These Terms of Use (the “Terms”) govern your access to and use of the GRADELINE directory of excavating contractors at gradeline.info (the “Directory” or “Service”), operated by GRADELINE (“Gradeline,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). By accessing or using the Directory, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
1. The Service
Gradeline is a free directory of excavating contractors. Listings are submitted by business owners or compiled from publicly available business information. The Service helps visitors find and contact excavating contractors for site prep, grading, land clearing, demolition, trenching, and paving prep, and lets contractors claim and manage their listings.
A listing is not an endorsement, certification, or warranty of any contractor’s work, qualifications, or character. Gradeline does not verify every field on every listing, and a listing’s presence in the Directory does not represent that any contractor has been screened, approved, or vetted by Gradeline.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to use the Service on behalf of yourself or a business. By submitting a listing or claiming one, you represent that you are authorized to act for the business identified in that listing.
3. Accounts & Security
Claiming and managing a listing may require an account. You are responsible for keeping account credentials, one-time codes, and multi-factor authentication details confidential and for all activity under your account. Notify us promptly of any unauthorized use. We may require step-up verification for sensitive actions and may suspend or revoke access if we believe an account has been compromised.
4. Listings & Submissions
You are responsible for the accuracy of any information you submit for a listing.
You must have the right to publish the business information, photos, and any other content you submit.
We may review, edit, reformat, reject, or remove any listing or content at our discretion, and we are not obligated to publish every submission.
Listings compiled from public sources may be updated or removed as that information changes or at the business’s request.
5. Listing Claims & Verification
Contractors may claim a listing to verify and update their information. Claiming a listing may require verification, which can include a one-time code sent to the phone number on file, proof of ownership, or other checks. Granting a claim is at Gradeline’s discretion.
Claiming a listing does not create an obligation to purchase any paid service, and free listings remain free to claim and free to maintain. Falsely claiming a listing you do not own is a violation of these Terms and may result in immediate revocation and other remedies.
6. User Content & Licenses
You retain ownership of any business information, photos, reviews, and messages you submit to the Directory (your “User Content”). By submitting User Content, you grant Gradeline a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sublicensable license to host, store, use, display, reproduce, and adapt that content for the purpose of operating, promoting, and improving the Directory.
You represent and warrant that your User Content:
is accurate and not misleading;
does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party;
does not contain unlawful, harassing, defamatory, or abusive material; and
complies with all applicable laws, including those governing advertising and contractor licensing.
Reviews must reflect your genuine experience. We may remove reviews that we believe are false, spam, paid, or otherwise violate these Terms.
7. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
use the Directory to harass, spam, or contact contractors in an abusive or deceptive manner;
scrape, copy, or aggregate listing data using automated means without our written permission;
attempt to access accounts, listings, or systems you are not authorized to access;
submit content that contains malware, viruses, or harmful code;
impersonate another person or business, or falsely claim a listing;
interfere with the proper functioning of the Service, including its security and verification features; or
use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
8. Lead Messages, Contractor Relationships & SMS Program
When you send a contact or lead message through a listing, that message is delivered to the listed contractor so they can follow up with you. Gradeline is not a party to any agreement between you and a listed business and assumes no liability for work performed, schedules, estimates, or conduct arising from any such relationship.
When you submit a general service request through Request Services, Gradeline reviews it and shares it with one contractor listed in the Directory that Gradeline selects. That contractor may pay Gradeline a referral fee. Matching is not guaranteed; if no contractor takes your request, we will tell you.
You are responsible for evaluating any contractor you contact through the Directory, including verifying licenses, insurance, bonding, and references before hiring.
SMS Messaging Terms
If you provide a mobile number and opt in, Gradeline and the listed contractor may send you text messages as part of the following programs:
Non-marketing texts — one-time verification codes and communications about your quote request, such as project updates and other service-related messages from the listed contractor.
Marketing texts — recurring promotions and special offers from the listed contractor, sent only if you check the marketing consent box. Consent is not a condition of purchase.
The marketing and non-marketing consent boxes on the contact form are optional and separate; both start unchecked. Each choice is recorded with the exact wording shown, the phone number, a timestamp, and the IP address. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to opt out of a messaging program, or reply HELP for assistance. You can also opt out by emailing [email protected]. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Text messaging is not available on all carriers or devices. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle mobile opt-in information.
9. Disclaimers
THE DIRECTORY AND ALL LISTINGS, REVIEWS, AND CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. GRADELINE DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, OR SECURE, OR THAT ANY LISTING IS ACCURATE, COMPLETE, OR CURRENT.
10. Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, GRADELINE AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND SUPPLIERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR BUSINESS, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
GRADELINE’S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNTS YOU HAVE PAID TO GRADELINE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THESE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold Gradeline and its affiliates harmless from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of your User Content, your misuse of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of a third party.
12. Intellectual Property
The Directory’s design, software, branding, and curated content (such as the local excavation guides) are owned by Gradeline and protected by intellectual property laws. User Content remains the property of its submitter, subject to the license granted in Section 6. You may not copy, redistribute, or create derivative works from the Directory without our written permission, except for the limited purpose of sharing individual listings as presented.
13. Third-Party Links & Content
Listings may link to third-party websites, and the Directory may reference third-party tools or data sources. Gradeline does not control and is not responsible for third-party content, websites, or their privacy practices. Accessing third-party sites is at your own risk.
14. Fees & Premium Listings
Adding and claiming listings is free. Contractors may pay a per-referral fee for service requests Gradeline routes to them, agreed before the referral is delivered. Some features, such as premium placement, may be offered for a fee in the future. Any paid features will be described at the time of purchase, and paid terms will be governed by a separate agreement. Gradeline may change or discontinue any feature, free or paid, with reasonable notice.
15. Suspension & Termination
We may suspend or terminate access, remove listings, or revoke claims at any time if we believe you have violated these Terms or applicable law, or to protect the Service or its users. You may stop using the Service at any time and may request removal of your listing by emailing [email protected]. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnity, and governing law) will remain in effect.
16. Governing Law & Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. You and Gradeline consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Delaware for any dispute arising out of or related to the Service, except that Gradeline may seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property or the Service.
17. Changes to These Terms
We may revise these Terms from time to time. We will update the “Last updated” date above and, for material changes, provide notice on the Directory. Your continued use of the Service after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
