Glaziers

For new windows or doors, ask whether the installer is registered with FENSA or CERTASS, and look them up on the scheme's website. We don't do this for you yet.

What to put in your job description

• What you need: a broken pane, misted double glazing, a new window or door, or a whole house.
• How many windows or doors, roughly how big, and the frames now: uPVC, wood or aluminium.
• For broken glass: whether the window is secure now, or needs boarding up.
• Whether the home is listed or in a conservation area.
• What you would like: the frame colour, the glass, opening styles, locks.

Don't put your name, phone number or address in the description: every trade who covers your area reads it. Your name, phone, email and address go only to the trades who take the job (3 at most).

Questions to ask before you hire

• Are you registered with FENSA or CERTASS, and will I get the certificate for the new windows?
• Will you use safety glass where it is needed, such as in doors and low windows?
• Who makes good the plaster and sills, and takes away the old frames?
• How much deposit do you ask for, and is it protected if your firm closes?
• Do you have public liability insurance?

Registers and schemes to check

In England and Wales, new and replacement windows and doors must meet the Building Regulations. An installer registered with a competent person scheme such as FENSA or CERTASS can sign the work off and register it; otherwise you must apply to building control. Ask for the certificate, and look the installer up on the scheme's website. Repairing a pane of glass does not need this. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, ask your council. We don't check this for you yet.

What the job usually involves

• Measuring each opening, then ordering the frames and glass made to size.
• Taking out the old frames, fitting the new ones, and sealing them inside and out.
• Making good the plaster, sills and trims around each window.
• Replacing broken or misted glass units without changing the frame.
• Registering new windows and doors with the competent person scheme, and giving you the certificate.

How quotes and visits work

A glazier usually measures before a fixed price. Ask what the price includes: the glass, the frames, fitting, making good and taking the old frames away. New windows are often made to order, so ask how long they take and how much deposit is asked.

Ask for a written quote (a fixed price) rather than an estimate (a guess that can change), and for what it includes. If you agree a job in your home, you usually have 14 days to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations; if you want work to start sooner, you may have to pay for what has been done.

Safety

• Keep away from broken glass, and board up a broken window until it is fixed.
• Windows on upper floors need restrictors where children could fall, and a way out in a fire.
• Doors and low windows need safety glass that breaks safely.

Insurance and TrustMark

Ask for public liability insurance before work starts. It covers damage or injury caused by the trade to you, your home or someone else. Ask for the insurer's name and the cover's end date; you can ask to see the certificate.

TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme for work in and around the home. Its registered businesses agree to its code of practice, and you can look them up on trustmark.org.uk.

Guides for homeowners

• Planning permission and Building Regulations: the difference
• How to compare quotes from local trades

We take jobs from anywhere in the UK: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Trades choose the postcode districts they cover.

Glaziers by town and city

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland