Pricing will be all over the map, and the fact you're in Westchester will make it even more so. Installation is very much home and location dependent. Many quality Marvin dealers will have an installer they work with regularly so ask there.

"The reason why we are considering Marvin is because of their lifetime warranty on installation."

I did not even know that that warranty exists. If it does the windows will need to be installed by a Marvin factory authorized installer for that warranty you CANNOT do that yourself or have any chuck in a truck guy install and get a installation warranty from anyone.

The "Lifetime" warranty is not a Marvin warranty, it must be your installers so be careful. Marvin is a great product but if that is your overriding criteria, lifetime is the time the installer stays in business.

@millworkman, @eastbay10,

Thank you for the great feedbacks!

The lifetime installation warranty is indeed not of Marvin, it's of the installer. Wording is corrected on the post.

Here is an excerpt from their webpage.

"… is an Authorized Marvin Installer, which means our installations comply with manufacturer recommended guidelines. Our professional, in-house installers are licensed, insured and thoroughly trained by the manufacturer to ensure windows and doors open, close and function properly for a lifetime. We are so confident your installation will be done correctly, that we offer our customers a Lifetime Installation Warranty. So as long as you own your home, we will stand by our installation.

That's a good point about the installer going out of business. They have been around for more than 20+ years, so hope they'd stay in business.

I am very happy with the Marvin products purchased in two batches for our addition/renovation. I am partial to their fiberglass products. We purchased mostly Elevate casements, but also bought a few Essential casements, a clad sliding door and an Elevated sliding door. We bought from a mostly commercial distributor and contractors installed. In my opinion, lifetime installation warranty is meaningless. If the installation doesn't have problems in first 2 years, it probably never will.

Marvin Ultimates (wood clad) casements in the house. The windows are really great. Their screens are a huge PITA. I've had cheap builder grade windows with better screens. Pulling off the screens to wash the windows and then putting the screens back on is like death by a thousand cuts. The taller windows are more difficult with the screens. Go to a showroom with Marvins on display and ask to see how the casement screens go on and off.

We took most of the screens off the windows and stored them just so as not to have to deal with them, and left just a few on that we know we keep those windows open in nice weather. If I were buying windows again, I think I'd choose another brand just because of the PITA screens, even though I like the Marvin windows themselves.

Having said that, our windows are about 8 years old; maybe Marvin has improved the casements' screen design that has them inserted via crappy springs at the top and tiny finger wells at the bottom that only a child's fingers could fit, that someone at Marvin designed just to make people hate them.

A tip on easily removing a Marvin Ultimate Casement screen 1) Open the casement so that the operator is out of the way and will give you clearance to remove the screen 2) Push the top of the screen up into the gap. This will release the tension of the springs and then with your other hand remove the screen from the bottom.

The only issue I have ever found with this method is that sometimes if the screen hasn't been removed for a while, you will need to be sure that step one is completed so that top is easy to remove. It may be sticky from drying paint/stain or something else.

@Seabornman, @RoyHobbs,

Thank you for sharing your stories!

It's great to hear you like Marvin windows (sans the screens). I went to the Marvin showroom yesterday. The Ultimate double hung was displayed and it looked excellent -- very air-tight, built with accuracy. Will look at Elevate and Essentials next time for sure.

We are drawn to lifetime warranty because many of our windows seem to be leaking after 1.5 years of installation. You never know in life…

@eastbay10 - yes, I know those steps. I've had these windows 8 years. In particular, the tall ones not so "easily removed" as you put it. And even once you accomplish those steps to remove the screens, you now have to put them back. Putting them back in is a test for even the Dalai Lama to remain calm and not curse the friggin screens. The Marvin Ultimates casement screens are a poor design. They tried to build a better mouse trap and failed. Any cheap window brand screen is easier to deal with.

Having said that, I reiterate that the Ultimates casement windows themselves are very good. I live in a cold climate, and in 5-degree nights there is no air infiltration or draft, very happy with the windows.