When you’re making a big investment in your home, you want to ensure that you are working with the best people so that everything is just as you had hoped. This is especially true if you’ve chosen Origin as your door and window manufacturer of choice because you will want to be confident that the highest quality product is installed in the most professional and correct way to ensure it looks and performs optimally. As the warranties that installers are able to offer on the installation and glass will differ, you’ll want to make sure you’re finding the tradesperson that’s right for you.
Finding a partner who can fulfil your work at the right price and to the right spec can be tricky – especially as it’s unlikely to be something that you do all the time. But there are ways to narrow your search down and make a more well-informed choice.
Ask your suppliers
While you may not deal with tradespeople all the time, door and window manufacturers will, and some may have a list of preferred installers to fit their products. These tradespeople should know the manufacturer’s products well and are likely to be experienced in specifying and fitting them, making them a much safer choice than someone who is unfamiliar with the brand. Some manufacturers will even offer specialist fitter training to their partners for extra reassurance.
To find out who your supplier’s local partners are, visit their website or call their customer services team.
Here at Origin, whilst not compulsory to choose, we do have a Premium Partner Programme, where we work with trusted installers who have met our service levels and have been offered training specifically to fit our products. To find your local Origin premium partner, visit our website and complete the form on the ‘find a showroom’ or ‘find your local installer’ pages. This will give you a list of your five nearest installers, along with a bio about them and the work that they do, so that you can get a feel for them straight away. Please note that whilst we work with them, all partners remain independent to Origin.
Look at their previous work
If you’d like to check them out further from the comfort of your home, it’s also worth having a look at the installer’s social media channels and website to make sure that you are happy that they do have experience in fitting your chosen manufacturer’s products. While you’re there, check to see if they post regularly to see how in demand they are and whether they come across as a reliable company for your work. Hopefully, you will see installations involving your products of choice in similar properties to yours, too.
If they are an Origin Premium Partner, this should be obvious from their website and social media activity, so you should be able to see certain projects which could be similar to your requirements.
It is also worth searching their website and social media for case studies of projects they have completed along with testimonials. This is a great way to see their finished work and read about the experiences of previous customers. If there is extensive building work required as part of your job, check whether they have previous experience with this type of project, particularly if your requirements are unusual or complex. For example, if you would like a corner set of bi-fold doors, the installation would require a structural engineer to ensure that the cantilevered weight is set up properly. Does it look and feel like your chosen tradesperson can do this?
Visit a few showrooms
Once you’ve narrowed down your search, it’s worth making sure that you’re comfortable working with a tradesperson. We recommend visiting their showroom and experiencing the products yourself, to ensure that they can provide all the information that you need and you feel that you’re in expert hands. If you would like to view a specific product, colour or configuration, it is worth checking that the showroom is displaying what you want.
If the team at the showroom are also the people who would be carrying out the install, this is an opportunity to meet them, ask questions – like whether they have had fitter training from the manufacturer – and gauge whether you feel comfortable with them and their levels of customer service.
While you may be happy enough that Origin has created a partnership with an installer, it’s worth keeping in mind that we are separate companies and it’s you that is having the work done and that they will be guaranteeing the installation side. If any issues arise that need rectifying, the responsibility would lie with the installer. If a part is required, Origin would work with the installer and they would do the remedial work as your contract for the work is with them.
Check the guarantees
Before having a product installed, it is vital to ensure that the work is covered by the relevant warranties. Origin offers an industry-leading guarantee of up to 20-years on all of its products. In most instances, when a tradesperson is installing a product from an independent manufacturer, this will need to be covered by two warranties – one for the product, and another for the glass and installation.
This distinction is important because the product warranty lies with the manufacturer (i.e Origin), but if there are any problems with the products which have been caused by the installation, they would be covered by the installer’s guarantee.
For example, if you were to have a front door installed by an independent builder, the manufacturer would be responsible for guaranteeing the manufacture of the door itself, whilst the builder would be responsible for providing a guarantee against issues caused as a result of the fitting process. Warranties vary from company to company and installer to installer, so be sure to check these before embarking on a project.
The installer deals directly with Origin (or any other chosen manufacturer), as the guarantee for the product is between the installer and Origin, so it’s vital that you choose an installer that has not only the right level of guarantees for your needs, but that you are comfortable going back to them if there are any problems.
In our case, our up to 20-year guarantee relates to the frames only for dry glaze products, rather than the glass and installation. Speak to your chosen tradesperson to find out the warranty they offer on their installation as well as what glass options they have, along with what guarantee comes with them.
Read reviews
Reviews from previous customers offer valuable impartial insight into what a tradesperson is like to deal with, as well as the quality of their work. You can find reviews in a number of places, including websites like:
Which?
Trust a Trader
Check a Trade
Trust Pilot
reviews.co.uk
Google reviews
If the tradesperson you are considering working with has a business Facebook page, it is also worth checking this for customer reviews.
Check their certifications
Always work with tradespeople who have an up-to-date, industry-recognised certification. For example, quality door and window installers should be certified by someone like FENSA or Certass, which monitor the fenestration industry.
While quality manufacturers will always endeavour to put you in touch with tradespeople who are experienced in installing their products, it’s you that will be living with the work after, so it’s important to carry out your own thorough research before committing to the tradesperson. Make sure that you are comfortable with them – after all, they will be in your home – and that you’re confident that you will benefit from the skill precision and professionalism that you deserve.
