Terms of Service

The short version

• We provide AI-generated construction cost estimates based on the documents you send us.
• Estimates are approximate guides — not guaranteed prices or professional surveys.
• Your first 2 estimates are free. After that, each estimate costs £50.
• If an estimate isn’t good enough to send to your client, you don’t pay.
• Your statutory rights under UK consumer law are not affected by these terms.

About the service

5MinuteEstimate is a construction estimating service. You send us photos, blueprints, or project documents via WhatsApp, and we use AI technology to produce a branded cost estimate for your project.

The service is provided by My Trusted Builder Ltd (company number 15826076, registered at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ), operating as 5MinuteEstimate. You can reach us at hello@5minutestimate.co.uk.

By using 5MinuteEstimate, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

Pricing and payment

• Free trial: Your first 2 estimates are free — no credit card required.
• After that: Each estimate costs £50. VAT will be added if and when we become VAT-registered.
• Payment method: Payments are processed securely via Stripe. We never see or store your full card details.
• Currency: All prices are in British pounds sterling (GBP).
• One estimate = one charge. You are only charged for estimates you accept.

We will always tell you the price before we start working on your estimate. We will not charge you without your agreement.

Our guarantee

Not good enough to send? You don’t pay.

If you receive an estimate and it is not good enough to send to your client, let us know and you will not be charged. This is our goodwill commitment to quality, in addition to your statutory rights.

• Tell us within 7 days of receiving your estimate.
• Let us know what was wrong — this helps us improve.
• We may offer to revise the estimate instead of a refund, but the final decision is yours.

Estimate accuracy

This is important — please read carefully.

Our estimates are produced using artificial intelligence. While we work hard to make them as accurate as possible, they are approximate guides — not guaranteed prices. AI technology can sometimes make mistakes.

Our estimates are based on:

• The photos and documents you provide
• Current UK material and labour costs
• Standard construction methods and regional pricing

Actual project costs will vary based on factors we cannot account for, including:

• Site conditions and access
• Local labour rates and availability
• Material price changes and availability
• Project complexity and specifications not visible in the documents
• Building regulation requirements

We recommend that you:

• Get quotes from at least two tradespeople before starting work
• Have a qualified professional visit the site before agreeing a final price
• Do not treat our estimate as a substitute for professional quantity surveying

5MinuteEstimate is not a quantity surveyor, cost consultant, or RICS-regulated firm. Our estimates are a starting point to help you price jobs faster — not a certified professional report.

Cancellation and refunds

Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, you have a 14-day right to cancel a distance contract. However, because each estimate is a one-off digital service:

• By submitting your documents for an estimate, you request that we begin the service immediately.
• You acknowledge that once your estimate has been generated and delivered, the service is complete and the 14-day cancellation right no longer applies for that estimate.

If you change your mind before we start generating your estimate, you can cancel at no cost by messaging us on WhatsApp.

If our service is faulty or not as described, your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 are not affected. See “Your statutory rights” below.

Your statutory rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, our service must be:

• Of satisfactory quality — meeting the standard a reasonable person would expect
• Fit for purpose — suitable for producing construction cost estimates
• As described — matching what we promise on our website and in our communications

If our service does not meet these standards, you are entitled to have the estimate re-done or to receive a price reduction. Nothing in these terms takes away your statutory rights.

Your documents

• The photos, blueprints, and plans you send us remain your property (or your client’s).
• We treat all uploaded documents as confidential. We will not share them with anyone outside of the services needed to produce your estimate.
• We delete your uploaded files within 30 days of delivering your estimate.
• We never use your documents to train AI models or for any purpose other than producing your estimate.

The estimate we generate is yours to use for your business. We retain the rights to the estimate template and format, but the content — the actual costs and line items — belongs to you.

Acceptable use

When using 5MinuteEstimate, you agree to:

• Only submit documents you own or have permission to use
• Use the service for legitimate UK construction projects
• Provide accurate information about your projects
• Not attempt to reverse-engineer our AI or extract our pricing data
• Not use the service for anything illegal or fraudulent

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your access if you breach these terms.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• Our total liability for any claim related to an estimate is limited to the price you paid for that estimate (£50 maximum).
• We are not liable for indirect losses, lost profits, lost contracts, or any financial decisions you make based on our estimates.

We do not exclude or limit our liability for:

• Death or personal injury caused by our negligence
• Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
• Any other liability that cannot be excluded under UK law

Service availability

We aim to provide a reliable service, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. We may need to pause the service for maintenance, updates, or circumstances beyond our control (including failures of third-party services such as WhatsApp or our AI provider).

If we are unable to deliver an estimate you have paid for due to a service outage, we will either complete it once the service is restored or refund your payment in full.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will let you know by email or via WhatsApp before the changes take effect. Continued use of the service after changes take effect means you accept the updated terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

If you have a complaint, please contact us first at hello@5minutestimate.co.uk. We will try to resolve it informally before either of us considers court action.

Privacy

How we collect, use, and protect your personal data is explained in our Privacy Policy.

Contact us

If you have any questions about these terms, get in touch:

• Email: hello@5minutestimate.co.uk
• WhatsApp: message us directly