diff --git a/docs/FRONTEND_MAINTAINABILITY.md b/docs/FRONTEND_MAINTAINABILITY.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cd7863da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/FRONTEND_MAINTAINABILITY.md
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# Frontend maintainability conventions
+
+## Conditional rendering
+
+Use logical `&&` or the `when` prop on `Text` when JSX has only a rendered state and an empty
+state. Use a ternary only when both branches render meaningful alternatives.
+
+```tsx
+{
+  error && <Alert severity="error">{error.message}</Alert>;
+}
+
+<Text variant="description" when={Boolean(description)}>
+  {description}
+</Text>;
+```
+
+ESLint rejects `condition ? <Element /> : null`. This keeps one-sided conditions visually
+distinct from real either-or UI decisions.
+
+## Typography and feedback
+
+Use `Text` from `@/components/ui/text` for headings, paragraphs, descriptions, labels, captions,
+code, and asynchronous feedback. It owns:
+
+- semantic HTML for each visual variant;
+- the display, body, and monospace font families;
+- default, muted, error, success, and warning tones;
+- accessible `alert` and `status` live regions for error and feedback text;
+- one-sided conditional text through `when`.
+
+ESLint rejects raw paragraph and heading elements. Existing MUI `Typography` usages remain valid,
+but new shared UI should prefer `Text` so semantics and design tokens do not drift.
+
+## Forms and mutations
+
+Use the libraries already established in the application:
+
+- React Hook Form owns field registration, touched/dirty state, and client form lifecycle.
+- Zod owns form validation and inferred form value types.
+- TanStack Query owns server reads and mutations, including pending/error state, cache
+  invalidation, and retries where safe.
+
+Do not add TanStack Form alongside React Hook Form. It would create two form conventions without
+removing any current dependency. Reconsider only as a deliberate repository-wide migration with
+benchmarks, a codemod plan, and an approved deprecation path.
+
+File uploads are not ordinary form fields. Keep file selection and client validation in a focused
+component, and use a TanStack Query mutation for upload progress, errors, completion refresh, and
+retry state. Do not place upload orchestration in a route-sized page component.
+
+## Page state
+
+Pages should compose focused state components instead of accumulating unrelated booleans:
+
+- query loading, error, and empty states stay adjacent to the query result;
+- mutation pending/error state belongs to the component that initiated the mutation;
+- route pages coordinate sections and navigation;
+- reusable sections own their interaction details;
+- errors render inline with accessible feedback, with toasts reserved for cross-page outcomes.
+
+## Enforcement and rollout
+
+The lint rules are repository-wide and the initial violations were migrated in the same change.
+`npm run lint`, `npm run build`, and the `Text` behavior tests are required gates. Future
+maintainability rules must also land with a green migration rather than a warning-only backlog.
diff --git a/eslint.config.js b/eslint.config.js
index 8d1f29c2..f88e2a81 100644
--- a/eslint.config.js
+++ b/eslint.config.js
@@ -62,6 +62,26 @@ export default tseslint.config(
       "react-refresh/only-export-components": ["warn", { allowConstantExport: true }],
       "@typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars": ["error", { argsIgnorePattern: "^_" }],
       "@typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any": "warn",
+      "no-restricted-syntax": [
+        "error",
+        {
+          selector:
+            "JSXExpressionContainer > ConditionalExpression[alternate.type='Literal'][alternate.value=null]",
+          message:
+            "Use logical AND for one-sided JSX rendering instead of `condition ? element : null`.",
+        },
+        {
+          selector:
+            ":matches(JSXOpeningElement[name.name='p'], JSXOpeningElement[name.name='h1'], JSXOpeningElement[name.name='h2'], JSXOpeningElement[name.name='h3'], JSXOpeningElement[name.name='h4'], JSXOpeningElement[name.name='h5'], JSXOpeningElement[name.name='h6'])",
+          message:
+            "Use the shared Text component so typography semantics, family, tone, and feedback behavior stay consistent.",
+        },
+        {
+          selector:
+            "JSXOpeningElement[name.name='div'] > JSXAttribute[name.name='className'][value.value='vp-error']",
+          message: 'Use Text variant="error" for accessible, consistent error feedback.',
+        },
+      ],
     },
   },
   {
diff --git a/src/app/(auth)/_components/auth-card-header.tsx b/src/app/(auth)/_components/auth-card-header.tsx
index 795ca0a7..aaf95cf6 100644
--- a/src/app/(auth)/_components/auth-card-header.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(auth)/_components/auth-card-header.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { ComponentPropsWithoutRef } from "react";
 
