact form (bot submissions, spam, lead-gen scraping).
• Any use that violates applicable federal, state, or local law.

10. Modifications and Severability

Big Easy Basements may update these Terms from time to time. Material changes — meaning changes that meaningfully affect Customer rights or obligations — will be posted on this page at least 30 days before the effective date. Continued use of the Site or our Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect. The unenforceable provision is replaced by the closest enforceable provision that achieves the original intent.