1-800-GO-CLWARD Free Quote
Get A Quote

Andersen vs. Marvin vs. Pella vs. UpWARD Window Warranties Explained: What each actually covers and for how long

June 26, 2026 | By Pat Ward

You bought beautiful, new windows. Now, they’re giving you trouble. Maybe they’re sticking, or you’ve just noticed a scratch on the inside of the glass. It might be time to file a warranty claim. 

At C&L Ward, we’ve completed more than 14,000 window projects for satisfied clients. Over the past 50+ years, we’ve helped clients claim manufacturer warranties and helped them to understand when these warranties are voided or do not apply.

In this article, we’ll compare what popular window manufacturer warranties commonly cover, what they exclude, and how they compare to one another. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a better understanding of what Andersen, Marvin, Pella, and UpWARD warranties entail.

Note that this article is not legal advice. Our words do not replace the written warranties provided by the product manufacturer. It is for educational purposes only, and by the time you’re done reading, you’ll have a better understanding of how different window warranties compare.

Table of Contents

Brands We Compare

In this article, we compare the warranties and coverage of four window manufacturers: Andersen Windows and Doors, Marvin, Pella, and UpWARD. The order in which these manufacturers appear is not a ranking of any kind. Companies are simply listed in alphabetical order.

Some manufacturers offer different warranties depending on location or add-ons such as custom colors. For the sake of clarity, we identify the exact warranties examined in this article below:

Andersen Windows & Doors

Andersen offers a 20-year warranty on glass and a 10-year warranty on (non-glass) parts. They also offer exclusive, transferable, Owner-to-Owner limited warranties on each window series. This includes Andersen’s E-series (wood), A-Series (wood, fiberglass, composite), 400 Series (wood), 200 Series (wood and vinyl), and 100 Series (Fibrex composite) windows, doors, and accessories.

To learn more about Andersen warranties, refer to our guide, “Andersen Window and Door Warranties Explained: What they actually cover (and what they don’t).”

Marvin

This article looks at Marvin’s Window and Door Limited Warranty, which applies to Michigan homeowners. This warranty includes Marvin’s Ultimate (wood and aluminum), Modern (aluminum and fiberglass), Vivid (fiberglass), Elevate (wood and fiberglass), and Essential (fiberglass) product lines.

Marvin offers separate warranties for skylights, skycoves, high-altitude, coastline, and garage doors. These warranties will not be examined in this article, as they are less common or not applicable to Michigan homes. 

Pella

Pella manufactures a variety of series, including the Vista (aluminum), Reserve (wood), Lifestyle (wood), Impervia (fiberglass), 250, Encompass, Hurricane Shield, and Defender (vinyl) series.

For the sake of this article, we will only be assessing the Pella Vinyl Windows and Patio Doors warranty, as it pertains to the majority of their products. 

UpWARD

UpWARD windows come with a Lifetime Limited Warranty. This warranty applies to you (the original purchaser) for as long as you own the home, and may be transferred to a subsequent owner for 15 years. This applies to both the Transcend (vinyl) and Eclipse (vinyl) series.

What is Protected Under an Andersen, Marvin, Pella, or UpWARD Warranty?

This article is a comparison of manufacturer warranties. Manufacturer warranties cover damages or failures to your product that are a direct result of the manufacturing process—not damages or failures caused by improper installation. 

Your contractor may offer labor or installation warranties. These warranties may last longer or shorter than the manufacturer’s warranties, and will protect you from any failures caused by the installation (but not failures caused by the manufacturing process).

What Remedies May Andersen, Marvin, Pella, or UpWARD Provide if my Product Fails?

The following table shows the options each manufacturer offers and may provide if you experience a manufacturing defect while under warranty. The decision to repair, replace, or refund is up to the manufacturer—not the customer or the installer.

What is Not Protected Under Andersen, Marvin, Pella, or UpWARD Warranty?: Limitations and Exclusions

Each warranty provides coverage with different limitations, though all mean the same thing: Only manufactured defects in the products supplied are covered. Any misuse, improper maintenance, pest-inflicted damage, extreme weather, or other damages beyond the control of the manufacturer are not covered. Note that if your window isn’t installed by a professional, it might not be under warranty at all. 

These window manufacturers do vary in what (if any) warping is protected under warranty. The following comparison chart depicts warp-related limitations and exclusions from each manufacturer.

If you’d like to see the limitations and exclusions of any specific warranty in full, select a manufacturer from the list below.

