FENSA

Since 2002, FENSA has provided quality assurance and peace of mind for homeowners seeking to upgrade their windows and doors. FENSA provides certificated proof that your new installation is building regulation compliant, energy efficient and registered with your local authority. Homeowners are provided with a safe and cost-efficient solution to replacing old, worn-out windows and doors. So, who are FENSA, and how can sourcing an installer like Brackenwood (who is FENSA approved) benefit your home?

A Brief History

April of 2002 saw the birth of FENSA, or the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme – one of the UK’s government-approved initiatives monitoring building regulation compliance for replacement windows and doors. Founded by like-minded installation companies from the Glass and Glazing Association, FENSA’s mission is and always has been to improve window and door replacements across England and Wales, by professionalising installers under The Competent Person Scheme and protecting homeowners.

Over the course of two decades, FENSA has expanded rapidly. Around 50% of all homes in Britain were covered by the FENSA promise between 2002 and 2018, because FENSA-approved installers were able to issue around 13 million certificates to homes across the UK.

So, how does it work?

FENSA is effectively an assessment tool to help homeowners decide upon a quality, approved installer whilst feeling safe in the knowledge that the installation adheres to building regulation standards.

The scheme issues certificates to properties that have recently had new window and door installations completed by a certified FENSA installer. In the past, your local authority would have had to come out to inspect and pass your installation, which was often expensive and time-consuming. With an approved installer, they can self-certify the work due to a quality-controlled assessment by the scheme.

Through this assessment of these FENSA approved installers, the certification process allows homeowners to gain safe, secure window and door installations that are building regulation compliant, registered with the homeowner’s local authority and that prioritise energy efficiency within the home.

Make sure that your chosen installer is approved. With this certification, it means that building regulation requirements are maintained throughout the installation process and beyond, as well as providing homeowners, like you, with a FENSA certificate as a guarantee of quality work.

What is a FENSA certificate?

A FENSA certificate is a document that is issued to you – the homeowner – once your registered tradesperson has informed your local authority that your windows and doors have been replaced. In the past, homeowners have had to do this themselves, as it is a legal requirement to register all building upgrades with your local authority.

Your certificate will be issued to you for safe keeping, but it will remain with your property if you choose to sell your home later.

You will have heard of a FENSA certificate if you have recently replaced old windows and doors with a registered installer like Brackenwood. Once your windows or doors have been installed, your certificate will be issued, lasting the lifetime of the installation.

Whilst it is important to understand who FENSA are, it is also important to understand what the organisation represents. For homeowners like yourself, it provides assurance in a job done right. All installations are insured by the installer. It also provides relief from the costly experience of having to approach your local authority and getting a building inspector to certify your installation. Those days of having to add extra into the budget to cover this process are long gone! Thanks to twenty years of government approved certification, the FENSA name is associated with true quality and trust. So, when you employ an installer like Brackenwood, who is certified, you can trust that the job is done correctly, meeting local authority building regulations in an energy efficient manner.

What are the benefits to me, the homeowner?

The idea of what FENSA represents sounds great, but what about the tangible benefits to you, the homeowner? With a FENSA approved installer, you get:

Building regulation compliant installation
Registration of your installation with your local authority
Verification that your installer’s guarantee is insured
Energy efficiency
Peace of mind
Cost efficiency
Timesaving – cutting down the length of time it takes to have your installation approved
A certificate documenting the authenticity of the work (and who doesn’t want a certificate – right?!)

**So, what happens when you choose an installer without accreditation?**

You received a recommendation for an installer from your neighbour two doors down. That installer arrives to complete the work. He seems genuine and gets on with the work without issue. Your windows are installed and he seems to have done an excellent job. Then, he leaves.

You’re happy with the work, but you have forgotten to call your local authority, pay the fee (which can be several hundred pounds itself) and get a building inspector out to check and register your new installation. What happens next? A year or two go by and you try to sell your home. As all the documents are examined as part of the sale, the buyer’s lawyer realises that there are no compliance certificates for your window and door installation. They raise this with your local authority, and you are fined for non-compliance. Not only that, but you realise that your home is not energy efficient and has been costing you extra money to heat this whole time. So, before you choose a window and door installation service, look for that FENSA logo and rest assured that the job is done right by professionally trained and assessed professionals protected by the FENSA promise, just like Brackenwood.

Brackenwood’s role in FENSA.

Since 1987, Brackenwood has set out to deliver exceptional quality, professional installations across England and Wales. We take pride in ensuring that you – the customer – receives the best possible service, delivered in an ethical, transparent, and friendly manner. But did you know that Brackenwood was an original founding member of FENSA?! For the last twenty years, Brackenwood has been an integral part of developing the FENSA certification process and is one of only a few founding companies still operating under the FENSA banner. Our core values here at Brackenwood; honesty, excellence in customer service, and exceptional installations that benefit the homeowner are synonymous with the FENSA brand and its core values that have been developed over the last twenty years. So, when you employ Brackenwood to install your windows and doors, you will receive a FENSA certificate guaranteeing the quality of the work that we have provided, and you will have peace of mind in knowing that your installation is safe, energy efficient and building regulation compliant; leaving little else for you to do but enjoy your lovely new windows and doors in your home.

When searching for a trusted window and door installation service, look for Brackenwood – FENSA Member Number: 10025.

*Want to find out more about FENSA? Check out FENSA.org.uk or contact us here at Brackenwood to find out more about our professional installation services and how we can help improve your home, backed by the FENSA promise.