1. Services

Custom21 ("we", "us", "our") provides custom website design, development, and ongoing maintenance services. By engaging our services or using our website, you ("you", "client") agree to be bound by these terms. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use our services.

2. Build Timeline

Our standard build timeline is 21 business days from project kickoff. The timeline begins after all of the following conditions are met:

Deposit payment is confirmed and processed
Project brief is completed and approved by client
All required brand assets (logos, copy, images) are provided

Delays caused by late client deliverables, extended approval cycles, or scope changes requested by the client may extend the timeline. Custom21 will notify you promptly of any timeline impacts.

3. Payment Terms

Build projects follow a three-stage payment schedule:

Stage 1: Deposit payment at intake — secures your build slot. Refundable within 48 hours.

Stage 2: 50% of remaining balance due at design sign-off (Day 7).

Stage 3: Final 50% due before launch (Day 20). Site will not go live until final payment is received.

Monthly maintenance subscriptions are billed on the 1st of each month via Stripe. Failed payments will be retried per Stripe's retry schedule. After three consecutive failed payments, service may be suspended.

4. Intellectual Property

Upon receipt of full payment, you own all custom content, design assets, copy, and source code created specifically for your project. This includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and any custom backend code written for your site.

Custom21 retains ownership of proprietary internal systems, build frameworks, automation tools, and reusable code libraries used in the development process. These tools are not included in the deliverables. Custom21 may use anonymized screenshots and performance metrics from your project in case studies and marketing materials unless you opt out in writing.

5. Cancellation & Refunds

The intake deposit is fully refundable within 48 hours of payment. After 48 hours, the deposit is non-refundable and is applied to your total build cost. If you cancel after design sign-off (Day 7), payments made to date are non-refundable, as work product has been delivered.

Monthly maintenance subscriptions can be cancelled at any time through your client portal or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. A 30-day migration support window is provided after cancellation to help you transition hosting and services. Migration assistance beyond 30 days incurs a $500 flat fee.

6. Hosting & Infrastructure

Sites built by Custom21 are hosted on Custom21-managed infrastructure during active maintenance subscription. Hosting, SSL certificates, and daily backups are included in all maintenance tiers.

Upon subscription cancellation, a complete site export package (source code, database export, media files, and deployment instructions) will be provided. Custom21 is not responsible for site performance or security after migration to third-party hosting.

7. Client Responsibilities

You are responsible for providing accurate business information, brand assets, and content in a timely manner. You are responsible for reviewing deliverables and providing feedback within the designated review periods (Day 7 design review, Day 17 build review).

Failure to respond within review windows may result in automatic approval of the current deliverable and continuation to the next phase.

8. Limitation of Liability

Custom21's total liability for any claim arising from or related to our services is limited to the total amount paid by you for services in the 12 months preceding the claim.

We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost revenue, lost data, or lost business opportunities arising from site downtime, performance issues, third-party service failures, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

9. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these terms or our services will first be addressed through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, disputes will be submitted to binding arbitration in the State of Illinois. These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois.

10. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email to active clients. Continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

Contact

For questions about these terms, contact us at hello@custom21.io.

Terms of Service