Privacy policy

1. Who we are

W. E. Cox & Sons Ltd is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. We are a family-run roofing and building contractor, registered in England and Wales, company number 01116611. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, registration number ZB357916.

2. What we collect

When you use our quote form

We ask for:

• your name
• your email address
• your phone number
• your address or postcode
• the type of work you need
• any description you choose to give of the job

When you phone or email us

The details you give us, such as your name, contact details, the property address and information about the work.

When we carry out work for you

Quotes, invoices, payment records, notes and photographs of the work, and details of any guarantee we have given.

When you browse this website

We do not use analytics, tracking or advertising tools, and the site does not collect information about how you use it. Like any website, the company that hosts it may keep short-term technical logs (such as IP addresses) to keep the site secure and running.

We do not ask for, and do not want, any sensitive information such as health details.

3. How we use it, and why

Data protection law requires a lawful reason for each use of your information. Ours are:

• Answering your enquiry and preparing a quote Because you asked us to, before entering into a contract (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
• Carrying out the work, arranging visits and keeping you updated To perform our contract with you (Article 6(1)(b)).
• Keeping invoices and financial records Because the law requires it, for tax and company records (Article 6(1)(c)).
• Honouring guarantees, and dealing with any queries or disputes about work Our legitimate interest in standing behind our work (Article 6(1)(f)).

We will not send you marketing, sell your information, or pass it to anyone for their own marketing. We do not make decisions about you by automated means.

4. Who we share it with

We only share your information with the services we need to run the business:

• FormSubmit (formsubmit.co) — delivers messages sent through our quote form to our email inbox. Its own privacy policy explains how it handles the data it passes on.
• WhatsApp (Meta) — if you choose to message us using the WhatsApp button on this site, that conversation takes place on WhatsApp and is handled by Meta under its own privacy policy. We see only the messages you send us. You do not have to use it; the phone, email and quote form reach us just as well.
• Fasthosts — our email provider, which holds the emails we send and receive, including enquiries from our quote form.
• Our website hosting provider — which serves this website and may keep the technical logs mentioned above.
• Sage and Xero — the accounting software we use to raise quotes and invoices and keep our financial records. Where you are a customer, that includes your name, contact details, the work address and what the job cost.
• Monzo — our bank. Payments you make to us, and refunds we make to you, pass through our business account and appear on our bank records.
• Our accountant and HMRC — where financial records need to be shared for tax purposes.

We may also share information where the law requires it, or with our insurers or professional advisers if needed to deal with a claim.

Some of these providers may store or process data outside the UK. Where they do, they are responsible for putting appropriate safeguards in place, as described in their own privacy policies.

5. How long we keep it

• Enquiries and quotes that don’t go ahead: up to 12 months from our last contact, then deleted.
• Customer and job records, including invoices: six years from the end of the financial year they relate to, as required for tax and company records.
• Guarantee records: for the length of the guarantee — up to 10 years for new roofs and flat roofs.

When information is no longer needed, we delete it securely.

6. Cookies

This website does not set cookies. The only thing it stores is your answer to the cookie banner, which is kept in your own browser (in “local storage”) so the banner doesn’t reappear on every visit. It is never sent to us.

We do not currently use analytics. If we add simple analytics in future, it will only run if you have chosen Accept. You can change your choice at any time using Cookie preferences at the bottom of our home page, or by clearing your browser’s stored data for this site.

7. 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 information that is wrong or incomplete
• ask us to delete your information, where we no longer have a reason to keep it
• ask us to restrict how we use your information
• object to us using your information on the basis of legitimate interests
• ask for information you gave us to be passed to you or another organisation in a usable format

To use any of these rights, contact us using the details below. There is normally no charge, and we will respond within one month. We may need to confirm your identity first.

8. Making a complaint

If you are unhappy with how we have 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), the UK regulator for data protection: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, or phone 0303 123 1113.

9. Changes to this policy

We will update this policy if the way we handle personal information changes, and show the date of the latest version at the top of this page.