Terms of Service

Last updated: 16 August 2026

Plain-language summary: these terms cover what happens when you hire Bou Studio to build or maintain your website — deposits, timelines, who owns what, and what we're each responsible for. It's written to be fair and clear for a small studio working directly with small-business clients, but it's a general template rather than a substitute for legal advice specific to your business.

1. Who these terms apply to

These Terms of Service apply to anyone who engages Bou Studio ("we", "us", "the studio"), operated by Logan Howat, to design, build, host or maintain a website. By approving a quote or making a deposit payment, you ("the client") agree to these terms.

2. Quotes and scope

Every project starts with a quote based on what you tell us about your business and what you'd like the site to do. The quote covers the scope discussed at the time — extra pages, features or rounds of revision beyond what's agreed may be quoted separately as an add-on. Prices shown on this site are indicative starting ranges; your final quote may differ based on your specific requirements.

3. Deposits and payment

A deposit is typically required before work begins, with the balance due on completion, before the site goes live. Monthly hosting and Care Plan fees (if applicable) are billed separately on a recurring basis and can be cancelled with reasonable notice. Specific payment terms, amounts and due dates for your project will be confirmed in writing (email or WhatsApp) before work starts.

4. Your responsibilities

To hit the turnaround times mentioned on this site, we rely on you to provide the content we need — logo, photos, business details, pricing and any copy — reasonably promptly (see the What to send me checklist). Delays in receiving this content will delay your project's completion date accordingly.

5. Revisions

Your quote includes a reasonable number of revision rounds during the build, as agreed upfront. Requests for significant new features or a substantial redesign after work has started may be treated as a separate add-on.

6. Ownership and intellectual property

Once your project is paid in full, you own the final website, its content and design as delivered to you. Until final payment is received, the work remains the property of Bou Studio. We retain the right to showcase completed projects in our own portfolio and marketing (including as a case study), unless you ask us in writing to keep your project private.

7. Hosting, domains and third-party services

Where we arrange hosting or domain registration on your behalf, these are provided through third-party services (such as your chosen hosting provider or domain registrar), and are subject to those providers' own terms. You're responsible for ongoing hosting and domain renewal costs unless otherwise agreed. Where the site uses third-party tools — such as EmailJS for contact-form delivery — those tools are subject to their own terms and availability, and we aren't liable for outages or issues caused by third-party providers.

8. Care Plans

Care Plans are optional, ongoing maintenance retainers covering the scope described on the Care Plans section of this site. They renew monthly and can be cancelled by either party with reasonable notice. Work outside the plan's scope may be quoted separately.

9. Acceptable use

We won't knowingly build or host a website used for illegal purposes, or content that is defamatory, fraudulent, or infringes on someone else's intellectual property. We reserve the right to decline or pause work on a project that we reasonably believe breaches this.

10. Liability

We do our best to deliver a reliable, well-built website, but we can't guarantee that any website will be completely error-free or uninterrupted, especially given reliance on third-party hosting and services outside our control. To the extent permitted by law, our liability for any claim relating to your project is limited to the amount you paid us for that project.

11. Cancellation

If a project is cancelled after work has started, the deposit covers work already completed and is non-refundable. Any additional work completed beyond the deposit amount will be invoiced separately.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time as the studio grows. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the latest version. Material changes affecting an active project will be communicated directly to you.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of South Africa.

14. Contact us

Questions about these terms? Contact Logan Howat at hello@bou-studio.com or on WhatsApp at +27 65 085 8317.

These terms are a general template intended to give a clear, fair starting point for a small studio's client agreements. They are not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional, and should be reviewed — and updated with your registered business details, if you have a formal company registration — before you rely on them as your final terms.