Privacy Policy
Last updated: 1 October 2026
This page explains what personal information we collect when you use our website or work with us, why we need it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and what your rights are. We've kept it as short and plain as we can.
Who we are
Approved Building Consulting Ltd is the "controller" responsible for your personal information. We're a company registered in England and Wales (company number 15443309), registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (registration reference ZB759349).
If you have any questions about this policy or your information, contact us:
- Email: info@approvedbuildings.co.uk
- Phone: 020 4591 2902
What we collect and why
When you send an enquiry. We collect your name, email address, phone number (if you give it) and your message. We use these only to reply to you. Enquiry form messages are emailed to us and aren't stored in our website database.
When you create an account or request a quote. We collect your name, email address and phone number, your company's name, address and contact details, and the project details you enter into the quote tool. We use these to produce your quote, manage your account and let you track your quotes and jobs.
When we carry out work for you. We hold the project information needed to do the job: the site address, drawings, specifications and other details you or your project team send us, along with our working notes and the reports we produce. We also keep invoicing and payment records.
The prices shown by our quote tool are calculated automatically from the details you enter. We don't make any decisions about you by automated means that have a legal or similarly significant effect, and you can always speak to us about a quote.
Our lawful basis
- Contract: to provide quotes and carry out work you ask us to do, including steps you ask us to take before a contract is agreed.
- Legal obligation: to keep financial records for HMRC, and to lodge Energy Performance Certificates where the law requires one.
- Legitimate interests: to reply to general enquiries, keep our website secure, keep the assessment records our government-approved accreditation scheme requires, and keep records we may need to deal with any question or claim about our work in the future.
Who we share it with
We never sell your information or share it for marketing. We share it only with the following, and only as far as needed:
- Service providers who handle data on our behalf: Akamai (Linode), which hosts our website and its database on servers in London; Amazon Web Services, which sends our website's emails through its London region; Microsoft, for our business email and file storage (Microsoft 365 and OneDrive); FreeAgent, our accounting software; and Umami, our website analytics service, hosted in the EU.
- Elmhurst Energy, our accreditation scheme, which may audit our assessments and through which we lodge certificates.
- The government's Energy Performance Certificate register. Where your project needs an EPC, it's lodged on the public register. EPCs show the property address and its energy information, not the owner's or client's name.
- Building control bodies, planning authorities and your project team, where you ask us to send them our reports.
- Anyone we're legally required to share information with, for example HMRC.
Some of our service providers are international companies. Where your information may be processed outside the UK, they rely on safeguards recognised under UK law, such as the UK–US data bridge or approved contract clauses.
How long we keep it
| Information | How long | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiries that don't lead to work | 12 months | In case you get back in touch about the same project |
| Invoices and financial records | 6 years | HMRC requirements |
| Project files, assessment records and reports | 15 years after the job is completed | Our accreditation scheme requires assessment records to be kept for 15 years, matching the time limit for claims about building work |
| Website accounts | Until you ask us to close your account, or 6 years after it was last used | So you can see your quotes and jobs |
If you close your account, we'll still keep any project and financial records we're required to keep, for the periods above.
Cookies
Our website only uses cookies that are strictly necessary for it to work, so we don't need to ask for your consent:
- csrftoken: protects our forms against a type of attack called cross-site request forgery.
- sessionid: keeps you logged in to your account, and helps us block automated spam sent through our enquiry form.
We don't use advertising cookies or cookies that track you across other websites.
Website analytics
We use Umami, a privacy-focused analytics service hosted in the EU, to understand how our website is used, so we can improve it. Umami doesn't use cookies, doesn't store your IP address, and doesn't identify you or follow you across other websites. It records information such as which pages are visited, which website you came from, your browser and device type, your country, and certain actions, such as whether an enquiry was sent or a quote was completed. We only see these figures as totals. They're used for no other purpose and aren't shared with anyone else for their own use.
Our lawful basis for this is our legitimate interest in improving our website. If you'd rather not be included, you can turn analytics off for this browser:
Analytics is also turned off automatically if your browser sends a "Do Not Track" signal.
Our website loads its page styling from jsDelivr, a content delivery network. Like any website, jsDelivr receives your IP address when your browser requests these files. It doesn't set cookies.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- ask us to correct anything that's wrong or incomplete
- ask us to delete your information, unless we're required to keep it
- object to, or ask us to restrict, how we use your information
- ask us to transfer your information to you or another organisation
To use any of these rights, email info@approvedbuildings.co.uk. We'll respond within one month.
Complaints
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We'll update this page if anything changes, for example if we start using new services. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.