The rules, in plain English.

Who these apply to

This website is operated by Saarum Sodagar, trading as BuiltBySam, Morton Grove, Illinois. By using the site you accept these terms. If you don't, please don't use it.

The free tools and calculators

The cost calculator, busywork calculator and the guides on this site produce estimates and general information, not quotes and not professional advice. Ranges are based on my own pricing experience in the Chicago market and will not match every project. A binding price only exists in a written quote signed by both of us.

Nothing on this site is legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. I have a finance degree and my partner is an accountant — neither of us is a CPA, an attorney or a licensed financial adviser, and nothing here should be treated as if we were.

The Playbook and the teardowns

Site-of-the-Month teardowns are honest composites, assembled from patterns across many real audits and labelled as such in the articles themselves. They are not reviews of any specific named business and are not intended to identify anyone.

The Tech Stack Index

Verdicts on third-party tools are my own opinion, formed from using them. There are no affiliate links anywhere on this site and nobody pays for a placement or a rating. Tools change; a verdict written today may be wrong next year. Check current pricing and features yourself before buying.

Pricing and payment

Prices shown for care plans and deposits are current at the time of publication and may change. Payments are processed by Stripe. Care plans are month-to-month and can be cancelled at any time; cancellation stops future billing and does not refund the current period. Project work is governed by the separate written agreement for that project, which takes precedence over anything on this page.

Intellectual property

The design, code, copy, illustrations and brand marks on this site belong to me. You're welcome to quote or share a reasonable extract with attribution and a link. Please don't republish whole articles, or reuse the code or brand artwork, without asking.

Links out

This site links to a lot of third-party tools and to sites I've built for clients. I don't control them and I'm not responsible for their content, pricing, or what they do with your data once you're there.

The game

The basketball game on the homepage is provided for enjoyment and as a demonstration of what I can build. Scores are stored in your own browser and are not transmitted anywhere.

Liability

The site is provided as-is. To the fullest extent the law allows, I'm not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from using this website or relying on its general information. Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, and the courts of Cook County, Illinois have jurisdiction.

Contact

Anything unclear: sam@builtbysamski.com or (847) 387-0244.