Find our Polaris window warranty review here to see if these are the best replacement windows for your home. The warranty is an important aspect of a replacement window purchase. The windows will be in the house for decades. The warranty tells you how long they’re actually expected to last and what you can do if there’s a problem.
We know that the commission based in-home salesmen will sometimes make a lot of claims about their windows and warranties. That’s not unique to folks selling Polaris windows. It happens with just about every manufacturer.
That’s why it’s important for you to understand what the warranty actually covers and does not cover. Otherwise you may be in for some serious disappointment (and big bills) down the road.
What is covered by the Polaris window warranty?
It’s critical to understand what is covered and what is not covered by your window warranty. The Polaris window warranty will cover the window frames and sashes (the vinyl parts) for as long as you own the house.
They also cover the insulated glass units for 30 years from the date of installation. That’s pretty good coverage, but other manufacturers will offer lifetime coverage on the glass as well.
That’s about the extent of the coverage. Note, there doesn’t appear to be any coverage of the locks, balances or other moving parts.
What is not covered by this warranty?
There are a few things that are not covered by the Polaris window warranty and the most important is labor. There’s no labor coverage at all here so if you have a problem they will provide the parts but not the service.
This isn’t totally unique as most replacement window manufacturers will limit labor coverage. You will sometimes get labor coverage from the dealer who is selling you the windows. Just be sure you get any claims about labor coverage in writing as it will not be covered by Polaris.
If the dealer is offering a labor warranty that’s great, but it’s important to remember it’s only good as long as that dealer is around. Those window sales companies can easily come and go. They are also heavily incentivized to make all sorts of promises as they want to get the sale. That’s why it’s important to have labor coverage promises in writing.
It’s also important to note that glass breakage and screen damage are not covered by this warranty. Those can be issues that come up more frequently than other problems.
As I mentioned earlier there also appears to be no coverage for locks, balances, latches or other moving parts. They only list the vinyl and the insulated glass as items that are covered.
Condensation on the inside of the house is also not covered by this warranty. That’s something that is not covered by any window warranty and it can be a common customer complaint.
How long is the warranty?
Polaris windows and patio doors come with a lifetime transferable warranty. That means it’s good for as long as you own the house and you can transfer it to the next owner when you sell the house.
This type of warranty is pretty common in the window business and you’ll see it offered from many manufacturers.
Once the warranty is transferred it gets shorter which may or may not be of concern to you. More on that below.
Is the Polaris window warranty transferable?
Yes. The you can transfer this warranty when you sell the house. It’s important to note that you (or the new owner) will need to mail a form to Polaris along with $100 in order to transfer the warranty.
In my opinion, companies will add these steps to the warranty transfer process in the hopes that some people won’t do it. If the warranty is not properly transferred and then the new owner has a problem with the windows they’ll likely be out of luck.
There are a few warranty limitations that will pop up when the warranty is transferred. For example, the insulated glass units will only be covered for 30 years from install or 10 years from transfer, whichever is shorter.
If you’re buying Polaris windows now and worrying about the transfer process later my advice would be to not worry about it. As the seller of the house you can advertise that the windows come with a warranty. You can leave the warranty form behind and it’ll be something for the buyer of your house to worry about. At that point it’s not really your problem.
What’s the bottom line?
Overall I’d say this warranty is not the greatest. With no coverage for glass breakage, labor or hardware and locks it’s much more limited than warranties you’ll see from other companies.
Usually you see smaller manufacturers making more generous warranty claims than larger companies, but that is not the case here.
Overall I’d say this warranty does not compare very well with other options out there. It’s better coverage than you’ll get from many new construction windows, but not on the same level as the coverage you see from most higher end replacement window manufacturers. You can find the complete warranty on the Polaris website here.
Other posts about Polaris windows that you might find helpful:
- Polaris window warranty review
- Polaris window complaints – What’s the problem here?
- FAQ – Polaris Windows
- Polaris window prices
- Why you should NEVER buy Polaris windows
How can you find a great window company?
That part is easy. Check this section for recommendations of window companies all over the country. There’s no better way to get new windows.
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