The short version
- A company-only guarantee usually ends with the company. An insurance-backed guarantee carries on.
- Money paid by credit card on work costing £100 to £30,000 can be claimed from the card provider under Section 75.
- Register as a creditor. You cannot take a limited company that has stopped trading to court.
- Before you sign the next contract, get the guarantee insurer named in writing.
What happens if a double glazing company goes bust?
Your written guarantee usually ends with the company unless it is insurance-backed. Money paid by credit card on work costing more than £100 can be claimed from the card provider under Section 75. Everything else depends on the stage the job had reached.
FENSA confirms that it does not issue guarantees itself. The guarantee comes from the installer, so its value depends on the installer still trading or on an insurer standing behind it.
If it goes bust before fitting: your deposit
Your deposit is recoverable through your card provider, a deposit protection policy or a creditor claim. Work through them in this order:
- Credit card. Claim from the card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. It covers a cash price over £100 and up to £30,000, and Which? confirms that paying only part of the cost by card still counts.
- Debit card. Ask your bank for a chargeback. Citizens Advice warns that the bank does not have to agree.
- Deposit protection. Check your contract and paperwork for a deposit protection policy and contact the insurer named on it.
- Creditor claim. Register a claim as a creditor on GOV.UK. Citizens Advice says you should always do this, even when the chance of payment is small.
Our guide on whether your double glazing deposit is protected shows how to check the insurance before you pay.
If it goes bust halfway through the job
Section 75 still applies: Which? states that you are "covered if the double glazing trader goes out of business before finishing the job" when you paid by credit card. Gather the contract, the payment records and photos of the unfinished work before you claim.
If the administrator arranges for another firm to finish your order, get the new firm's guarantee and certificate terms in writing before work restarts.
To finish the job yourself, get fresh written quotes for the remaining work only. Ask each new installer, in writing, how the finished installation will be registered under Building Regulations, because a partly fitted job still needs a certificate when it is complete. Run the same double glazing installer checks on the new firm, from scheme registration to the guarantee.
If it goes bust after fitting: your guarantee
An insurance-backed guarantee stays valid after the installer stops trading, while a company-only guarantee usually becomes a claim against an empty company. Which? describes an insurance-backed guarantee as one that "ensures the warranty remains valid even if the installer ceases trading".
Claiming on an insurance-backed guarantee
Find the policy document, the insurer's name and the policy term, then contact the insurer directly. FENSA says homeowners with installations after 2014 may have received a policy that "covers the installer's written guarantee in the event that they cease to trade". DGCOS describes its members' cover as running for 2 to 10 years.
Holding only a company guarantee
A company-only guarantee is worth what the company can still pay. DGCOS notes that homeowners with active warranties count as creditors when a company goes into liquidation, so register your claim. A solvent company can also be dissolved through Companies House while guarantees are still running, which leaves nobody to claim against.
Check the guarantee was registered
An insurance-backed guarantee protects you only once the policy exists in your name. DGCOS states that "no cover will be in place until you have received your IBG certificate". FENSA adds that the policy is a separate document from the FENSA certificate, issued by an insurance broker. Look for that document in your paperwork now, and ask the installer for it while they are still trading.
How long should double glazing be guaranteed for?
Double glazing should carry a 10-year guarantee on frames, 5 to 10 years on glass and at least 2 years on hardware, backed by a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee. That is the combined advice of nine Which? Trusted Trader installers, not a legal minimum.
DGCOS says the insurance-backed guarantees it arranges run for 2 to 10 years, and the insured term can differ from the installer's own written guarantee. Compare both lengths on every quote. The sister site's guide to double glazing aftercare covers looking after the windows once they are in.
Company guarantee or insurance-backed guarantee: what you are left with
An insurance-backed guarantee keeps working after the installer stops trading, while a company-only guarantee depends on the company. The difference shows up in four situations:
| Situation | Company-only guarantee | Insurance-backed guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Installer still trading | The installer handles claims under its written guarantee (FENSA) | The installer handles claims, with the policy held in reserve |
| Installer in administration or liquidation | You are a creditor and may get little back (Citizens Advice, DGCOS) | The policy covers the written guarantee once the installer ceases to trade (FENSA) |
| Installer dissolved | You cannot take a limited company that has stopped trading to court (Citizens Advice) | Claim on the policy; DGCOS requires Companies House to confirm the firm has stopped trading |
| Same people trade through a new company | Ask the new company in writing whether it will honour the old guarantee | Claim on the policy if the original installer has ceased trading |
What is a phoenix company?
