Another great window replacement question is, “How long will my warranty cover my windows?” Most companies will say, “a lifetime,” which is a very ambiguous term. When considering warranty issues, there are many components you need to consider.

Is the replacement window company backing the warranty or is the window manufacturer backing the warranty?

Does “lifetime” mean the lifetime of the window, the lifetime of your home, or the lifetime of how long you live in the home? Does the warranty cover the actual window as well as the installation of the window?

• If a warranty issue arises, is your window warranty pro-rated?
• Is there a cost to service the window if a warranty issue does arise?
• If you sell your home, is the warranty transferable? If so, is there a cost for this?
• If the glass accidentally breaks on your window, is this covered by the warranty?
• Does the window company have a full-time service technician in case of a warranty issue?

These are only some of the questions that you should be asking a window company when they claim to have a lifetime warranty. A simple tool you can use to ensure that the warranty is as good as the company claims is: Ask for references. Not for references of how well the company did when installing your windows but how well the company performed when asked to cover a warranty-related issue.