Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information obtained through our website ducoengineering.com (the "Site") and through the contact forms and e‑mail sign‑ups hosted on the Site. It also describes your choices and rights under applicable U.S. and California law, including the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CPRA"), and California’s “Shine the Light” law.

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies solely to information collected through the Site, including information you submit in our "Contact" form or when you voluntarily join our periodic informational e‑mail list. It does not cover offline data collection (e.g., project correspondence governed by our General Terms and Conditions) or information collected by third‑party websites that may be linked from our Site.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you elect to contact us or subscribe to our e‑mails, we may collect:

Identifiers such as your name, company, postal address, e‑mail address, and telephone number.
Professional information you choose to share (e.g., project details).

Providing this information is voluntary, but if you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to respond to your inquiry.

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Like most websites, we gather certain information automatically from your browser or device, including:

Internet or other electronic network activity (IP address, device type, browser version, referring pages, time spent on pages, and similar usage data).
Cookies and similar technologies used for Site functionality and basic analytics (e.g., Google Analytics). These cookies do not contain personal identifiers such as your name or e‑mail address.

You can control cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling cookies may affect Site performance.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information described above to:

Respond to your inquiries and provide the engineering wisdom you requested.
Send periodic informational e‑mails (industry updates, practice announcements, or notice of new resources). Every non‑transactional e‑mail contains an opt‑out link.
Operate, maintain, and improve the Site, including performing diagnostics and analytics.
Protect our legal rights, prevent fraud, and comply with applicable laws.

We do not use your personal information for phone or text marketing, targeted advertising, or profiling in a way that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

4. How We Share Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may disclose it only:

To service providers that help us run the Site or distribute e‑mails (e.g., web‑hosting or e‑mail platforms) and who are bound by confidentiality obligations.
As required by law or to respond to legal process.
To protect rights and safety, including ours, yours, or others.
In a business transfer, such as a merger or acquisition, where the successor entity will honor this Policy.

We do not share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing.

5. Your Privacy Rights

5.1 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

Know the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect.
Delete personal information we have collected (with certain exceptions).
Correct inaccurate personal information.
Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (note: we do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA).
Limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information (not applicable, as we do not collect sensitive personal information).
No discrimination for exercising these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the methods in Section 10. We will verify your identity (e.g., by matching name and e‑mail to our records) and respond within the timelines prescribed by law.

5.2 California “Shine The Light” Law

We do not disclose personal information to third parties for their own direct marketing. If our practices change in the future, California residents may request information under Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.83 by following the instructions in Section 10.

6. Communications, Opt‑Out Options & CAN‑SPAM Compliance

6.1 Transactional / Project‑Specific E‑mails (No Unsubscribe Required)

If you are a client or prospective client engaged in a project with us, we may send you project‑related messages such as proposals, contracts, field reports, invoices, or schedule coordination. These communications are considered transactional or relationship messages under the U.S. CAN‑SPAM Act and are essential to perform the services you have requested; therefore, they do not include an unsubscribe mechanism.

6.2 Informational or Marketing E‑mails (Unsubscribe Available)

With your consent (or where otherwise lawful), we may send non‑transactional messages—e.g., technical alerts, regulatory updates, or invitations to webinars. Every such e‑mail contains a clearly marked unsubscribe link, and you may also e‑mail us at any time to opt out. We honor opt‑out requests promptly and in no event later than ten (10) business days, as required by CAN‑SPAM.

7. Cookies, Analytics & “Do Not Track” Signals

We use first‑party cookies and Google Analytics to understand website traffic and improve our Site. You can disable cookies in your browser or use Google’s opt‑out browser add‑on. We do not track users across third‑party sites and therefore do not respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) signals.

8. Data Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from loss, misuse, or unauthorized access. No security measures are infallible, but we engineer our defenses to industry standards.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy or as required by law, then securely delete or anonymize it.

10. Contacting Us About Privacy

If you have questions, would like to exercise a privacy right, or just want to chat about soil mechanics (we get it), please contact us:

Duco Engineering, Inc. 14175 Telephone Ave., Ste. K Chino, California 91710, USA E‑mail: privacy@ducoengineering.com or office@ducoengineering.com Phone: 909‑594‑7414 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. PT)

11. Changes to This Policy

We may revise this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law or our practices. We will post the updated Policy on this page with a new "Effective" date. Material changes will be highlighted for at least 30 days. Continued use of the Site after the revised Policy is posted constitutes acceptance of the changes.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is intended for a professional audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

13. Third‑Party Links

This Policy does not apply to third‑party sites or services linked on our Site. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those third parties.