Cookie Policy
Last updated: . Questions about this policy: contact@thebuildcost.com
Cookies are small text files a website stores on your device. Before you make a choice, this site sets none: it remembers your region and your choices in your browser's local storage instead. Only with your consent does it load Google's analytics or advertising, which set their own cookies. This policy explains each category, why, and how you can control them at any time via the , which is also linked from the site footer.
1. Types of cookies we use
| Category | Purpose | Examples | Duration | Consent required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Remember your region and your choices | Local storage (not cookies): user-region-v1 (your region), cookie-consent-v2 (your choices) | Until you clear browser storage | No |
| Analytics | Understand usage, improve the site | Google Analytics 4: _ga, _ga_TZZXF48E2W | Up to 2 years (some browsers cap this at 400 days) | Yes |
| Advertising | Show relevant ads | Google's advertising cookies, set on Google's own domains (for example test_cookie on doubleclick.net) | Per Google's cookie list | Yes |
| Affiliate tracking | Attribution for Amazon Associates purchases | No cookie. Adds our Associates tag to Amazon links you click | — | Yes |
2. Managing your cookie preferences
You can open the full preferences dialog at any time by clicking in the site footer, or the equivalent link shown in the initial cookie banner. From there, you can reject all non-essential cookies, or turn Analytics, Advertising, and Affiliate tracking on or off individually — each category is independent, and none are pre-selected on your behalf.
You can also clear or block cookies and site data directly through your browser's settings; most browsers document this under a "privacy" or "site settings" menu. Clearing this site's data also clears your saved region and choices, so you'll be asked again.
3. Regional specifics
EU / UK (GDPR + PECR)
Non-essential cookies are set only after you give explicit, opt-in consent — nothing is pre-ticked, and you can withdraw consent at any time via the preferences dialog with the same ease as giving it.
California (CCPA / CPRA)
You can opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information via the link in the footer, which opens the same preferences dialog used for all other consent choices.
Australia (Privacy Act) and Canada (PIPEDA)
Canada's PIPEDA requires meaningful, informed consent. Australia's Privacy Act requires consent mainly for sensitive information, so this site asks for more than it has to. The same preferences dialog and default-off settings described above apply regardless of which region you're visiting from.
4. Third-party cookies
Where you consent to a given category, the following third parties may set their own cookies on your device. We do not control how these providers use their cookies once set — refer to each provider's own policy for details:
- Google Analytics 4 (Analytics category)
- Google AdSense (Advertising category)
- Amazon sets no cookie on this site. If you click an Amazon link, Amazon's own site sets its cookies under Amazon's policy.
5. Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track
If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal and you haven't made a choice here, we treat it as a no to Analytics, Advertising and Affiliate tracking, wherever you are: none of them load, and you won't be shown the cookie banner. We don't store anything to record this; we check the signal on every visit. If you make a choice in Cookie preferences, that choice is saved and takes priority over the signal.
We don't respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals, because there is no consistent, industry-wide standard for how sites should interpret them.
6. Changes
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we change it, we update the date at the top. This policy is effective as of .
7. Contact
Questions about this policy can be sent to contact@thebuildcost.com.