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 export type AuthCardHeaderProps = ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"div"> & {
@@ -10,12 +11,17 @@ export type AuthCardHeaderProps = ComponentPropsWithoutRef<"div"> & {
 export function AuthCardHeader({ title, subtitle, className, ...props }: AuthCardHeaderProps) {
   return (
     <div className={cn(className)} {...props}>
-      <h2 className="m-0 text-center font-display font-bold text-foreground">{title}</h2>
-      {subtitle && (
-        <p className="mb-6! mt-1.5! text-center font-sans font-normal text-muted-foreground">
-          {subtitle}
-        </p>
-      )}
+      <Text variant="title" className="m-0 text-center font-bold text-foreground">
+        {title}
+      </Text>
+      <Text
+        variant="description"
+        tone="muted"
+        when={Boolean(subtitle)}
+        className="mb-6! mt-1.5! text-center font-normal"
+      >
+        {subtitle}
+      </Text>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/app/(auth)/login.tsx b/src/app/(auth)/login.tsx
index 9149bc8d..7d1c4c74 100644
--- a/src/app/(auth)/login.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(auth)/login.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { AuthCardHeader } from "@/app/(auth)/_components/auth-card-header";
 import { AuthPageShell } from "@/app/(auth)/_components/auth-page-shell";
 import { LoginForm } from "@/app/(auth)/_components/login-form";
 import { BrandLockup } from "@/components/common/brand-lockup";
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import { loginSchema, type LoginFormValues } from "@/domain/auth/schemas/login-schema";
 import { useAuthContext } from "@/providers/auth-context";
 
@@ -37,9 +38,13 @@ export default function LoginPage() {
         isLoggingIn={isLoggingIn}
         loginError={loginError}
       />
-      <p className="mt-5! block text-center font-sans text-(length:--text-xs) text-muted-foreground">
+      <Text
+        variant="caption"
+        tone="muted"
+        className="mt-5! block text-center text-(length:--text-xs)"
+      >
         Having trouble? Contact your administrator.
-      </p>
+      </Text>
     </AuthPageShell>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/app/v/[token]/_layout.tsx b/src/app/v/[token]/_layout.tsx
index 548f4ed3..3b4e7880 100644
--- a/src/app/v/[token]/_layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/v/[token]/_layout.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { NavLink, Outlet, useLocation, useParams } from "react-router";
 import { useVendorPortal } from "@/app/v/_components/vendor-portal-context";
 import { VendorPortalProvider } from "@/app/v/_components/vendor-portal-provider";
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import "@/app/v/_components/vendor-portal.css";
 
 function VendorPortalHeader() {
@@ -55,13 +56,13 @@ function VendorPortalBody() {
   if (status === "error") {
     return (
       <div className="vp-container">
-        <div className="vp-error">
-          <h2>Access Denied</h2>
-          <p>
+        <section className="vp-error">
+          <Text variant="title">Access Denied</Text>
+          <Text variant="error">
             {error?.message ||
               "This link is invalid or has expired. Please contact your dispatcher for a new link."}
-          </p>
-        </div>
+          </Text>
+        </section>
       </div>
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/app/v/[token]/dashboard.tsx b/src/app/v/[token]/dashboard.tsx
index a7dc74f9..eeb222a2 100644
--- a/src/app/v/[token]/dashboard.tsx
+++ b/src/app/v/[token]/dashboard.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useVendorPortal } from "@/app/v/_components/vendor-portal-context";
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import { vendorPortalApi } from "@/domain/vendor-portal/api/vendor-portal-api";
 import {
   formatVendorPortalDateTime,
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDashboardPage() {
   return (
     <>
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h2>Your Work</h2>
+        <Text variant="title">Your Work</Text>
         <div className="vp-muted" style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>
           Active dispatches and work orders assigned to your company.
         </div>
@@ -76,7 +77,9 @@ export default function VendorPortalDashboardPage() {
       </div>
 
       {isLoading && <div className="vp-card vp-muted">Loading dispatches…</div>}
-      {error && <div className="vp-error">{error.message}</div>}
+      <Text variant="error" when={Boolean(error)} className="vp-error">
+        {error?.message}
+      </Text>
 
       {!isLoading && !error && filtered.length === 0 && (
         <div className="vp-card vp-empty">No dispatches in this view.</div>
diff --git a/src/app/v/[token]/dispatch/[id].tsx b/src/app/v/[token]/dispatch/[id].tsx
index 2edae8a1..854631b9 100644
--- a/src/app/v/[token]/dispatch/[id].tsx
+++ b/src/app/v/[token]/dispatch/[id].tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Link, useParams } from "react-router";
 import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { SignaturePad } from "@/app/v/_components/signature-pad";
 import { useVendorPortal } from "@/app/v/_components/vendor-portal-context";
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import { vendorPortalApi } from "@/domain/vendor-portal/api/vendor-portal-api";
 import {
   formatVendorPortalDateTime,
@@ -429,7 +430,11 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
   }
 
