Last updated: September 2026
brickdims.com is a set of free calculation tools built and run by Joel Baker-Smith, as an individual. Joel is responsible for any personal data the site handles (the "controller" under UK data protection law). This policy explains what that data is, why it's used, and what your options are. Any question can be sent to joel@brickdims.com.
Every calculator runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type into a tool are never sent to a server, never logged, and disappear when you close or refresh the tab. The one exception is the site analysis tool, below.
The site analysis tool looks up public data about a location, so it can't work only in your browser. When you search for an address or pick a point on the map, the search text and the chosen location are sent to brickdims.com, which passes them on to public data services to get the results. These are: postcodes.io and OpenStreetMap Nominatim (to find the address and local authority), Transport for London (stations, buses and PTAL), the FOSSGIS Valhalla routing service (walking areas), planning.data.gov.uk (planning and heritage designations), the Environment Agency and Defra (flood risk, noise and air quality), Open-Meteo (ground levels), data.police.uk (street-level crime) Nomis, run by the Office for National Statistics (census statistics), and ArcGIS Online map services published by the Greater London Authority and the government (deprivation data).
Only the search text and the location are sent, never anything that identifies you. Our requests to these services come from brickdims.com's server, not your device, so they don't see your IP address. Results are cached for up to a day so repeat lookups are faster, but searches aren't logged or linked to you.
The map itself loads directly from OpenFreeMap, and the optional overlays load directly from Defra and the Environment Agency (noise and surface water flood risk, environment.data.gov.uk) and Amazon Web Services (hillshade terrain tiles), so your browser connects to their servers to fetch map images. Like any website you connect to, they can see your IP address. The chosen location is also kept in the page address (the URL) so you can bookmark or share a site.
The contact page, the "suggest a calculator" form and the "sponsor a calculator" form ask for a message, and a name and email address if you'd like a reply (an email is needed for sponsor enquiries). Submitting one sends that information directly to Joel's inbox by email. It is not stored in a database and isn't used for anything other than reading and replying to your message. Nothing is added to a mailing list.
The forms include simple spam checks (a hidden field and how quickly the form was filled in). These are checked when you submit and are not stored.
This is processed on the basis of legitimate interests (responding to enquiries you've chosen to send). Messages are kept for up to 2 years, then deleted. You can ask at any time for a copy of what was sent, or for it to be deleted sooner, by emailing joel@brickdims.com.
The site uses Vercel Web Analytics to see aggregate page-view data, such as which tools are used. For each page view it records the page address, the referring site, your approximate location (country and region), and your device, operating system and browser type. It uses no cookies and stores nothing on your device. Visits are counted using a hash of the request that is discarded after 24 hours, so no profile of you is built across visits or other sites.
This is used only to improve the site, on the basis of legitimate interests. No advertising or third-party tracking scripts are used, and fonts are served from brickdims.com itself rather than a third party.
You can opt out at any time. The choice is saved in this browser only. Browsers that send a Global Privacy Control signal are opted out automatically.
Some preferences are saved locally in your browser's own storage, so they persist between visits: your theme and colour settings, pinned/favourite tools, a few saved calculator inputs (e.g. custom U-value materials), whether you've dismissed certain on-page notices, and your analytics opt-out if you've chosen one.
This data stays on your device - it is never transmitted to brickdims.com or to anyone else. Clearing your browser's site data removes it. Because all of it is there only to provide features you've asked for, no cookie consent banner is shown.
Two services process data on Joel's behalf, only to run the site. Neither uses it for its own purposes:
Vercel Inc. hosts the site, provides the analytics above and runs the code that sends form messages. Vercel is based in the United States, so data may be processed there. That transfer is covered by Vercel's data processing terms, which include the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.
Zoho provides the email service that delivers and stores form messages, in its EU data centre.
The site analysis tool uses the public data services listed above. Nothing is sold, shared for marketing, or passed to any other third party.
Under UK data protection law you can ask what personal data (if any) is held about you, request a copy of it, ask for it to be corrected or deleted, ask for its use to be restricted, or object to how it's used. Email joel@brickdims.com for any of this - in practice, this only ever concerns a form message you sent. You'll get a reply within one month.
If you're unhappy with how your data has been handled, please get in touch first. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
This policy may be updated occasionally as the site changes. Material changes will be reflected in the "last updated" date above.