Terms of service

How we work together. Written to be read, not to be impenetrable.

Last updated: August 24, 2026

The Short Version

We build software for people. These terms describe what you can expect from us and what we expect from you. They are written to be read, not to be impenetrable. If something here is unclear, ask us and we will explain it in plain language.

Using this website means you accept these terms. Working with us on a project means a separate signed agreement takes precedence over anything on this page.

Using This Website

The site is provided as it is. You are welcome to read it, share it, and get in touch. Please do not attempt to break it, scrape it at volume, or use the contact form to send unsolicited commercial messages.

The words, design, code, and images on this site belong to Codewinks, LLC unless stated otherwise. You may quote or link to us with attribution. You may not present our work as your own.

Working Together

How an Engagement Starts

Nothing on this site is an offer or a contract. Sending us a message does not create a working relationship, and neither does a conversation or an estimate. A project begins when both sides sign a written agreement covering scope, timeline, and price.

Scope and Changes

We will write down what we agreed to build. Work outside that description is new work: we will tell you before we start it, what it will cost, and how it affects the timeline. We would rather have an awkward conversation early than deliver a surprise invoice.

Estimates

An estimate is our honest expectation, not a fixed price, unless the agreement says it is fixed. Software estimates move when requirements move. We will tell you as soon as we know something has changed.

Payment

Terms are set out in the project agreement. Unless it says otherwise:

• Invoices are due within 30 days of the invoice date.
• Work may pause on materially overdue accounts. We will tell you before that happens.
• Expenses we agreed to in advance, such as third-party services bought on your behalf, are billed at cost.

Who Owns What

Your Work

On full payment, the custom code and assets we build specifically for you are yours. That includes the source. We do not hold your product hostage.

Our Tools

We keep ownership of the general-purpose tools, libraries, and techniques we bring with us and reuse across projects. You get a perpetual licence to use them as part of what we delivered. This means we are not reinventing foundations on your budget.

Third-Party Components

Most software stands on open source. Components carry their own licences, and those licences govern them. We will tell you what we used.

Showing Our Work

We may describe work we have done and show it publicly unless you ask us not to. Confidential details stay confidential either way. Ask and we will keep an engagement private.

Confidentiality

We treat what you tell us as confidential and only share it with people who need it to do the work. We expect the same in return for anything we share with you. This survives the end of a project.

What We Promise, and What We Do Not

We promise to do the work competently and to tell you the truth about its state, including when that is inconvenient.

We cannot promise that software will be free of defects, that it will never go down, or that it will produce a particular business result. Nobody can honestly promise those things. This website and its content are provided without warranties of any kind, to the extent the law allows.

Limits of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Codewinks, LLC is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including lost profits or lost data, arising from this website or our services. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us for the work the claim relates to.

Some jurisdictions do not allow these limits, so some of this may not apply to you.

Ending an Engagement

Either side can end a project with written notice as set out in the agreement. If that happens, you pay for work completed up to that point, and we hand over what has been paid for. We will not make leaving difficult.

Governing Law and Where Disputes Go

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to its conflict of law rules.

Any dispute arising out of this website or these terms must be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in the State of Washington, and both sides consent to that jurisdiction and venue. "Exclusively" is deliberate: it means neither of us goes looking for a friendlier court somewhere else.

If Part of This Is Unenforceable

If a court decides some part of these terms cannot be enforced, that part is limited or removed and the rest still stands. One bad clause does not void the agreement.

If we do not enforce something straight away, that is not us giving up the right to enforce it later.

Changes to These Terms

We may update this page. The date at the top shows when it last changed. Material changes to an active project are handled through the project agreement, not by quietly editing this page.

Contact

Questions about these terms go to [email protected]. We would rather answer a question now than argue about a clause later.