Click to Read Full Andersen Limitations

What Is NOT Covered by this Limited Warranty: Specific Additional Exclusions

In addition to any other limitations or exclusions in this Limited Warranty, Andersen shall have no obligation for product failure, damage or costs due to or related to the following:

  • Product modifications or glass shading devices (e.g., glass tinting, security systems, improper painting or staining, insulated coverings, etc.).
  • Units improperly assembled or improperly mulled by others.
  • Failure due to the application of non-Andersen hardware (e.g., locksets, trim sets, hinges, panic hardware, closers, etc.).
  • Failure to properly install Andersen hardware and/or exterior trim.
  • Failure to remove protective film within recommended time frames.
  • Adjustments or corrections due to improper installation.
  • Improper installation or use, including use of a non-commercial door as a main entrance or exit door for a building other than a single-family residential unit or re-installing an Andersen window or door after it has been removed from a building and re-sold and/or re-installed in a different building.
  • Exposure to conditions beyond published performance specifications.
  • Water infiltration other than as a result of a defect in manufacturing, materials or workmanship.
  • Condensation.
  • Improper maintenance, such as use of brick wash, razor blades, sealants, sanding or improper washing.
  • Failing to properly seal and maintain the exposed wood portions of a product. This includes, but is not limited to, the exposed wood on all sides of a door panel (e.g., exterior, interior, top, bottom, and both sides), a door frame and wood grilles.
  • Chemicals or airborne pollutants, such as salt or acid rain.
  • Delivery by others.
  • Accidents.
  • Acts of God.
  • Normal wear and tear

EXCLUSIONS

Damage, defects, or problems resulting from causes outside Marvin’s control are excluded from coverage under the Limited Warranty. Such causes include, without limitation:

Installation, Maintenance, and Acts of God

  • Installation not in conformance with Marvin’s installation instructions, industry best practices, and applicable building codes
  • Improper or non-standard field finishing
  • Non-standard installation, such as non-vertical or sloped glazing, upside down, or out-of square
  • Installation or use in applications exceeding design standards
  • Field mulls; field finishes
  • Insulating glass installed above 5000 feet without capillary tubes (except as specifically provided in the Marvin Limited Warranty High Altitude Supplement)
  • Installation or use near pools, saunas, hot tubs, or other high-humidity environments or sources of chlorine
  • Power surges, loss of power, battery failure, or corrosion
  • Integration or compatibility with any third party provided system or device
  • Failure to follow Marvin’s care and maintenance instructions
  • Failure to properly treat, seal, and maintain exposed wood
  • Use of brick wash, razor blades, or other inappropriate cleaners or chemicals
  • Misuse, abuse, modification, alteration, accident, negligence, or application or use of third party products (films, tinting, security systems, etc.)
  • Shifting or settling of the structure in which the product is installed
  • Extreme weather events, extreme or unusual atmospheric conditions
  • Water infiltration other than as a result of a manufacturing defect
  • Normal wear and tear; normal discoloration or fading of finishes
  • Variation in wood color, texture, and grain
  • Glass imperfections consistent with ASTM or other industry standards, which do not affect structural integrity
  • War, insurrection, civil unrest, terrorism, or Acts of God

DISCLAIMER — WHAT THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER

Pella is not responsible for or makes no warranty as to:

  • Product failure, loss or damage due to:
  • Normal wear and tear.
  • Improper storage, handling, installation, finishing, use, modification or maintenance.
  • Mechanical abrasion to finishes.
  • Non-factory-applied finishes, applied sealants or caulking. Finishes applied by your local dealer/contractor are not covered by this warranty.
  • Finishes of non-Pella products.
  • Structural settlement, movement or vibration.
  • Products exposed to excessive localized heat, high-moisture environments (including pools, hot tubs and greenhouses) or water leakage.
  • Normal wear, fading or discoloration of finish from product usage, age or exposure to direct sunlight.
  • Acts of God.
  • Acid rain or other corrosive elements.
  • Accidents, including accidental glass breakage.
  • Application of after-market window films to glass surfaces.
  • Damage caused by inappropriate finishes, solvents, brickwash or cleaning chemicals.
  • Glass breakage, not the fault of Pella, that results in seal failure.
  • Damage to glass as a result of improper use or application.
  • Damage caused by high in-home humidity (condensation, frost or mold).
  • Accident; misuse; abuse; alterations; improper handling, operation or cleaning.
  • Products subjected to conditions outside product design limitations.
  • Improperly installed security systems.
  • Products with modifications that are not approved by Pella Corporation.
  • Hardware finishes.
  • Damage and/or discoloration not the fault of Pella to blinds or shades sealed between glass associated with wear and tear through product use, sun exposure, abuse or age.
  • Ripping, tearing or other damage not the fault of Pella to window screens associated with wear and tear through product use.
  • Insects, including grasshoppers.
  • Finishing or modifying the structure containing the repaired or replaced product.
  • The purchase, damage, repair or replacement of non-Pella products.
  • Products that have not been paid for in full.
  • Minor imperfections in the product:
  • Minor imperfections in glass that do not affect the product’s structural integrity or significantly obscure vision.
  • Minor variations in glass color.
  • Installation inconsistent with Pella® Installation Instructions:
  • Damage resulting in whole or part from installation inconsistent with Pella Installation Instructions.
  • Altered or reinstalled products.
  • Products used in nonvertical glazing applications.
  • Combinations not built by Pella or not built in accordance with Pella’s recommendations for mulling and combining windows.

