Step 1 — find the paperwork
Before any route can be pursued, locate the original contract, finance agreement, payment record and — most importantly — any Insurance-Backed Guarantee (IBG) certificate. An IBG is a separate insurance policy that pays out on the workmanship guarantee even if the original installer has ceased trading. It is usually issued by a third-party provider such as QANW, GPI, or IWA, not by the installer themselves.
If the homeowner remembers being offered a '10-year guarantee' or '25-year guarantee', there is a reasonable chance an IBG sits behind it. The certificate is the proof the provider will need.
Step 2 — work out the payment route
How the installation was paid for changes the legal route significantly:
- Finance agreement or credit card — Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act applies. The claim is against the credit provider, not the installer. The installer ceasing to trade does not affect this.
- Cash or bank transfer with a valid IBG — claim against the IBG provider following their published claims procedure.
- Cash or bank transfer with no IBG — limited routes. The homeowner is generally a creditor of the failed company and may need to engage with the insolvency practitioner, though recovery is rare.
Step 3 — get the evidence in order
Whichever route applies, the IBG provider or credit provider will require independent evidence of the defect. They are not going to take a homeowner's word for it, and they are not going to commission their own report.
An independent inspection report sets out what was found — foam type, moisture readings, ventilation status, psychrometric and timber moisture readings, certificate cross-reference where documentation exists — as documented evidence for your decision, sale, or claim. It does the technical description work that a guarantee provider or credit provider will normally want to see; what they do with it is their decision.
What an IBG claim usually requires
- Original IBG certificate and policy schedule
- Proof of the original installation (contract, invoice)
- Independent inspection report identifying the defect and its cause
- Photographic evidence of the defect
- Statement of the rectification work the homeowner is claiming for
A note on time limits
IBG policies have specific time limits — usually 10 or 25 years from the installation date, with a duty to notify the provider promptly once the defect is discovered. Section 75 and FOS have their own timescales. Acting quickly preserves the most options.