A phoenix company is a new company through which the same business or directors carry on trading after an earlier company liquidated or dissolved leaving debts unpaid, according to the Insolvency Service. The law allows this when the directors are not bankrupt or disqualified. A buyer can even purchase the business out of administration, sometimes called a "pre-pack" administration.
A guarantee is a promise from the company that gave it. A phoenix company with the same name or staff is a different company, so get its position on your old guarantee in writing before you rely on it.
Getting repairs done after the installer has gone
Claim on the insurance-backed guarantee first: FENSA tells homeowners to contact the insurance broker directly to find out whether they can lodge a claim. Without a policy, ask the administrator for a repair, though Citizens Advice says there is only "a small chance they'll be able to help".
The fallback is another installer, paid by you. FENSA also suggests checking your own home insurance, and warns you to check that new work will not affect any remaining guarantee. Keep every invoice for your creditor claim. Many faults need only new glass or hardware, as our pages on window replacement or repair in Manchester and double glazing in Fareham explain.
Administration, liquidation or dissolved: check the status first
Companies House shows whether a limited company is in administration, in liquidation or dissolved, and the Insolvency Register covers sole traders, according to Citizens Advice. It can take a few weeks for the records to update.
| Status | What it means for you | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| In administration | An administrator runs the company and tries to raise as much money as possible for creditors. That can mean selling the business (Insolvency Service) | Get the administrator's details, usually on the company's website, register a creditor claim and pay no new firm until its terms are in writing |
| Limited company in liquidation | Homeowners with active warranties count as creditors (DGCOS) | Register a creditor claim and claim on any card or insurance cover |
| Limited company dissolved | The company no longer exists, and you cannot go to court against it (Citizens Advice) | Claim through Section 75, chargeback or an insurance-backed guarantee |
| Sole trader | Companies House does not list them; Citizens Advice points you to the Insolvency Register instead | Search the Insolvency Register, then call the Citizens Advice helpline |
How to protect yourself before you sign
Protection is set before the contract is signed, so build it into the quotes you compare:
- An insurance-backed guarantee, with the insurer named on the quote
- A deposit of 25% or less, the ceiling Citizens Advice recommends
- Part of the payment on a credit card, for Section 75 cover
- A balance paid on completion, after you have checked the work
Our double glazing contract checklist puts these in the order you meet them, and our questions to ask a double glazing salesman include who insures the guarantee. To weigh quotes on guarantee type as well as price, see how to compare double glazing quotes.
Compare quotes that name the guarantee
Get free quotes from local installers who cover your postcode, then compare the guarantee and deposit terms side by side.
Who can help when an installer stops trading
Four organisations handle different parts of the problem:
- Citizens Advice consumer helpline, 0808 223 1133, for your rights and next steps
- Trading Standards, which FENSA points homeowners to when an installer will not cooperate
- The insurer named on your insurance-backed guarantee or deposit policy
- DGCOS, if the firm was a member (a private scheme, not a statutory ombudsman)
Some councils also run approved trader lists, as our pages on double glazing in Maidstone and double glazing in Southend-on-Sea explain.
Questions people ask
Is FENSA an insurance backed guarantee?
No, FENSA is not an insurance-backed guarantee. FENSA says the guarantee policy is a separate document from the FENSA certificate, issued by an insurance broker, and installations completed after 2014 may have one.
How does an insurance backed guarantee work?
An insurance-backed guarantee is a policy that covers the installer's written guarantee if the installer ceases to trade, so you claim from the insurer instead of the installer. DGCOS says cover starts only once you hold the IBG certificate.
Are insurance backed guarantees any good?
An insurance-backed guarantee is only as good as the written guarantee it insures and its own term, which DGCOS puts at 2 to 10 years. It protects you only if it was registered and you hold the certificate.
Can I claim on a guarantee from a dissolved company?
No, a company-only guarantee has nobody behind it once the company is dissolved. An insurance-backed guarantee is the exception: the insurer honours it after the installer stops trading.
Can I get my deposit back if the company goes bust?
Yes, when you paid by credit card and the work cost more than £100: the card provider is liable under Section 75. Debit card payments rely on a chargeback, which the bank can refuse, and cash payments rely on a creditor claim.
