Last updated: 3 October 2026
This notice explains what personal data Deep Foundations Specialists Limited (“DFS”, “we”, “us”) collects through this website, why, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over it. It covers the enquiry form, the AI project assistant (live chat), and the cookies and third-party services those features use.
Who we are
Deep Foundations Specialists Limited (company number 07927500) is the data controller for the personal data described in this notice.
- UK office: 2nd Floor, The Porter Building, 1 Brunel Way, Slough, Berkshire SL1 1FQ
- Ireland office: The Park, Lord Edward Street, Limerick V94 840C, Ireland
- Email: engineers@deep-foundations.co.uk
The personal data we collect
We only collect personal data that you choose to give us, either through the project enquiry form or the AI project assistant (chat). This can include:
- Your name, company name and role (e.g. piling contractor, main contractor, developer, architect/engineer, local authority)
- Contact details: email address and phone number
- Project details: the service you need, site postcode, project stage, your message, and your preferred call-back time
- Any files you choose to attach (for example a ground investigation report, drawings or loading information) – up to 3 files, 10 MB each
- If you use the chat, the text of that conversation, so an engineer has full context when they call you back
- Basic technical information our server and spam-filtering automatically see from any visitor, such as your IP address and request timing – used only to stop automated spam, never to identify or track you personally
We don’t ask for or knowingly collect any sensitive categories of data (health, financial, etc.) through this site. Please don’t include anything of that kind in the message or chat field.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
We use the information you submit to:
- Respond to your enquiry and arrange a call back with one of our engineers
- Assess and quote for the geotechnical, structural or temporary-works design you’ve asked about
- Keep an internal record of enquiries and correspondence
- Protect the site against spam and automated abuse
Our lawful basis for this is your consent, which you give by ticking the consent box before submitting either form, and our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries made to us and keeping our systems secure. You can withdraw consent at any time by asking us to delete your enquiry (see “Your rights” below) – this won’t affect anything we’ve already done at your request, such as a quote already sent.
The AI project assistant
The chat on this site is a guided questionnaire that books a call back – it is not a substitute for engineering advice, and it never gives design calculations, fees or timescales.
Automated AI features in the assistant are currently switched off for this site; the chat works as a plain guided form. (If you later turn on the AI provider in DFS Settings, replace this paragraph with: “The assistant can also use a third-party AI provider to answer general questions about DFS using only the information on this site, and to write a short internal summary of your enquiry for the engineer who calls you back. The provider processes this text only to generate that reply or summary and does not use it to train its own models under our agreement with them; this processing may take place outside the UK/EEA under that provider’s standard contractual safeguards.”)
Cookies and similar technologies
This site does not use advertising or tracking cookies, and we don’t run third-party analytics.
- The chat widget keeps your answers in your browser’s session storage (not a cookie) purely so the conversation isn’t lost if you accidentally close the panel – it’s cleared once you submit, and never leaves your device until you choose to send it.
- Our hosting provider keeps standard server access logs (including IP addresses) for security and performance, in line with their own privacy notice.
(If you turn on Google reCAPTCHA in DFS Settings, add this bullet: “Both forms are protected by Google reCAPTCHA, which can set its own cookies and collect technical/device information to work out whether a submission is likely to be automated. Google processes this under its own privacy policy and terms of service; we only ever see the resulting pass/fail score, not your underlying data.”)
Who we share your data with
We do not sell or rent your personal data. We share it only with the following, strictly to deliver the service above:
- Our own engineers and administrative staff who need it to respond to your enquiry
- Our website hosting provider and email-delivery service, who process it on our behalf purely to run the site and deliver enquiry notifications
- A regulator, law enforcement body or professional adviser, but only where we’re required to by law
(Add a bullet for Google/reCAPTCHA, your AI provider, your webhook/CRM, or your booking provider if and when you switch any of those on.)
How long we keep it
We keep enquiry records, messages and any attached files for as long as reasonably needed to respond to you and for our business and project records – typically no more than 24 months after your last contact with us, unless we need to keep something longer to meet a legal, contractual or accounting requirement, or you ask us to delete it sooner. Uploaded files are stored in a location that isn’t publicly accessible and can only be opened by a logged-in DFS administrator.
Keeping your data secure
The site is served over HTTPS, and both forms are protected against spam and abuse with a honeypot field, a minimum-time check, request rate-limiting and (where enabled) Google reCAPTCHA, on top of WordPress’s own security tokens. Enquiry records and file attachments are only accessible to logged-in DFS administrators.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Ask us to correct inaccurate data, or delete it
- Ask us to restrict or object to how we use it
- Ask for a copy of your data in a portable format
- Withdraw consent at any time
- Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint if you think we’ve got something wrong
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below. We’ll respond within one month.
Children
This website is intended for businesses and professionals in the construction and engineering sector. It is not directed at children, and we don’t knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18.
Changes to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time as the site or our use of data changes. The date at the top shows when it was last revised.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this notice or how we handle your data, email engineers@deep-foundations.co.uk or call 01753 396498.
