Code of Professional Practice

The primary purpose of this Code is to engender and maintain high standards of conduct and use of sound, proven systems and quality of installation: so avoiding bad practice in tendering and reduction of quality in order to gain custom. The Association’s membership is open to all organisations meeting the standards necessary to obtain these objectives, provided also there is evidence of financial stability. The following should be construed in these contexts:

• A member firm is obliged to adhere to technical standards, covering systems, including their component parts, and workmanship, as laid down for the industry by independent testing authorities and by the Association.
• A system designer member should only appoint installers experienced in insulated render and cladding works (who may well be INCA members), to apply its product and who are capable of achieving a good standard of work. These should be companies that are able to fulfil their full financial and contractual obligations at any given time and who have proper regard to the health and safety and training of their operatives, operating an effective H&S policy. They should at all times be able to develop and maintain the good name of the Association and its Members and conduct their business with integrity and honesty. Where non-member installers are appointed, the system designer members should require the same high standards to be maintained as are expected of member installers.
• In order to further the use of proven systems, an installer Member (including Provisional Members) should only apply proven systems that take account of UK weather conditions (which may well be INCA members) - unless the specification dictates otherwise. Where non-member systems are used, the installer members involved should make every endeavour to ensure the system is technically appropriate to the work, specification and tender.
• Installers are expected to price on systems named within the contract documentation or variations, issued at tender stage: if a performance specification is used and no system named, an installer shall preferably price a proven system which complies with the specification. Adequate levels of insurance are to be held, as appropriate.
• A component supplier member shall work to promote proven and reliable systems and installers (who may well be INCA members).
• All members are to be committed to training their workforce.
• A member firm has a duty to be fair and honest in dealing with customers, past and present, and to other companies within the industry. He shall respect the public interest, and the dignity of the individual.
• A member firm shall not intentionally impart false or misleading information concerning its product or service, or that of its competitors, to its customers, verbally, in literature, or in any other way, and is under an obligation to use all reasonable care to avoid doing so. This includes the registering and holding of domain names based on the trading names of other firms within or serving the industry.
• A member firm shall not knowingly or deliberately injure the professional reputation or business of another company within the industry, whether that company is a fellow member or not.
• A member firm shall not engage in any practice, or conduct itself in any manner seen to be detrimental to the reputation of the INCA, or against the interests and reputation of the insulated render and cladding industry.
• A member firm shall investigate any complaint levelled at it by a customer, and if the complaint is justified, take any action necessary to rectify the situation.
• A member firm shall agree to a suitable person, appointed by the Board of the Association, acting as arbitrator, when so requested by a customer or the Association - payment for this service to come from the involved member, or the complainant, whomsoever is found to be at fault.
• Members will not set out to circumvent the above rules by operating associated businesses in insulated render and cladding, which are not Members of the Association.
• Should any of the Rules cause unusual situations, which require adjudication, such instances may be referred to a sub-committee of Members appointed by the Board, for decisions or guidance: and Members should abide by such decisions or guidance.
• A member firm shall uphold this Code and assist the Association in its implementation.
• The above rules are not intended, nor should be read as, infringing any aspect of Competitions Policy or law: the latter obviously takes precedence over all aspects of free competitive trading.