Koda Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-05 Status: Draft v1 — pending legal review

Koda is a trade name of Emerald Group, LLC, a limited liability company registered in the state of Maryland ("we" or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our services or visit our websites.

1. Information we collect

We collect the following information directly from you:

Identifying information:

Full name
Email address
Phone number
Contractor license number (when applicable)

Project information:

Property address where the work will be performed
Project description you share with us
Property owner information (with your authorization)
Documents you upload to support the permit application

Business information:

Business type
Services you are interested in

Usage information:

IP address, browser type, operating system
Pages you visit on our site
Time and date of your visit

We do not collect Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, or sensitive financial information directly. When you pay for our services, payments are processed through Stripe; we do not store your credit card information.

2. How we use your information

We use your information to:

Prepare and submit permit applications on your behalf
Communicate with you about the status of your application
Communicate with permitting authorities (such as Montgomery County DPS) on your behalf, when you have authorized us in writing
Send you confirmations, reminders, and updates by email
Improve our services and user experience
Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your information. We do not share your information with advertisers. We do not use your information for marketing purposes outside of our own services.

3. Who we share information with

We share your information only with:

Permitting authorities: When you authorize us to submit a permit application on your behalf, we share the necessary information with the relevant permitting authority (for example, Montgomery County DPS).

Service providers: We work with providers that help us operate our services:

Supabase — secure data storage
Vercel and Railway — website and API hosting
Resend — transactional email delivery
Anthropic (Claude) — automated project description analysis
OpenAI — permit information search processing
Google Places — address suggestions
Stripe — payment processing
Google (Search Console, Business Profile, Ads) — web traffic analytics, search presence, and ad measurement. When you visit our site, we may share information about your visit (pages viewed, device, approximate location) with Google to measure search visibility and, in the future, ad performance.
Meta (Facebook) — web traffic analytics and advertising. When you visit our site, we may share information about your visit (browser type, pages viewed, actions taken) with Meta to measure ad performance and show relevant content to similar audiences. You can adjust your Meta tracking preferences in your Facebook account.

Each of these providers has its own privacy policies and security practices. We only share the information necessary for them to fulfill their function.

When required by law: If we receive a valid court order or legal requirement, we may share your information with the relevant authorities.

4. Your rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: You may request a copy of the information we hold about you.
Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or outdated information.
Deletion: You may request that we delete your information, subject to legal obligations that require us to retain it.
Portability: You may request a copy of your information in a structured format.
Objection: You may object to certain uses of your information.

To exercise any of these rights, write to us at hello@kodaapp.io. We will respond within 30 days.

5. Information retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this policy, or for as long as required by applicable law. Specifically:

Permit applications: while the application is active, plus 7 years after completion (per county requirements).
Contact information: while you have an active relationship with Koda, plus 3 years.
Unconverted inquiries: 2 years from the last communication.
Financial records: 7 years per accounting requirements.

If you request deletion of your information, we will delete it subject to the legal obligations mentioned above.

6. Information security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information:

HTTPS encrypted connections on all our websites
Passwords and credentials stored securely
Access to personal information limited to authorized personnel only
Service providers that comply with industry security standards

However, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

Our websites use essential cookies for site functionality (for example, maintaining your logged-in session in the admin panel). We do not use third-party tracking cookies for advertising purposes.

Additionally, we use the Meta Pixel (a Facebook tracking code) to measure ad performance. If you prefer not to be tracked, you can install a tracker-blocking browser extension or adjust your Facebook account privacy settings.

8. Children

Our services are not directed at persons under 18 years of age. We do not intentionally collect information from minors.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy periodically. The "Last updated" date above reflects the current version. Material changes will be communicated by email to active clients.

10. Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA)

If you are a Maryland resident, the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act (MODPA) grants you additional rights over your personal information. These include the right to access, correct, delete, and port your data, as well as the right to opt out of certain processing activities. To exercise these rights, write to us at hello@kodaapp.io.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle your information, contact us:

Koda Services provided by Emerald Group, LLC Email: hello@kodaapp.io Phone: (301) 246-0094

Services provided by Emerald Group, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company. Koda is a brand name.