New windows or doors: the paperwork you should have

Replacement windows and external doors have needed building regulations sign off since 1 April 2002. Done properly, the job produces one certificate that buyers' solicitors ask for by name.

England rules, checked against the official sources on 2026-07-17. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own building control regimes.

I’m selling (or remortgaging) soon, show me the missing-paperwork options up front

FENSA or Certass building regulation compliance certificate

Who gives it to you: The registered installer notifies the work; FENSA or Certass posts the certificate to you, normally within weeks of completion.

What it proves: The replacement windows or doors were self certified as compliant with building regulations, so no separate council application was needed.

Check it or get a copy: FENSA can search by address and issue a replacement for £30 including VAT. Certass replacements come from Certass directly. If the installer was not registered with a scheme, the paperwork should instead be a council building control completion certificate. Official page (opens in new tab) · About this scheme

When no paperwork is expected

Repairs, single glazed pane swaps and like for like glass replacement are not notifiable. Conservatories and porches are not FENSA work either; they follow the extension rules instead.

Worth knowing

The rules on unauthorised building work changed in 2023 and many guides are still wrong about it. A council can now serve a section 36 notice requiring work to be pulled apart or fixed for 10 years after completion (it used to be 12 months), and prosecution for breaching building regulations carries an unlimited fine and up to 2 years with no time limit. Missing paperwork does not quietly expire. Building Act 1984, sections 35 and 36, as amended by the Building Safety Act 2022 (opens in new tab)
When you sell, the Law Society TA6 property information form asks you to disclose alterations and attach the paperwork: planning permissions, building regulations approvals, completion certificates and scheme certificates such as FENSA. The TA6 6th edition becomes mandatory for accredited firms on 30 March 2026. Law Society: TA6 6th edition (opens in new tab)
Indemnity insurance is a product solicitors sometimes discuss for missing certificates (roughly £20 to £300). Whether it applies is a question for your solicitor: it does not make the work compliant or safe, and because contacting the council about the work can affect eligibility, talk to your solicitor before making any calls. HomeOwners Alliance: no building regulations approval (opens in new tab)
Planning permission and building regulations are separate systems. A Lawful Development Certificate covers planning only and does not remove the need to comply with building regulations, and a building regulations certificate is not planning permission. GOV.UK: lawful development certificates (opens in new tab)

If the work still needs doing, or redoing

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Common questions

What paperwork should I have for new windows or doors?

FENSA or Certass building regulation compliance certificate. Replacement windows and external doors have needed building regulations sign off since 1 April 2002. Done properly, the job produces one certificate that buyers' solicitors ask for by name.

What if the fensa or certass building regulation compliance certificate is missing?

Order a replacement first: most missing window certificates were issued and lost, and the address search finds them. Source: Certass: building regulations compliance vs FENSA certificate.

Does missing paperwork stop me selling the house?

Not by itself, but the TA6 property information form asks sellers to disclose alterations and attach the paperwork, and buyers' solicitors chase gaps. Reordering a lost certificate is usually cheap and fast; where work was never signed off, regularisation and other options exist to discuss with your solicitor.

This is guidance from the public rules, not legal or conveyancing advice. Your council, the scheme body and your solicitor have the final say on your situation.

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