   if (error && !data) {
-    return <div className="vp-error">{error.message}</div>;
+    return (
+      <Text variant="error" className="vp-error">
+        {error.message}
+      </Text>
+    );
   }
 
   if (!data) return null;
@@ -457,7 +462,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
       <div className="vp-card">
         <div style={{ display: "flex", justifyContent: "space-between", alignItems: "flex-start" }}>
           <div>
-            <h2>{data.dispatchNumber}</h2>
+            <Text variant="title">{data.dispatchNumber}</Text>
             <div className="vp-muted">{data.workOrder?.workerOrderTitle}</div>
           </div>
           <span className={vendorPortalStatusClass(data.status)}>{data.status}</span>
@@ -492,7 +497,9 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
 
         {data.location && (
           <>
-            <h3 style={{ marginTop: 16 }}>Location</h3>
+            <Text variant="heading" sx={{ marginTop: 2 }}>
+              Location
+            </Text>
             <div>{data.location.name}</div>
             <div className="vp-muted">
               {[
@@ -509,7 +516,9 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
 
         {(data.description || data.workOrder?.description) && (
           <>
-            <h3 style={{ marginTop: 16 }}>Description</h3>
+            <Text variant="heading" sx={{ marginTop: 2 }}>
+              Description
+            </Text>
             <div>{data.description || data.workOrder?.description}</div>
           </>
         )}
@@ -570,7 +579,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h3>Checklist</h3>
+        <Text variant="heading">Checklist</Text>
         <ChecklistSection
           token={token}
           dispatchId={dispatchId}
@@ -588,7 +597,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h3>NTE Uplift Requests</h3>
+        <Text variant="heading">NTE Uplift Requests</Text>
         <UpliftRequestsSection
           token={token}
           dispatchId={dispatchId}
@@ -600,7 +609,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h3>Customer Signoff</h3>
+        <Text variant="heading">Customer Signoff</Text>
         <SignoffSection
           token={token}
           dispatchId={dispatchId}
@@ -612,7 +621,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h3>Vendor Signoff</h3>
+        <Text variant="heading">Vendor Signoff</Text>
         <SignoffSection
           token={token}
           dispatchId={dispatchId}
@@ -624,7 +633,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalDispatchPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h3>Comments</h3>
+        <Text variant="heading">Comments</Text>
         <CommentsSection
           token={token}
           dispatchId={dispatchId}
diff --git a/src/app/v/[token]/pos.tsx b/src/app/v/[token]/pos.tsx
index b6e566de..bfa30e5f 100644
--- a/src/app/v/[token]/pos.tsx
+++ b/src/app/v/[token]/pos.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useVendorPortal } from "@/app/v/_components/vendor-portal-context";
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import { vendorPortalApi } from "@/domain/vendor-portal/api/vendor-portal-api";
 import {
   formatVendorPortalDateTime,
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ export default function VendorPortalPosPage() {
   return (
     <>
       <div className="vp-card">
-        <h2>Your Purchase Orders</h2>
+        <Text variant="title">Your Purchase Orders</Text>
         <div className="vp-muted" style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>
           Every PO issued to your company, with current status and dollar value.
         </div>
@@ -113,7 +114,9 @@ export default function VendorPortalPosPage() {
       </div>
 
       {isLoading && <div className="vp-card vp-muted">Loading POs…</div>}
-      {error && <div className="vp-error">{error.message}</div>}
+      <Text variant="error" when={Boolean(error)} className="vp-error">
+        {error?.message}
+      </Text>
 
       {!isLoading && !error && visible.length === 0 && (
         <div className="vp-card vp-empty">No POs match this view.</div>
diff --git a/src/components/ui/page-header.tsx b/src/components/ui/page-header.tsx
index a43b99e3..dd691a80 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/page-header.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/page-header.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
-import { Stack, Typography } from "@mui/material";
+import { Stack } from "@mui/material";
 
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 type PageHeaderProps = {
@@ -35,24 +36,25 @@ export function PageHeader({
       }}
     >
       <Stack spacing={0}>
-        {eyebrow && (
-          <p className="m-0 font-sans text-(length:--text-xs) font-bold leading-none tracking-widest text-primary uppercase">
-            {eyebrow}
-          </p>
-        )}
-        <h1
+        <Text
+          variant="label"
+          when={Boolean(eyebrow)}
+          className="m-0 text-(length:--text-xs) font-bold leading-none tracking-widest text-primary uppercase"
+        >
+          {eyebrow}
+        </Text>
+        <Text
+          variant="display"
           className={cn(
             "m-0 font-display mt-1! text-[30px]! font-extrabold leading-[1.1] tracking-[-0.02em] text-foreground",
             eyebrow && "mt-1",
           )}
         >
           {title}
-        </h1>
-        {subtitle && (
-          <Typography variant="body2" color="text.secondary">
-            {subtitle}
-          </Typography>
-        )}
+        </Text>
+        <Text variant="description" tone="muted" when={Boolean(subtitle)}>
+          {subtitle}
+        </Text>
       </Stack>
       {actions && (
         <Stack direction="row" spacing={1} sx={{ alignItems: "center", flexWrap: "nowrap" }}>
diff --git a/src/components/ui/text.tsx b/src/components/ui/text.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2628d808
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/ui/text.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import type { ElementType, ReactNode } from "react";
+import {
+  Typography as MuiTypography,
+  type TypographyProps as MuiTypographyProps,
+} from "@mui/material";
+
+type TextVariant =
+  | "display"
+  | "title"
+  | "heading"
+  | "body"
+  | "description"
+  | "label"
+  | "feedback"
+  | "error"
+  | "caption"
+  | "code";
+
+type TextTone = "default" | "muted" | "error" | "success" | "warning";
+type TextFamily = "display" | "body" | "mono";
+
+export type TextProps = Omit<MuiTypographyProps, "children" | "color" | "variant"> & {
+  children: ReactNode;
+  as?: ElementType;
+  family?: TextFamily;
+  tone?: TextTone;
+  variant?: TextVariant;
+  when?: boolean;
+};
+
+const variantConfig: Record<
+  TextVariant,
+  { element: ElementType; muiVariant: MuiTypographyProps["variant"]; family: TextFamily }
+> = {
+  display: { element: "h1", muiVariant: "h3", family: "display" },
+  title: { element: "h2", muiVariant: "h5", family: "display" },
+  heading: { element: "h3", muiVariant: "h6", family: "display" },
+  body: { element: "p", muiVariant: "body1", family: "body" },
+  description: { element: "p", muiVariant: "body2", family: "body" },
+  label: { element: "span", muiVariant: "subtitle2", family: "body" },
+  feedback: { element: "p", muiVariant: "body2", family: "body" },
+  error: { element: "p", muiVariant: "body2", family: "body" },
+  caption: { element: "span", muiVariant: "caption", family: "body" },
+  code: { element: "code", muiVariant: "body2", family: "mono" },
+};
+
+const toneColor: Record<TextTone, MuiTypographyProps["color"]> = {
+  default: "text.primary",
+  muted: "text.secondary",
+  error: "error",
+  success: "success.main",
+  warning: "warning.main",
+};
+
+const familyValue: Record<TextFamily, string> = {
+  display: "var(--font-display)",
+  body: "var(--font-sans)",
+  mono: "var(--font-mono)",
+};
+
+export function Text({
+  as,
+  children,
+  family,
+  tone,
+  variant = "body",
+  when = true,
+  sx,
+  ...props
+}: TextProps) {
+  if (!when) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const config = variantConfig[variant];
+  const resolvedTone = tone ?? (variant === "error" ? "error" : "default");
+  let liveProps = {};
+  if (variant === "error") {
+    liveProps = { role: "alert", "aria-live": "assertive" as const };
+  } else if (variant === "feedback") {
+    liveProps = { role: "status", "aria-live": "polite" as const };
+  }
+
+  return (
+    <MuiTypography
+      component={as ?? config.element}
+      variant={config.muiVariant}
+      color={toneColor[resolvedTone]}
+      sx={[
+        { fontFamily: familyValue[family ?? config.family] },
+        ...(Array.isArray(sx) ? sx : [sx]),
+      ]}
+      {...liveProps}
+      {...props}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </MuiTypography>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/test/components/ui/text.test.tsx b/src/test/components/ui/text.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..59b4ce93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/components/ui/text.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import { screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
+import { renderWithProviders } from "@/test/test-utils";
+
+describe("Text", () => {
+  it("maps visual variants to semantic elements", () => {
+    renderWithProviders(
+      <>
+        <Text variant="display">Page title</Text>
+        <Text variant="description">Supporting copy</Text>
+      </>,
+      { withAuth: false },
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { level: 1, name: "Page title" })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText("Supporting copy").tagName).toBe("P");
+  });
+
+  it("does not render conditional text when its condition is false", () => {
+    renderWithProviders(
+      <Text when={false} variant="feedback">
+        Saved
+      </Text>,
+      { withAuth: false },
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.queryByText("Saved")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("gives error and feedback messages accessible live-region semantics", () => {
+    renderWithProviders(
+      <>
+        <Text variant="error">Upload failed</Text>
+        <Text variant="feedback">Uploading</Text>
+      </>,
+      { withAuth: false },
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("alert")).toHaveTextContent("Upload failed");
+    expect(screen.getByRole("status")).toHaveTextContent("Uploading");
+  });
+});