Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Firststop Roofing Ltd is an independent roofing contractor owned and run by Matt. We provide expert roofing services to residential homeowners across Southampton, Hampshire, and the surrounding areas.

For the purposes of applicable UK data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, Firststop Roofing Ltd acts as the data controller for the personal details you share with us.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that is necessary to provide you with accurate quotations, answer enquiries, and deliver our trade services. Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

• Contact details: Your full name, telephone number, and email address.
• Property information: Your address, postcode, and relevant details about your property (such as roof type, pitch, or structural observations).
• Enquiry details and media: Project descriptions, notes, and photos you voluntarily upload through our contact or quote forms to help us assess required works.
• Communications history: Notes from telephone conversations, written estimates, agreements, and customer service correspondence.
• Basic website usage data: Technical information such as your anonymised IP address, browser type, and pages visited, collected to ensure our website functions securely and smoothly.

3. How We Use Your Information and Our Legal Grounds

Under UK GDPR, we must have a valid lawful basis to process your personal data. We process your data under the following legal bases:

• Performance of a contract (or taking steps prior to entering a contract): To evaluate your request, carry out site surveys, produce written quotations, supply materials, and complete agreed roofing work.
• Legitimate interests: To answer your enquiries, arrange convenient survey visits, maintain business records, follow up on quotes, and improve our services and site performance.
• Legal obligation: To maintain required accounting records, issue invoices, comply with tax requirements (HMRC), and meet building regulations or statutory obligations.
• Consent: Where you provide explicit permission, such as allowing us to photograph completed work for our project gallery. You may withdraw consent at any time.

4. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was gathered:

• Enquiries and unaccepted estimates: Kept for up to 12 months in case you decide to proceed or follow up at a later date, after which they are securely deleted.
• Customer contracts and completed projects: Retained for 6 to 10 years to support our customer records and statutory tax and accounting regulations.

5. Who We Share Your Data With

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We only share information with trusted third parties strictly necessary to operate our business:

• Trade suppliers and specialist contractors: For direct delivery of building materials (such as tiles, slate, timber, or rainwater goods) or specialist access equipment to your address.
• Professional advisers and digital services: Our secure web hosting providers, email platforms, and qualified accountants who assist with business operations.
• Regulatory or legal authorities: If required by law, court order, or to defend our legal rights.

6. Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses basic, essential cookies to keep the website running securely and reliably. We may also use basic, aggregated analytics to understand how visitors navigate our pages so we can improve usability.

You can configure your web browser to block or delete cookies at any time; however, certain interactive features of the website may not function as intended.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: You can ask us to update or correct inaccurate or incomplete details.
• Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data where there is no ongoing legal or contractual need for us to keep it.
• Right to restrict or object to processing: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or request restrictions under certain conditions.
• Right to data portability: You can ask us to transfer your data to you or another provider in a structured format.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly using the details below. We respond to all valid requests promptly and free of charge within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk.

8. Security of Your Information

We take appropriate technical and organisational precautions to protect your personal details against loss, unauthorised access, misuse, or alteration. Website submissions are encrypted in transit via SSL/TLS technology, and data access is restricted solely to authorised personnel.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our trade operations, industry standards, or legal requirements. Any revisions will be published directly on this page with an updated revision date.