HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to hire a window repairer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to window repairs. A whole new window is building work needing a FENSA or CERTASS certificate in England.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
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  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a window repairer in five steps

  1. Count the faultsEvery misted unit or broken hinge, with a rough size.
  2. Repair or replace?Repairs need no certificate; replacements do in England.
  3. Upper windowsAsk how they will be reached safely.
  4. Glass guaranteeAsk how long a new unit is guaranteed against misting.
  5. Clear sillsAnd furniture in front of each window.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No licence or register applies to window repairers in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so anyone may offer window repairs. The law steps in only where window repairs turns into gas work, notifiable electrical work or building work.

Ask for a business name, the insurer and a written description of the window repairs.

FENSA or CERTASS for replacements

Repairing a window or door is not the same as replacing it. A replacement window or door is building work: in England a FENSA or CERTASS installer self-certifies it and you get a certificate, otherwise building control approves it. If the window repair turns into a replacement, that certificate is what a buyer's solicitor will ask for.

If the window repair becomes a full replacement, check the installer on the FENSA or CERTASS search. fensa.org.uk →

Ladders and work at height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (and Northern Ireland's own of the same year) require work at height to be planned and done with suitable equipment; HSE's ladder guidance is a 1-in-4 angle and three points of contact. Stairwells and high ceilings make the window repair a work-at-height job.

For high or stairwell work, ask what access equipment the window repair will use. hse.gov.uk →

Public liability insurance

No law requires a repairer to be insured, but a drill through a pipe or cable, or a heavy item coming off a wall, is exactly what public liability covers. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 entitles you to window repair done with reasonable care and skill; insurance is what pays if it was not.

Ask the repairer for the insurer's name and the cover level before the window repair starts.

VAT

Window repair is standard-rated at 20%, glass units, hinges and access equipment included. Over the £90,000 registration threshold a trader must charge it and show it separately; under it there is no VAT and no VAT number.

Ask the window repairer for a VAT number on the quote before VAT is added. gov.uk →

“Can this window be repaired, or does it need replacing?”

A good answer: An honest answer; most faults are repairable.

“What glass will the new unit have?”

A good answer: Standard, toughened or obscure, matched to where it is.

“How will you reach the upper windows for the repair?”

A good answer: Ladder for short tasks, a tower or two people otherwise.

“What guarantee comes with a new glass unit?”

A good answer: A period against misting, in writing.

“What is the price for each window repair?”

A good answer: A price per window, less for further ones.

“Are you insured for window repairs?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Each window and fault listed
  • Glass type and size
  • Access equipment if needed
  • Guarantee on glass units
  • Who actually attends — the window repairer, or a subcontracted glazier
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% shown separately

Walk away if

  • Replaces whole windows with no certificate
  • Works off a ladder for long upstairs jobs
  • No guarantee on new units
  • Pushes replacement without looking
LOW
£55
TYPICAL
£145
HIGH
£300

What a window repairer costs: £55–£300 per window

Window repairs are priced per window; glass size and type, frame work and access set it. Window Repair price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Window repairers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyEach window checked and measured.
  2. OrderGlass units made to size.
  3. AccessSafe access set up.
  4. RepairUnits, hinges or timber repaired.
  5. Seal and testSeals renewed and every window tested.

Sealed unit
A double-glazed pane.
Toughened glass
Safety glass that breaks into small pieces.
Splice
New timber let into a rotten frame.
Stay
The arm that holds a window open.
Reveal
The side of the window opening.
CERTASS
A competent person scheme for windows and doors.

AFTER

When the job is done

Open and close every windowSmoothly, sealing tight.
Look at the new unitsClear, no misting.
Keep the guaranteeWith the invoice.
Review it honestlyYour review of the window repair is tied to a real booking. Under four stars, you can send the problem with the window repair to the window repairer first and we follow it up; then the review goes live.

STEP 1Tell the window repairer, in writingPut the problem with the window repair in a message or email, with photos and the date. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 reads reasonable care and skill into every contract like this one, so you can require the window repairer to redo the faulty part within a reasonable time at no cost to you, or give a price reduction.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepGive the window repair fewer than four stars and you can send the issue to the window repairer first; we stay on it until there is an answer, and then your review is posted.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesA window repairer who will not engage can be reported through the consumer helplines, which pass cases to Trading Standards — Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060), Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedTo get money back for the window repair, the small claims limits are £10,000 in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland; court fees start at £35 in England and Wales and £23 in Scotland.

Hiring a window repairer: questions people ask

No. No register applies; a full replacement window in England needs a FENSA or CERTASS certificate or building control.

Not usually; the certificate goes with replacement windows and doors.

HSE says ladders suit short, low-risk tasks; longer work needs other access.

£55–£300 per window, typically about £145. See the window repair price guide for the breakdown, then put your town in the search above to compare repairers.

Usually by replacing the sealed unit.

About an hour per window once replacement glass is made.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: uPVC RepairHow to hire: Sash Window RestorationHow to hire: Door Hanging & RepairHow to hire: Curtain & Blind FittingHow to hire: Lock RepairHow to hire: HandymanHow to hire: Spray PaintingHow to hire: Sealant & CaulkingAll 701 hiring guides →

Window repairers near you

Window repairers in LondonWindow repairers in ManchesterWindow repairers in BirminghamWindow repairers in GlasgowWindow repairers in BelfastAll window repairers on Locufy →Do it yourself: fixing a window that sticks, drops or will not lock →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. FENSA — replacement windows and doors
  2. CERTASS — competent person scheme for windows and doors
  3. gov.uk — building regulations approval (England)
  4. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  5. HSE — work at height myths (ladders and the 30-minute guide)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  8. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  9. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register