A certificate holder will protect the rights and safety of others and use reasonable skill and judgement while engaged in the practice of wood energy technical work in accordance with the terms and conditions of WETT certification.

A certificate holder will not knowingly contravene any federal, provincial, or municipal law, regulation, or by-law relating to the sale, installation, inspection or maintenance of solid fuel burning systems.

A certificate holder will charge a fee that is fully disclosed, fair and reasonable, and only for services fully performed.

A certificate holder will not knowingly sign or issue a false or misleading certificate, report or other document

A certificate holder will not make a false, exaggerated or misleading statement as to the practice of solid fuel technical or advisory work, or make a false or malicious statement or publication that injures the professional reputation of a certified wood energy technician.

Consumer Complaints

Click here to download the Discipline and Dispute Form

The installation and maintenance of wood burning appliances is not regulated in Canada. As a non-profit training and educational association, WETT does not oversee, nor is it responsible for, the workmanship of its members. As such, WETT does not act as a regulator, consequently we cannot become involved in resolving consumer disputes.

WETT trained professionals must abide by a code of ethics requiring professionalism in all aspects of their work. WETT does maintain internal processes to address breaches of our code of ethics by our members. If you have concerns about the quality or workmanship done by a WETT trained professional, there are several avenues for you seek remedies.

First – to avoid any disagreements, before retaining a WETT trained professional it is important to ask upfront about the scope of services to be provided, the anticipated costs and determine who is doing the work. WETT trains and certifies individuals – not companies. Companies can use the WETT logo if someone at their company is WETT certified – but only those trained can claim to be WETT certified. All WETT trained professionals carry picture ID cards. Ask to see an ID card and ensure that it carries a valid sticker showing the current year.

What to do if the WETT trained professional did not certify my wood burning appliance
Please note that WETT does not certify appliances – we certify people. This is a common misconception.  During the course of work an inspector or installer will issue paperwork indicating that an installation is code compliant. An installation is either compliant with the relevant building and installation codes or it is not. If not, the inspector, installer or sweep will identify why.

What to do in the event of disagreement?
From time to time, disagreements can originate from multiple scenarios such as inconsistency in inspection reports to faulty installations to disagreements over installation and building codes. This does not necessarily mean than someone was a fault.

If you feel your wood burning appliance is not functioning properly or safely – DO NOT use the appliance until the concerns have been rectified.

In all situations, first try talking to the person who performed the work to see if a suitable resolution can be found. If the two of you can’t agree, you have several options:

• Contact the retailer from where the appliance was purchased and review the situation with them to see if a resolution can be found.

• If the issue is a technical disagreement you can contact the manufacturer for further information about your specific appliance.

• If the issue is a difference of opinion regarding an inspection report – you can seek a second opinion from another WETT trained professional in your area.

• If you have not found a suitable resolution, you can contact us. zigi@shaw.ca or 604-941-4172

How do I file a complaint?
Refer to the complaints form to make sure you have all the information required to make a complaint. Complaints must be sent by mail. Please note that the association can only investigate and discipline its own members. You will need to know the full name of the person who did the work. Click here to download the Discipline and Dispute Form.

How do I know if I should submit a complaint?
Please note that the association can only investigate and discipline its own members. WETT cannot resolve billing issues and similar disputes regarding service fees. WETT does investigate situations of faulty installations, poor workmanship and other concerns relating to quality of work performed.

What can I expect from submitting a complaint?
The installation and maintenance of wood burning appliances is not regulated in Canada consequently we cannot offer assurances that your specific issue will be rectified. What we can do is in cases of negligence is prevent this from happening in the future by having the member retrained or in cases of gross negligence a member’s certification can be withdrawn.

What is the process a complaint follows?
The complaints process is largely internal and follows a prescribed process. The first step is for WETT to qualify the complaint. This may involve contacting you for more information about the nature of the complaint. If information is missing or the details provided are insufficient, you will be asked to submit additional documentation. The WETT member in question will also be contacted – and if deemed appropriate we can recommend that they rectify the situation. Keep in mind that we cannot force members to rectify situations. If they fail to do so, the organization will take this into account when determine the necessary disciplinary action.

Given the varied nature of complaint situations we do not publish timeframes for responses to complaints. We will however acknowledge your complaint and keep you informed of the progress and outcomes of the complaint investigation.

We appreciate and empathize that a complaint regardless of its nature is stressful and we offer assurance that all complaints will be acknowledged and dealt with professionally. Through professional training and public education our primary mandate is to promote the safe and effective use of wood burning systems in Canada.