WINDOW INSTALLATION: FENSA APPROVAL
Q We are currently comparing prices from builders for an extension that we hope to get built fairly soon. One of the contractors has not included a price for installing windows and doors, and has written ‘By others’ next to these items in the schedule of works. We asked them and they said that you need to be FENSA registered to fit windows, which they are not, so they left it out. So do we need to get the windows done separately?
A Comparing quotes from building contractors for a sizeable project like an extension is obviously a lot more difficult when one of the firms tendering omits a major part of the build.
The main issue in this case appears to revolve around the question of compliance with Building Regulations. Although both new and replacement glazing come within the scope of the Regs, the ‘Competent Person Scheme’ allows registered installers to self-certify that their work complies.
There are several different Competent Person Schemes for installation of windows and glazed doors but FENSA is probably the best known. Where work is undertaken by an installer who isn’t registered, or is carried out on a DIY basis, an application to building control will need to be made. But since an application will need to be made anyway for the extension project as a whole, your builders won’t need to self-certify the installation work because it should fall under the umbrella of the overall project.
If you’re planning to also replace the existing windows in the main house, in addition to the construction of the extension, it could make sense to have this part of the project carried out independently by a registered installer experienced in this specific type of retro-fitting work. However, for Building Regs purposes, window replacement works can be included in the overall application to building control for the extension.
It’s interesting to speculate whether this was simply a misunderstanding by the contractor who provided the quote or if there was another reason why they chose to duck this part of the project. Accurately specifying and ordering windows and glazing can be a complex process, sometimes with long lead times for sophisticated units, which may need to be imported, and can also be very capital intensive for the contractor. It’s not unknown for clients and contractors to miscommunicate key details for the precise design of windows and glazing, leading to acrimonious disputes. So it’s possible that the building firm in this case had experienced problems on a previous job, through no fault of their own — and it’s a case of once bitten, twice shy.
My feeling is that if this individual contractor is head and shoulders above the rest in all other respects it would be worth sitting down with them to discuss alternative options for the window and door installation. One solution might be for you as the client to offer to independently take responsibility for ordering the materials to de-risk this part of the process. This would probably be a better option than subcontracting the work to a Fensa-registered installer unless you or your project manager are around to ensure effective coordination on site with the main contractor.