FENSA ?

[MPB]

Hi just a quick question for you all,just had a new door and two windows fitted.My friend says when he had his windows fitted he received a certificate from fensa .My installer is not fensa registered and he says i will not be receiving a certificate? Is this this ok?.Thanks

 

[breezer]

Hi just a quick question for you all,just had a new door and two windows fitted.My friend says when he had his windows fitted he received a certificate from fensa .My installer is not fensa registered and he says i will not be receiving a certificate? Is this this ok?.Thanks

its quite normal for some one who is not registered with a "governing body" (fensa in your case) not to give a certificate because they are not registered with that "governing body"

 

[keyplayer]

Don't know what breezer means, however this is notifiable work. Fensa registered installers can self certify, otherwise you should go through your local BCO and have them inspect/certify. Needless to say this is not free! Main points are type of glass used, and fire escape means on upper floors.

 

[breezer]

Don't know what breezer means, however this is notifiable work. Fensa registered installers can self certify, otherwise you should go through your local BCO and have them inspect/certify. Needless to say this is not free! Main points are type of glass used, and fire escape means on upper floors.

I am saying why should fensa give a certificate to some one who is not a member of fensa.

The op seems to be saying that as his mate got a certificate, he should get one, but as the op also says his mates windows were done by a fensa company, his were not done by a fensa company

 

[Glassman]

You need to check with your local building control office as Keyplayer says but it really isn't cheap at all. I've heard they can charge £400+ per day for their services?

If you do nothing you may get stung when you come to sell your house

 

[MPB]

Thanks for all the replies.So i may as well have just fitted the door and windows myself!?.So you dont have to fensa registered to fit doors and windows then?.

 

[Glassman]

Thanks for all the replies.So i may as well have just fitted the door and windows myself!?.So you dont have to fensa registered to fit doors and windows then?.

Not at all.

A company that is FENSA registered is a company that registers all of its installations with FENSA for a fee. FENSA then issue a certificate to that company which it then passes onto the customer. It does not mean that the company is any good at fitting windows.
FENSA very rarely check on installations to make sure that they comply with the current regs but as long as you have a FENSA certificate in your hand, in theory you have done no wrong.

If you fit your own windows and doors then it is YOUR responsiblity to contact your local building control officer who will come out to check that your installation complies with the regs (Low E glass etc.) and will then issue you with a certificate if it does.
From what I've been told it isn't cheap either but I suppose what you save in fitting costs would make up for it.

 

[keyplayer]

MPB, if I were you I'd phone your BCO anonymously and ask how much they charge for a visit. Strictly speaking they should visit before work starts but I've yet to see this in practice. It only takes the officer a few minutes to justify the pointless fee. I've had a few installs cleared by London Borough of Enfield and they charged about 130 quid per visit. That was a couple of years ago though, and I believe varies from bco to bco. Your fitters should really have filled you in on all this though, you should pester them first to make it legal.

 

[MPB]

Thanks to everyone for the replies!

 

[stric]

Whoever fitted them should really have filled you in on how to get your certificate, I am not fensa registered, I go through the councils building control, prices have varied from £75 to £125.
Just give them a call they are usually very helpfull, and if any problems arise from the inspection it will be down to your fitter to put them right, because although he is not fensa registered he should still have fitted them to the correct specification.

 

[Glassman]

As I understand it the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the householder and not the fitters.
He could of had a couple of fitter mates to fit his windows and as far as BC are concerned he may as well of fitted them himself anyway if thats the case.

 

[Odd Job]

Hiya
im just getting legal help with a seriouse issue in double glazing.

I contacted Fensa, if the companys name is not on thier list there is nothing they can do.

If companys name is on thier list your are extremely covered as if you have problems they can be corrected whilst Fensa persue the company for monies needed.

It costs a company £200 to register with Fensa and they can be pulled for any problems with thier work,yet another company can do as they like and get no hassel from anyone, (doesnt make sense realy)

If the spec of teh none Fensa fitted windows are not in regs, then the house holder can be made to correct them.

If in court you fight the fitting company, and have held payments back, the company have the choice to remove goods supplied give you back what you have paid and walk away, the problem then is you have no windows. ( yeap i was gobsmacked to be told this)

After much searching, phone calls, advise centres, architects and now a solicitor, I am so shocked at how much, window fitters can get away with.

I am not a window fitter i would'nt know the difference between a bodged window and a cat flap.

I have had 2 windows replaced so far Fensa registered and the security of knowing that is a big relief.


OJ

 

[keyplayer]

FENSA are a bunch of imbecilic clowns. IMO.

 

[Odd Job]

i did sort of get that view my self. on asking when i needed help, but i still prefer to have some cover, as its better than none.

 

[biffvernon]

The total costs for joining Fensa are much more than the £200 quoted, fine for a big company but prohibitive for an independent craftsman joiner like myself. If a householder has a window fitted s/he is obliged to obtain Buildings Regulation Approval. This costs between £50 and £100. It's per job not per window so is disproportionately expensive if you are just replacing one window rather than a houseful of a dozen. (It's a new window tax!)

Complying with the regulation is not so hard. Insulation value has to meet Part-L, emergency escape route means you can't have windows that open only at the top, glass within 80cm of the floor or next to a door has to be safety glass. You should tell the Buildings Control Officer what you are doing before fitting. He will do a site visit before installation and then a second visit afterwards before issuing you with the certificate.