FENSA increase replacement certificate cost from £20 to £25

Home owners buying or selling a UK property that has had replacement windows or doors fitted to replace existing external windows and doors since 1st July 2002, will need to provide the seller or purchaser (or their Solicitor!) with a FENSA certificate.

These used to cost £20 including VAT, but they now cost £25 including VAT. Not being in possession of this important document can seriously delay the sale of the property, so it is worth while making sure that if you have had (or are planning to have) any replacement windows or doors installed in your home that you ensure you receive a FENSA certificate within a couple of months after the work is carried out, if not, check online at www.fensa.org.uk that your double glazing installer did register the work they carried out on your property with FENSA.

If a contract was signed prior to 1st April 2002 but was completed before the 30th June 2002 a FENSA certificate of compliance is not required, as before this cut off date, Building Regulations compliance was the responsibility of each local Building Control Department within your local authority.

A FENSA certificate is not applicable if you have had an extension with planning permission and Building Regulatory Approval, as you should have your Building Control documentation to give to the Solicitors instead. If you purchased replacement windows via a FENSA registered double glazing company, they are responsible for registering the each of each window and door they installed to prove compliance with Building Regulations. If for whatever reason your details do not appear on the FENSA website, they may not have been registered. If this is the case you will need to get onto your FENSA registered double glazing supplier and/or fitter and insist they register them straight away.

To request an “original” FENSA Certificate simply visit www.fensa.org.uk which brings up a window asking for your property’s postcode and house number/name or the FENSA certificate ID number (if known). Put in your postcode and your house name or number, and as long as your double glazing installer registered your installation at the time they carried our the work, this should bring up your address, the work that your installer undertook (i.e. the number of replacement windows and the numbers of replacement doors fitted) and the date of registration and also the date the certificate was first issued by FENSA and sent by them direct to you.

To obtain a new certificate fill in the online details requested by FENSA and pay them £20 including VAT by credit card or debit card. FENSA will then send you a replacement certificate in about 7-14 days. FENSA advise that the quickest way you can both apply for, and obtain a replacement or duplicate FENSA certificate for windows and doors installed in your home after July 2002 is via their website. This is much much quicker and less expensive than asking your Solicitor to do this for you as Solicitors a) tend to send a cheque by post which needs to clear before certificate is sent out, plus b) will probably charge you for the privilege! If you need a replacement Certificate faster than FENSA usually take you will need to contact them direct and they have been know to charge extra for “fast-tracking” an application.

Please remember that UK double glazing manufacturers and installers do not issue FENSA certificates, so as a consequence do not have copies of them as these are issued directly by FENSA to each retail windows & doors customer. You can contact FENSA direct on 020 7645 3700

Alternatively you can write to FENSA with a cheque and all the necessary details at 40 Rushworth Street, London, England, SE1 0RB. You can check that Hazlemere Window Company Ltd are members of FENSA by contacting FENSA. Bucks based Hazlemere Windows FENSA registration number is 10589. Hazlemere Windows, Doors, Conservatories are also members of the Glass and Glazing Federation and are Which? Trusted Traders.