Terms of Service

1. Account Registration and Eligibility

1.1 Eligibility

To use HousePlanHub, you must be at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into contracts. You must not be located in a jurisdiction subject to Canadian or applicable export/trade restrictions.

1.2 Account Types

HousePlanHub connects two kinds of accounts:

• Client: an individual or organization posting a project brief and commissioning design work.
• Designer: an individual or firm offering architectural, design, or technical services through the Platform.

A single person may hold both roles.

1.3 Account Accuracy

You must provide accurate, current information and are responsible for all activity under your account and for keeping your credentials secure.

1.4 Verification

HousePlanHub may request verification of identity or professional credentials (e.g. licensure, stamp jurisdiction). A "Verified" badge reflects that such verification has been completed; it is not a guarantee of work quality.

2. How the Platform Works

2.1 Project Briefs

Clients describe their project through a structured brief. The brief is used to help Designers understand project scope and submit relevant proposals.

2.2 Proposals

Designers may submit proposals in response to a brief or when invited to a specific project. A proposal includes a proposed fee structure and milestone breakdown.

2.3 Milestone-Based Engagements

Accepted proposals are broken into milestones with individual fees. Clients fund each milestone in advance; funds are held by our payment processor until the milestone is approved.

2.4 Deliverables and Approval

Designers submit deliverables (notes and/or files) per milestone. Clients review each submission and either approve it — releasing that milestone's payment — or request a revision with specific feedback. A full submission history is retained for each milestone.

2.5 Project Completion

A project becomes eligible for completion once all of its milestones are approved. The Client may mark the project complete at that point; if no action is taken, the project auto-completes after 7 days. Upon completion, the Client may leave a rating and review for the Designer, which may be edited at any time.

3. Ownership and Licensing of Work

3.1 Designer's Underlying Rights

Except as otherwise agreed directly between a Client and a Designer in their engagement, the Designer retains authorship and underlying intellectual property rights in concepts, techniques, and pre-existing work product.

3.2 Client's License to Deliverables

When a Client approves a milestone and its payment is released to the Designer, the Client receives the right to use, reproduce, and build from the deliverables submitted for that milestone — for the project described in the brief — unless the Client and Designer have separately agreed otherwise in writing.

3.3 Platform License

By submitting content to HousePlanHub (portfolio images, profile content, project briefs), you grant Arquos a non-exclusive, worldwide license to display that content on the Platform for the purpose of operating and promoting the marketplace.

3.4 No Transfer of Professional Responsibility

Nothing in this Agreement transfers professional liability, stamping authority, or code-compliance responsibility away from the licensed professional performing the work. Clients are responsible for confirming that deliverables meet local building codes and permitting requirements before construction.

4. Use of the Platform

4.1 Acceptable Use

The Platform may be used only for legitimate design-services purposes: posting projects, submitting proposals, communicating about active engagements, and managing milestone-based work.

4.2 Prohibited Conduct

Users may not: circumvent the Platform to avoid fees on a connection made through HousePlanHub; misrepresent credentials or qualifications; upload content that infringes another party's rights; or use the Platform for any unlawful purpose.

4.3 Content Standards

Portfolio and profile content must be your own work or work you have rights to display, and must not violate professional standards or applicable law.

5. Payments and Commission

5.1 Payment Processing

All payments are processed through our third-party payment processor (Stripe). HousePlanHub does not store your payment card details.

5.2 Platform Commission

Arquos retains a commission on each milestone payment released to a Designer. The current commission rate is 15% of the milestone amount. Commission rates may vary for future subscription tiers; any change will be disclosed before it applies to your account.

5.3 Escrow

Milestone funds are held by our payment processor from the time a Client funds a milestone until that milestone is approved (or a resolution is reached per Section 6).

6. Revisions, Disputes, and Refunds

6.1 Revision Requests

If a Client is not satisfied with a submitted deliverable, they may request a revision with written feedback instead of approving the milestone. The Designer may resubmit; there is no limit on the number of revision cycles, though we encourage both parties to agree on reasonable scope within their engagement.

6.2 Milestone Refunds

A Client may be entitled to a refund of a funded-but-unapproved milestone if:

• The Designer fails to submit a deliverable within a reasonable time after the milestone's due date, or
• The Designer becomes unavailable or unresponsive and the engagement cannot reasonably continue, or
• Both parties mutually agree to cancel the milestone.

Refund requests are made by contacting support@houseplanhub.com with the project and milestone details.

6.3 Approved Milestones Are Final

Once a milestone is approved by the Client, the associated payment is released to the Designer (less commission) and is not refundable through the Platform. Any dispute about the quality of already-approved work is between the Client and Designer directly; Arquos may assist in good faith but is not obligated to reverse a released payment.

6.4 Chargebacks

Initiating a chargeback for a payment without first attempting resolution through Section 6.2 may result in account suspension pending investigation.

6.5 Platform Commission on Refunds

If a milestone payment is refunded under Section 6.2, Arquos will refund its commission on that milestone, except to the extent we have already incurred non-recoverable third-party costs (such as payment processing fees) directly tied to that transaction. In that case, those costs will be deducted from the refunded commission.

7. Reviews

Reviews are limited to one per completed project and must reflect the reviewer's genuine experience. Arquos may remove reviews that violate this standard or applicable law.

8. Platform Access and Availability

8.1 Service Availability

The Platform is provided on an "as-is" and "as-available" basis. We may temporarily restrict access for maintenance or updates.

8.2 Force Majeure

Arquos is not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

9. Security and Data

Our practices around collecting, using, and protecting your data are described in our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into this Agreement by reference.

10. Termination

10.1 Grounds

We may suspend or terminate an account for breach of this Agreement, fraud, repeated policy violations, or failure to complete required verification.

10.2 Effect of Termination

We may retain records as required for legal or tax purposes. Active milestone funds already in escrow will be handled per Section 6.

11. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

11.1 Governing Law

This Agreement is governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

11.2 Arbitration

Disputes arising from this Agreement shall first be attempted to be resolved informally by contacting support@houseplanhub.com. Unresolved disputes shall be settled by binding arbitration under the rules of the ADR Institute of Canada, seated in Ontario, conducted in English.

11.3 Class Action Waiver

Claims may only be brought individually, not as part of a class or representative proceeding, to the extent permitted by law.

12. General Provisions

12.1 Modifications

We may update this Agreement; material changes will be communicated via email or in-Platform notice before taking effect.

12.2 Electronic Communications

You consent to receive communications from us electronically.

12.3 Severability

If any provision is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

12.4 Assignment

You may not assign your rights under this Agreement without our consent. Arquos may assign this Agreement to an affiliate or successor.

13. Contact

Questions about these Terms: support@houseplanhub.com

Arquos, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada