Checking installer credentials

A logo on a leaflet proves nothing on its own. The good news is that the checks that actually matter take minutes, and doing them quietly weeds out the firms you’d rather not let near your home.

The registrations that matter

Replacement windows are covered by building regulations, and installers usually self-certify through a competent-person scheme. The two you’ll meet most often are FENSA and CERTASS. Membership means the installer’s work is assessed and that they can issue the certificate you’ll want when you come to sell. You can check a company’s registration directly on the scheme’s own website rather than taking the claim on trust. TrustMark is a further government-endorsed quality signal worth looking for.

Your quick credentials checklist

• Scheme registration. Confirm FENSA or CERTASS membership on the scheme’s register, using the company’s exact name.
• Insurance. Ask for proof of public liability cover, and whether guarantees are insurance-backed.
• Trading history. Check how long the company has traded and whether the registered company matches the trading name.
• Independent reviews. Look for a consistent track record across independent review platforms, not just hand-picked quotes on their own site.
• A real address. A verifiable premises and landline, not just a mobile number and a PO box.

Where to read genuine reviews

Testimonials on a company’s own website are cherry-picked by definition. For a fuller picture, read independent feedback on established platforms and cross-check the pattern over time. Our sister site publishes verified installer reviews if you’d like a starting point away from the sales pages. And if you want to understand realistic specifications and pricing before you weigh firms up, uPVC window styles, costs and quotes is a useful reference.

Local track record beats a glossy brochure

A national logo is reassuring, but the most telling evidence is often close to home. Ask whether the firm has fitted windows on your street or in your area recently, and whether you can see a job or speak to a customer. Local reputation is hard to fake and easy to check — a quick word with a neighbour who used them tells you more than any brochure. Look, too, at how long the company has traded under the same name; a business that keeps changing identity may be shedding a history worth reading. None of this takes long, and doing it before you invite anyone to quote means you only ever spend your evening with firms that have already earned a look.

Keep reading

Credentials are only half the story — what they promise matters too. Read guarantees worth having and the questions that catch out installers to test any firm properly.