Terms of Use

Last updated: October 20, 2026

Overview

Agreement to these terms

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of charleshardt.com (the “Site”), operated by Charles Hardt / Hardt Web Development, a sole proprietorship based in Norfolk, Virginia. By visiting the Site or submitting an inquiry, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site.

These terms apply to the public website only. Separate project contracts govern the relationship between Hardt Web Development and clients who engage web design services. In the event of any conflict between these terms and a signed project contract, the project contract controls.

Note: These terms are for use of this website. Clients receive a separate Bonsai contract before any paid engagement begins — that contract is the governing document for project scope, payment, revisions, and deliverables.

Acceptable use

Use of this website

You may use this Site for lawful purposes and in a manner consistent with its intended use — learning about Hardt Web Development’s services and initiating a project inquiry. You agree not to:

• Use the Site to transmit spam, malicious code, or unsolicited commercial communications
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Site or its underlying systems
• Scrape, harvest, or systematically collect data from the Site without written permission
• Use the Site in any way that could damage, disable, or impair its operation
• Misrepresent your identity or affiliation in any contact form submission or communication

Hardt Web Development reserves the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason and to block access to the Site at its sole discretion.

Intellectual property

Ownership of content

All content on this Site — including text, design, code, graphics, logos, and the selection and arrangement of content — is the property of Charles Hardt / Hardt Web Development or its content suppliers and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, publicly display, or create derivative works from any content on this Site without prior written permission from Hardt Web Development. Limited excerpts may be shared for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link to the original page.

Client deliverables. Intellectual property terms for completed client projects are governed by the signed project contract. Standard terms provide that the client receives full ownership of the delivered website upon receipt of final payment. Pre-payment, all work product remains the property of Hardt Web Development.

Client engagements

Project terms summary

The following summarizes key terms that apply to all web design engagements. These terms are incorporated into every project contract signed through Bonsai. The contract is the authoritative document — this summary is provided here for transparency.

Revisions

Every project includes three revision rounds, each tied to a specific milestone. A revision is a change to design or content that has already been presented for review. Corrections to developer errors do not count as revisions. Each round requires all feedback submitted at once in a single document — feedback submitted piecemeal after a round closes is addressed in the next round or quoted as additional work. Once a round is approved in writing, that approval is final. Design direction changes (requesting a different color palette, layout approach, or structural reorganization after a prior round was approved) are out of scope and quoted as change orders regardless of rounds remaining. Additional revisions beyond the included three are billed at the standard hourly rate with a one-hour minimum, payable before work begins.

Payment

All projects are priced on a fixed-fee basis. The payment schedule is 50% at contract signing, 25% at staging approval, and 25% before launch. The deposit is non-refundable in all circumstances. If payment is not received within ten calendar days of the due date, project work pauses automatically until payment is received. A late fee of 1.5% per month (18% per annum) applies to outstanding balances beyond fourteen calendar days. Time lost to a payment pause extends the project timeline by the number of days paused — the launch date is not held during a pause.

Project pauses and cancellation

If the client does not respond to a developer communication requesting feedback, decisions, or content delivery for twenty-one consecutive calendar days, the project is placed on hold after a fourteen-day written warning. When the client is ready to resume, the project is rescheduled based on current availability, which may result in a delay of up to four weeks. The developer may also pause a project if an invoice remains unpaid beyond fourteen days or if the client submits content that creates legal, compliance, or reputational risk and declines to address the concern in writing.

If the client cancels after the deposit is received, the deposit is non-refundable. Work product remains the developer’s property until final payment is received in full. Cancellation must be submitted in writing to admin@charleshardt.com. The developer reserves the right to cancel a project with fourteen days written notice for non-payment, abusive communication, or material misrepresentation of project scope.

Content responsibility

The client is solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and compliance of all content published on the delivered website — including credentials, health claims, legal pages, pricing, testimonials, and all client-supplied material. Hardt Web Development publishes content as provided or approved by the client and does not independently verify factual claims or legal compliance. The client agrees to deliver all required content within fourteen calendar days of the project kickoff date. Content delivery delays extend the project timeline day for day.

Maintenance retainers

Monthly maintenance retainers are available at three tiers: Basic ($150/mo), Standard ($250/mo), and Premium ($400/mo). Retainer fees are due on the first of each month. Either party may cancel with thirty calendar days written notice. If two consecutive monthly payments are missed, the developer may terminate the retainer agreement with thirty days written notice, after which all credentials and site access are transferred to the client within five business days. Unused content hours do not roll over month to month.

Disclaimers

Disclaimers and limitations

No legal or compliance advice

Nothing on this Site or in any communication from Hardt Web Development constitutes legal, medical, financial, or compliance advice. Statements about HIPAA, ADA accessibility, health claims, or any other regulatory matter are general information only. Clients with compliance obligations — including healthcare providers subject to HIPAA — should consult a qualified attorney for advice specific to their situation.

No guarantee of results

Case study results, PageSpeed scores, and other performance metrics mentioned on this Site reflect specific client projects and are not a guarantee of results for any future project. Web performance depends on many factors including hosting environment, content volume, third-party integrations, and ongoing maintenance.

Third-party services

This Site contains links to third-party websites and references to third-party services (Calendly, Bonsai, Kinsta, etc.). These links are provided for convenience. Hardt Web Development is not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or terms of any third-party site or service.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Hardt Web Development shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from your use of this Site or from any web design services provided, including but not limited to loss of revenue, loss of data, or business interruption. Hardt Web Development’s total liability for any claim arising from a project engagement shall not exceed the total fees paid by the client for that project.

Warranty disclaimer

This Site and all services are provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, express or implied. Hardt Web Development does not warrant that the Site will be error-free, uninterrupted, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

Governing law

Governing law and disputes

These Terms of Use and any project contracts are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising from use of this Site or from a project engagement that cannot be resolved informally shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Norfolk, Virginia.

Before initiating any formal legal proceeding, both parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through direct written communication. Most disagreements can be resolved through a direct conversation, and that is always the preferred first step.

Changes & contact

Updates and contact

These Terms of Use may be updated at any time. Material changes will be noted by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. Signed project contracts are not affected by changes to these terms after the contract is executed.