Choosing a conservatory installer

Good conservatory installers hold a FENSA or CERTASS registration and give a written quote with a full specification. They offer an insurance-backed guarantee and don’t push you to sign on the day. Get at least three quotes, check each firm’s registration and recent work, and compare the quotes like for like before you choose.

What every conservatory installer should have

• FENSA or CERTASS registration, so the firm can certify windows and doors under Building Regulations. Check it on the scheme’s website. See our guides to a FENSA certificate and a CERTASS certificate.
• An insurance-backed guarantee, so the cover survives if the firm stops trading.
• A fixed address and a landline, and a trading history you can check.
• Public liability insurance, because a conservatory is a major building job.
• Recent, local work you can see, ideally with a customer you can call.

Ask each firm who does the groundworks and the build. Some conservatory installers sell the job and sub-contract the work, which is fine if they say so up front and stand behind it.

How to compare conservatory installers’ quotes

Three quotes only help if they describe the same conservatory. Ask each installer to state:

1. the footprint, the style and the roof, with a drawing;
2. the frame material and colour inside and out;
3. the base and groundworks, and what happens if the ground is poor;
4. the glass specification, including solar control and self-cleaning coatings;
5. who applies for planning and Building Regulations, and who pays any fees;
6. whether the price includes electrics, heating, flooring and blinds;
7. the payment schedule and the guarantee.

Our quote checker lists what a good quote should show, and the compare quotes tool lines up several side by side. For a sense of fair prices, see conservatory prices, where a Victorian conservatory typically costs £11,500 fitted.

Sales tactics from conservatory installers to walk away from

• A discount that expires today. A conservatory price doesn’t change overnight. A genuine offer survives a night’s sleep.
• A price with no specification. If you cannot see what the figure buys, you cannot compare it.
• A large deposit. Pay a modest deposit and stage the rest against the work.
• Vague wording on planning. “We’ll sort it” is not an answer. Ask who applies, and what happens if the council refuses.
• No written guarantee. If it isn’t on paper, you haven’t got one.

Your rights

A contract you sign at home usually carries a cancellation period of 14 days under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Goods made to your specification can be excluded, though. Ask for any cooling-off period in writing. If you pay by credit card, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can give you extra protection on purchases costing between £100 and £30,000. Paying just the deposit this way can be enough.

Before you sign

Ask for the contract, the specification and the guarantee in writing, and read all three before you pay. Check that the contract names the planning and Building Regulations steps and says who does them. Our overview of planning and building a conservatory explains what those steps are. When you are ready, get free quotes from installers in your area.