Cookie Policy

This policy explains how RenovateCost (rencost.com) uses cookies and similar technologies. It is the detailed companion to our Privacy Policy. The canonical URL for this page is /cookie-policy/. Older guesses such as /cookies/ and /cookie/ redirect here.

What a cookie is

A cookie is a small text file a site or its partners store on your browser. Similar tools include local storage, pixels, and mobile advertising IDs. Cookies can remember a setting, measure a visit, or help an ad network decide which ad to show. They are not programs and they cannot start a download by themselves.

What we do not store

Calculator inputs — room sizes, tile dimensions, waste percentages — are processed in your browser. We do not run an account system, a comment form, or a server database of those numbers. Closing the tab discards what you typed unless your browser saved the page itself.

We also do not set a cookie to remember a login, because there is no login.

Cookies we use

The static pages themselves do not require a tracking cookie to render. When the matching service is enabled in production, partners may set cookies as follows.

Analytics

We use Google Analytics (GA4) to see which guides and calculators are used, roughly where readers are, and whether a page fails to load. Typical cookies include _ga and _ga_*. Google may keep analytics data on the order of 14 months, depending on the property setting. We look at aggregated reports, not a file of named homeowners. IP addresses are handled under Google’s current GA4 defaults.

Advertising

We may use Google AdSense to show ads. AdSense and its partners can set cookies such as IDE, test_cookie, and related identifiers to:

• Limit how often you see the same ad
• Measure whether an ad was viewed
• Show ads that are more relevant, if personalized ads are allowed in your settings
• Help stop click fraud

Those cookies can last from a single session to many months. Google’s own list changes; the current description is in How Google uses cookies. Advertising cookies are only present when the AdSense script is actually loaded. If no publisher ID is configured for a build, that script is not included.

Hosting and security

The site is served from Cloudflare. Cloudflare may set a short-lived cookie such as __cf_bm to filter automated traffic. That cookie is about security of the request, not about building a marketing profile of you.

How to control cookies

You can limit or refuse cookies without emailing us:

• Browser settings. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge let you block third-party cookies, delete existing cookies, or browse privately. Blocking all cookies can break some embedded tools on other sites; this site’s articles and calculators still load.
• Google ad personalization. Visit Google Ad Settings to turn off personalized ads, and Google Analytics Opt-out for the analytics add-on.
• Industry opt-out. The DAA WebChoices page and NAI opt-out cover many US ad networks in the current browser.

Opt-out tools usually set their own cookie to remember the choice. If you clear cookies, you may need to opt out again. We do not operate a separate consent banner; the controls above are the ones that actually change Google and browser behavior.

Do Not Track and global privacy control

Browsers may send a “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signal. There is no single US rule that forces every analytics vendor to honor Do Not Track. The reliable switches are the browser and Google settings linked above. We do not sell personal information, and we do not append your email to an ad profile — we only have an email if you write to us.

Changes

If we add a new analytics or advertising vendor, we will update this page and the date at the top. The Privacy Policy stays the short version of how the site handles information overall.

Contact

Cookie questions: [email protected] or the contact page. Related reading: Terms of Use and Editorial Policy.