Terms of use
1. Who we are
Free builder (www.freebuilder.ie) is run by Pyramid Business Express Limited, a company registered in Ireland (CRO 734910), registered office Robin Hill, Castletown Lower, Castletown, Co. Westmeath, N91 TRX4, Ireland ("we", "us"). Contact: office@pyramid.ie.
2. What Free builder does
Free builder is an online marketplace. Homeowners post building and renovation jobs; verified builders ask to quote, message the homeowner and send quotes. When a homeowner accepts a quote, the contract for the work is between the homeowner and the builder only. We are not a party to that contract, we do not carry out or supervise any work, and we do not handle payments between homeowners and builders.
3. Accounts
- You must be 18 or over and give accurate details. One account per person or business.
- You sign in with a one-time code sent to your email. Keep access to your email secure; you are responsible for activity on your account.
- We may suspend or close an account that breaks these terms, misleads other users or harms the platform.
4. Builder verification
Before a builder receives jobs we check their company registration (CRO) and public liability insurance documents. Verification is a basic check at that point in time, not a guarantee of the builder's work, licences or financial standing. Homeowners should make their own checks before hiring, for example asking for references, certificates (such as Safe Electric) and proof of current insurance.
5. Posting a job (homeowners)
- Describe the work honestly and only post jobs for property you own or have permission to work on.
- Videos and photos should show the site, not people. Don't include faces, car registrations or house numbers.
- Builders see your county and town, the job details and your files, but not your name, address or contact details until you accept a quote.
- You can add notes and files after posting. The original description can't be changed, so quotes stay fair.
6. Quoting (builders)
- Each job is offered to matching verified builders. The first five who say yes can message the homeowner and quote; others join a queue.
- A builder with a place must send a quote within 3 days or the place passes to the next builder.
- Quotes must be genuine, include VAT and say what is included. You are responsible for the work, your staff, insurance, safety, waste and compliance with Irish law and building regulations.
7. Contact details stay private until a quote is accepted
Before a quote is accepted, users must not share or ask for phone numbers, emails, addresses, links or other contact details in messages, quotes, photos or videos. We filter text and automatically check photos and video frames for visible contact details. Repeated attempts are recorded. A builder who arranges a job found on Free builder outside the platform to avoid the fee must still pay the fee and may be suspended.
8. Fees
- Posting jobs and receiving leads is free.
- Launch offer: no fee on any job whose quote is accepted before 1 January 2027.
- After that, when a homeowner accepts a builder's quote, the builder owes us 2.5% of the accepted quote total (including VAT), plus VAT at the standard rate (currently 23%) on our fee. There is no fee on payment stages agreed between homeowner and builder.
- We send one invoice, due within 14 days, payable by card or bank transfer through our payment provider (Stripe).
- If an invoice is unpaid 7 days after its due date, the builder stops receiving new jobs until it is paid. We may recover unpaid fees.
- Homeowners never pay us.
9. Reviews
Only the homeowner who hired a builder through Free builder can review them. Reviews must be honest and based on your own experience. Builders can reply once. We may remove reviews or replies that are abusive, defamatory, contain personal data or are not genuine.
10. Materials deals (suppliers)
- Suppliers of building materials can post deals on our Materials deals page. We check each deal before it goes live and may refuse or remove any deal.
- Prices must include VAT. A previous (“was”) price must be the lowest price the supplier charged in the 30 days before the deal. Deals must be accurate and available as described.
- Buyers deal directly with the supplier. The sale, delivery, returns and any consumer rights are between the buyer and the supplier; Free builder is not a party to the sale.
- Posting deals is free during the launch offer. We will give suppliers notice before introducing any charge.
11. Content you upload
You keep ownership of what you upload. You give us permission to store it and show it to the users involved in the job, for the purpose of running the service. Don't upload anything unlawful, offensive or that you don't have the right to share.
12. Liability
We provide the platform with reasonable care and skill, but we can't guarantee it will always be available or error-free. We are not responsible for the quality, safety, legality or price of work agreed between homeowners and builders, or for any dispute between them. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under Irish law, including your statutory rights as a consumer.
13. Changes and ending
We may update these terms; we'll tell you about important changes by email or on the site. You can close your account at any time by emailing office@pyramid.ie. Fees already owed remain payable.
14. Law
These terms are governed by the laws of Ireland and the Irish courts have jurisdiction.
See also our privacy notice.