Not legal advice. This has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Have a California-licensed attorney review it before paid features launch.

Clickwrap Agreement & Copy Guidelines

Part A — Checkbox (shown on the address/email form)

A1. Required checkbox

Place directly above the "Get my report" button.

☐ I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand this is a free, AI-generated summary of public information that may be wrong or outdated, is not a zoning determination or legal, architectural, engineering, or contractor advice, and that I must verify everything with my city or county before relying on it.

A2. Supporting line (just below the email field)

We'll use your address and email only to create and send your report. We don't sell your information. Privacy Policy

A3. Optional opt-in checkboxes (exact copy)

Show below the required checkbox under the heading "Optional — not required for your report." Both start unchecked.

(a) Newsletter

☐ Optional: Email me the My California ADU (mycaliforniaadu.com) newsletter with occasional ADU news and tips. I can unsubscribe anytime using the link in every email.

(b) Contractor quotes

☐ Optional: Send my name, email, and property address to up to three selected local ADU contractors so they can contact me with a free quote. Contractors are independent businesses, not endorsed or vetted by My California ADU (mycaliforniaadu.com); I'll check their license at cslb.ca.gov. I can withdraw anytime. Privacy Policy

If (b) is checked, show a Name field (required only when (b) is checked; hidden or optional otherwise).

Confirmation email line when (b) is checked:

You asked us to share your name, email, and property address with these contractors for a free quote: [CONTRACTOR NAMES + CSLB LICENSE NUMBERS]. They are independent businesses; please verify their license at www.cslb.ca.gov before hiring. To withdraw, reply to this email or write to hello@mycaliforniaadu.com.

A4. Implementation rules

1. Unchecked by default. Never pre-check the required box (or the optional one).
2. Button disabled until the required box is checked; if the user clicks anyway, show: "Please check the box to agree before continuing."
3. Links open the current Terms and Privacy Policy in a new tab and are visibly styled as links.
4. Keep each opt-in separate. Agreeing to the Terms must never sign anyone up for the newsletter or contractor quotes; the newsletter box must not trigger contractor sharing, and vice versa. Never bundle them into one box, and never make either a condition of getting the Report.
5. Record consent: store a timestamp, Terms version/date, Privacy Policy version/date, each opt-in choice (and the exact checkbox text version), the contractors the data was sent to, and the email/request ID. Don't store more than needed (avoid storing full IP addresses longer than the log retention period).
6. Button label: "Get my free report" (not "Check my eligibility" or "See if I'm approved").
7. Re-consent when Terms change materially — especially before any paid feature, any contractor payment, or any new data sharing — by showing the new checkbox again.
8. No payment from contractors without review. The contractor opt-in copy assumes no compensation. Any per-lead fee, referral fee, or other payment from contractors must get California attorney review before it starts (it may make the disclosure a CCPA "sale" and require new copy, a "Do Not Sell or Share" link, and re-consent).
9. Send contractor data only after the box is checked and the form is submitted, only to contractors who have agreed in writing to use it solely to respond to the quote request and not to resell it. Show the user which contractors received it.
10. Text must be readable: same size as body text, good contrast, not hidden in a collapsed section.

A5. Newsletter email requirements (CAN-SPAM + California)

Every newsletter email must:

1. Unsubscribe link — a clear, working, one-click (or simple) unsubscribe link in every email, working for at least 30 days after sending. Do not require login, payment, or more than an email address to unsubscribe.
2. Honor unsubscribes within 10 business days (aim for immediately), keep a suppression list, and never sell or transfer unsubscribed addresses.
3. Physical mailing address in the footer: 64611 Pinehurst Circle, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240.
4. Accurate "From," "Reply-To," and routing info — e.g., "My California ADU (mycaliforniaadu.com) hello@mycaliforniaadu.com".
5. Honest subject lines — no misleading subjects (also required by Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17529.5). Never imply a subject like "Your ADU is approved."
6. Identify ads — if an email promotes a contractor or other business, label it clearly (e.g., "Sponsored" or "Advertisement"). (Attorney review required before any paid placements.)
7. Send only to users who checked box (a). Report emails and quote-request confirmations are transactional and are not the newsletter.
8. Apply all Part B copy rules below to newsletter content.

Suggested newsletter footer:

You're receiving this because you opted in at My California ADU (mycaliforniaadu.com). [Unsubscribe]([UNSUBSCRIBE LINK]) · Privacy Policy Nicole Cappelletti · 64611 Pinehurst Circle, Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240 Informational only — not legal, architectural, engineering, or contractor advice.

Part B — Copy-guidance rules for Reports and all site copy

These rules apply to AI prompts, report templates, the website, emails, and social posts. Put them in the AI system prompt and check output automatically before sending.

B1. Never use these words or claims

Also avoid: "by right … so you're good to go," "ADU-ready lot," "the city must approve," and statements of legal conclusions such as "the city cannot deny this."

Allowed exception: quoting a source word-for-word (e.g., a city page that uses "approval") is fine if it's clearly in quotation marks with the source cited and doesn't describe the user's own project as approved.

B2. Always show costs as ranges

• Every cost appears as a low–high range (e.g., "$150,000–$300,000"), never a single number.
• Label each range: "Rough range — actual cost may be higher or lower."
• State what the range covers and what it excludes (e.g., "construction only; excludes impact fees, utility upgrades, and site work").
• Cite the basis (source, date, or method). If there is no reliable basis, say "No reliable cost data found" — don't invent a range.
• Fees: show as ranges or "varies; confirm with [agency]" unless an official fee schedule is cited with its date.
• Round sensibly; don't use false precision (e.g., "$187,432").

B3. Cite a source for every fact

• Every rule, number, parcel fact, and fee needs a source next to it: source name + link + date accessed (and code section, if any).
  • Example: "Maximum detached ADU size: 1,200 sq ft. Source: [City] Municipal Code § [X], [link], accessed [date]."
• Prefer official sources: the city or county code, planning department pages, official GIS/assessor data, and California statutes and HCD guidance.
• If a fact can't be tied to a source, leave it out or mark it "Not confirmed — check with [agency]."
• If sources conflict, show both and say "Sources disagree — confirm with [agency]."
• Show the jurisdiction used (e.g., "Unincorporated Riverside County — County of Riverside rules apply"). If the address match is uncertain, say so at the top.
• Never invent citations, code sections, URLs, phone numbers, or contact names. If a link can't be verified, don't include it.

B4. Tone and framing

• Plain English, neutral, factual. Describe what public sources say, not what the user "can" or "will" do.
• "Next steps" always begins with: "Contact [agency] to confirm these rules for your specific property."
• Don't discourage users from contacting the city or hiring licensed professionals.
• Flag known gaps: HOA rules, easements, septic/sewer, fire and flood zones, historic status, and recent law changes.

B5. Automated pre-send check (suggested)

Before a Report is sent, automatically:

1. Scan for banned terms in B1 (case-insensitive, including variants like "guarantee," "approve(d)," "feasib*"). Rewrite or block if found outside a cited quote.
2. Confirm every dollar figure is a range with a label.
3. Confirm every factual line has a citation; remove or flag lines that don't.
4. Confirm the banner and footer from report-disclaimer.md are present.
5. Log failures for human review.