WHAT THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER

  • Typical wear and tear – scratches and small visual imperfections
  • Installation or maintenance using non-Upward products; improper pre-installation storage
  • Negligence, misuse, abuse, or alterations to any operating features.
  • Improper use of Upward products
  • Vinyl window units inadequately assembled or mulled by contractors/dealers
  • Accidents, such as accidental glass breakage
  • Use of post-market film on insulated glass unit
  • Natural weathering or fading
  • Screen mesh tears or discoloration
  • Caulking used to seal the frames against water and air penetration
  • Condensation as a result of natural humidity or conditions
  • Issues resulting from improper temperatures or elevation/altitude
  • Environmental issues stemming from chemicals and pollutants in the atmosphere
  • Harsh element such as acid rain
  • Acts of God
  • Damage as a result of insect or animal actions
  • Incorrect selection of product for a particular building or design
  • Labor costs associated with the re-installation of a product
  • Products that have not been entirely paid for
  • Faulty building design or structural failures
  • Minor imperfections in glass that don’t affect the IGU’s structural integrity
  • Any occurrence from the reflection of solar energy (sunlight) off product

How Long is my Window Warranty Good For, and is it Transferrable? 

Your warranty may be good for a Lifetime, often defined as “for as long as you own your home,” or a Limited Time, which is a pre-determined number of years.

TIP: For further information on different warranties, visit our article, “What are the Different Types of Home Exterior Improvement Warranties and What do they Protect?”

Your warranty may also be transferable. If a warranty is transferable, the covered timeframe may vary for the second owner. Unless otherwise specified, the timeline of the transferable warranty also begins on the date of purchase.

SCENARIO 1

The original homeowner receives a lifetime warranty. The first homeowner sells, and the second homeowner is covered by the transferred warranty for 5 or 10 years.

SCENARIO 2

The original homeowner is protected for 20 years, the same period of time as the transferable warranty. The first homeowner sells their home after 6 years. The second homeowner is covered for the remaining 14 years under the transferred warranty.

In the tables below, a transferred warranty lasts for the same amount of time as the original warranty unless otherwise specified.

Andersen

Marvin

Pella

UpWARD

How Do I Safely Maintain My Window(s) Under Warranty?

Most window manufacturers recommend using an ammonia-free cleaner. Some manufacturers provide lists of approved or recommended cleaners online or directly in their warranties, as seen in the table below.

If you are ever unsure of how a cleaning product will react with your window, first test it on an inconspicuous area. Never use a metal blade or razor to scrape or clean your window, or apply extreme pressure (such as a power washer or other high-pressure washers).

Manufacturer  

Recommended Glass Maintenance

Recommended Non-Glass Maintenance

Guide

Andersen

Cloth with mild soap and water

Care & Maintenance Guide

Marvin

Approved cleaning solution with a non-abrasive cloth

Approved cleaning solution with a soft brush

Maintenance: Cleaning and Care

Pella

Glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth

Warm, soapy water and a rag

6 Steps to Clean Windows

UpWARD

Diluted white vinegar, or ammonia-free glass cleaner

Mild detergent, or white vinegar and water

Included in Warranty

Submitting a Claim: What to Do If You Think You Need Your Window Warranty

If you think you’ve voided your window warranty, or aren’t sure if damage/failure is covered, find your original warranty paperwork, and locate any installation records if you’re able. You can often access manufacturer warranties online, if needed. 

These documents can help you better understand if any issue(s) you’re facing are eligible for support and, if so, from whom that support will come. They also offer legal breakdowns of what is and isn’t covered, and to what extent, depending on when a claim is submitted.

If you need to submit a warranty claim, submit a Service Request to receive assistance regarding your C&L Ward-installed window(s).

Looking to install new windows? Schedule a Consultation, and one of our in-home consultants will be happy to further discuss all options C&L Ward offers.