TERMS OF SERVICE.

1. Definitions

• PSIP: the Performance Structural Integrity Protocol, a documentation and scoring standard for concrete work.
• Certification: the credential issued by PSSG to a contractor who passes the PSIP exam and maintains a PSIP account in good standing.
• Directory: the contractor listing published on the Site.
• Charter Class: the first 50 certified contractors, allocated 25 Concrete Side and 25 Aquatic Side, enrolling at the locked Charter rate.
• PSIP Certificate: the signed workmanship document a certified contractor issues on a completed project.

2. Eligibility and Accounts

The Site and certification are intended for contractors, builders, pool builders, homeowners, and other adults acting in a business or consumer capacity. You agree to provide accurate information and to keep your account credentials secure. You are responsible for activity under your account.

3. The Services

PSSG offers PSIP certification, training materials, a certification exam, and a contractor directory. The certification exam and the PSIP application are scheduled to launch in July 2026. Some Site features described as forthcoming are not yet available. We may add, change, or discontinue features.

4. What Certification Is, and What It Is Not

PSIP is a documentation and scoring standard. Certification means a contractor has passed the PSIP exam and agreed to operate under the protocol. Certification is not, and must not be represented as:

• A warranty, guarantee, or insurance of any contractor's work, materials, or results.
• Engineering, architectural, or design services, or a substitute for a licensed professional.
• A government license, building-code approval, or inspection.
• A representation by PSSG that any specific pour, slab, or pool shell will not fail.

PSSG scores documented work against the protocol. PSSG does not supervise, control, or perform any contractor's concrete work and is not a party to the contract between a contractor and their customer. The certified contractor is solely responsible for their own work, code compliance, licensing, and customer relationships.

5. Intellectual Property and Use of PSIP Marks

PSSG owns the PSIP name, logos, the PSIP seal, the protocol content, the book Building on Solid Ground, and all related materials. We grant a certified contractor in good standing a limited, revocable, non-exclusive license to use the PSIP certification badge and to describe themselves as PSIP-certified solely while their account is active and in good standing. All other use of PSIP marks and content is prohibited without written permission. This license ends automatically if certification lapses, is suspended, or is revoked.

6. Acceptable Use and Revocation

You agree not to misuse the Site, misrepresent your certification status, issue PSIP Certificates for work that does not meet the protocol, or use the marks after your certification ends. PSSG may suspend or revoke certification and remove a directory listing for breach of these Terms, for misrepresentation, or to protect the integrity of the standard.

7. Fees, Billing, and Refunds

Certification and directory fees, the Charter Class rate, renewals, and refund terms are governed by the PSIP Billing and Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. Please review it carefully before enrolling.

8. Educational and Scientific Content; Independence

Content on the Site about alkali-silica reaction, Type 1L cement, supplementary cementitious materials, ACI and ASTM standards, and industry events is provided for general educational purposes and reflects field understanding at the date of writing. It is not engineering advice for any specific project. References to specific products are field observations by the author, not endorsements. PSSG is structurally independent of all material suppliers and accepts no payment from the materials it references or scores.

9. Disclaimers

The Site and services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that any outcome will result from certification or directory placement.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, PSSG and its officers, directors, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, arising from your use of the Site or services. PSSG's total liability for any claim relating to the services will not exceed the amount you paid to PSSG in the twelve months before the claim.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless PSSG from claims, damages, and expenses arising from your use of the Site, your work, your representations about your certification, or your breach of these Terms.

12. Governing Law, Dispute Resolution, and Arbitration

• (a) Governing law. These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or the services are governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee and the Federal Arbitration Act, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.
• (b) Informal resolution first. Before starting an arbitration or court proceeding, the parties will try to resolve the dispute informally for thirty days after written notice describing the dispute is sent to info@psipprotocol.com or to the user's account email. Many concerns can be resolved this way.
• (c) Binding arbitration. If the dispute is not resolved, it will be settled by final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its applicable Consumer or Commercial Arbitration Rules, before a single arbitrator, rather than in court. The arbitration will be seated in Robertson County, Tennessee, and may be conducted by videoconference or by written submissions where the rules allow. The arbitrator decides all issues, except that a court may decide the enforceability of this arbitration provision and the class action waiver below.
• (d) Class action waiver. Disputes will be brought only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, consolidated, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of a class or representative proceeding. If this class action waiver is found unenforceable as to a particular claim or remedy, that claim or remedy, and only that one, will be severed and heard in a court of competent jurisdiction in Robertson County, Tennessee, while the remaining claims proceed in arbitration.
• (e) Small claims carve-out. Either party may instead bring an individual claim in a small claims court of competent jurisdiction if the claim qualifies and remains in that court on an individual basis.
• (f) Injunctive and intellectual property carve-out. Either party may bring an action in court seeking injunctive or equitable relief to protect intellectual property rights, the PSIP marks, or confidential information, including misuse of the PSIP certification or marks.
• (g) Thirty-day right to opt out. A user may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to info@psipprotocol.com within thirty days of first accepting these Terms, stating their name and intent to opt out. Opting out does not affect any other part of these Terms.
• (h) Fees and procedure. Arbitration fees and costs are governed by the rules of the administering body. The arbitrator may award the same individual relief a court could, subject to this section.
• (i) Survival. This section survives termination of these Terms and any contractor or user relationship.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The updated version takes effect when posted with a new effective date. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms.

14. Contact