Choosing a glazing installer: questions worth asking
Glazing is one of the last trades on site and one of the hardest to put right afterwards. The questions that separate a good installer from a cheap one.
- Ask who handles Building Regulations notification and the structural calculations.
- Confirm the survey happens before manufacture and that dates are in writing.
- Insurance backed guarantees and a named contact after handover beat the lowest quote.
Glazing is one of the last trades on site and one of the hardest to put right afterwards. That is why the questions asked before ordering matter more than the price of the panels.
Questions about the order
Who surveys, and when? What is the lead time in writing? What happens if the opening measures differently from the drawing? Which parts of the specification are options and which are standard?
Ask for the system and the glazing build-up to be named on the order confirmation, rather than simply described as double or triple glazed.
Questions about compliance
Who notifies Building Regulations, and who pays for it? Is there a structural calculation for the beam over the opening, or does that sit with your builder? Is the product certified for its intended use, such as PAS 24 on a door, or wind load capacity on an exposed elevation?
Questions about installation
How will the unit be lifted into place, and will any of it need a crane? Who makes good inside and out? How is the perimeter insulated and sealed? What is done to protect the frames while the rest of the build is finished around them?
Questions about aftercare
What does the guarantee cover and for how long, and is it insurance backed? Who do you call in year three if a roller needs adjusting? And can you see a recent installation, ideally one with an opening similar to yours?
The cheapest quote is often the one that excluded the most. Compare the specification, the inclusions and the aftercare before comparing the totals.
Written by the Minimal Frame Projects UK team. If you would like advice on a specific opening, send us the dimensions and a few photographs and we will come back with a specification.
