Marvin vs. Milgard Windows Cost 2021: Styles, Pros & Cons

Marvin operates in the premium end of the window market, making each product to order, one at a time, customizing windows to the exact specifications of the customer.

Milgard primarily focuses on the mid-range window marketplace with its vinyl windows available in four different series.

The company has spent much less time competing in the high-end slice of the new construction and window replacement markets. Milgard currently offers two high-end lines, the fiberglass Ultra Series and the wood-clad fiberglass Essence Series.

Milgard Windows Cost

Milgard’s bottom-of-the line Style Line series standard 48-inch x 60-inch double pane, double hung vinyl windows run between $300 and $450 per unit (not including the cost of installation), depending on the window-specific options.

Milgard single hung aluminum window will cost between $200 and $350 per unit.

Moving up in class, additional series of Milgard vinyl windows are offered in the $500 to $650 price range.

The Essence Series is Milgard’s entry into the premium window market. It is constructed with Douglas fir, pine or primed pine on the interior and fiberglass, with 15 colors, on the exterior. Quotes typically run between $40 and $50 per square foot, or between $800 and $1,100 for a standard double hung window, not including the cost of installation.

Marvin Windows Cost

Marvin’s go-to double hung wood clad window is its contemproary Ultimate G2 Windows series. Prices range from $850 to $1,650 per window installed. This window is available with IZ3 coastal/hurricane certification for hurricane prone areas.

For Marvin’s top-of-the-line Infinity Series classic double hung window in Standard, Cottage or Oriel style, you can expect to pay between $1,250 and $1,850 per window installed, depending on your location.

Marvin Infinity Ultrex fiberglass windows feature color matched and neutral dark components with bronze and ebony interior finishes. An easy tilt finish makes cleaning a breeze.

Note that window pricing can vary considerably as manufacturers often run discounts and incentives on their lines.

Did you know? Final cost can also vary depending on the design options like premium materials, locks and hardware, opening control devices, and the like.

Installation costs depend on whether replacement windows can be installed directly into the existing frames or whether new carpentry is required.

It is not unusual for a new window with options and installation to add many hundreds of dollars to the unit price.

Marvin vs. Milgard Product Line comparison:

Each manufacturer offers a full range of windows including single hung, double hung, casement, awning, glider, bay and bow, and round top. Marvin also offers corner, contemporary studio, and a wider range of specialty windows.

Milgard produces primarily vinyl windows, plus two series of aluminum windows, one of fiberglass, and one of wood.

Milgard vinyl (PVC) windows:

Tuscany Series — Premium vinyl windows

Montecito Series — Vinyl Windows for new construction projects

Style Line Series — Affordable vinyl windows with slim styling and clean lines

Quiet line series — Trippe-glazed vinyl windows for sound protection in noisy environments

Milgard aluminum windows:

Milgard aluminum series — Aluminum windows for replacement and new construction window projects

Milgard fiberglass windows:

Ultra Series — Upscale fiberglass windows available in seven different colors

Milgard wood windows:

Milgard Essence Series — Fiberglass exterior frame with solid wood interior

Marvin: As befits a company with deep roots in the lumber business, Marvin’s main line is offered in wood, including a proprietary interior finish called EverWood that is available in eight varieties.

Did you know? Marvin also produces windows in aluminum and wood-covered fiberglass.

Distribution:

Marvin employs a nationwide system of dealers that carry the Marvin, Integrity, and Infinity brands of replacement windows.

The Marvin line, a wooden window inside and out with nine different types of styles, is completely customizable.

The Integrity line is available with either a fiberglass interior or exterior and the Infinity is an all-fiberglass product.

Did you know? The Marvin and Integrity lines can be installed by the do-it-yourselfer, but Infinity windows must be professionally installed. All Marvin windows are available in special sizes.

Milgard began with a vision to supply windows to the Pacific Northwest. As the company grew for a time Milgard windows were available on the East Coast.

Since the housing bust of 2008, the company has withdrawn their national scope and maintains a dealer network only in Western states and Canada. Some of its low-end vinyl windows are widely available at national home improvement stores.

History of Marvin Windows

Winter comes early and stays late in northern Minnesota. In Warroad, where residents can see Canada from their back yards, George Marvin, who opened his Marvin Lumber & Cedar Company in 1912, was always looking for ways to keep a workforce busy year-round in the snowy months. He invented a machine to turn scrap lumber into wooden stakes and that helped a bit.

In the 1940s a lumberyard employee suggested making door frames and barn sashes and Marvin was soon in the window business.

Still a private company and now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Marvin is one of the largest players in the industry.

History of Milgard Windows

Gary Milgard started a glass company with his father in Tacoma, Washington in 1958. The business soon expanded to include aluminum windows.

Gary left in 1962 to build a business focusing on aluminum frame windows that performed in cold weather areas where once only wood frames were suitable.

As aluminum lost its mojo towards the end of the century Milgard introduced vinyl frames in 1989 and fiberglass windows the following year.

The company has been tempering its own glass since 1980. Milgard, which was acquired by the consumer product conglomerate Masco Corporation in 2001, backs its products with a Full Lifetime warranty for the homeowner.

Reputation and Warranty:

For more than 50 years Milgard has been building its name in the window market on modern looking aluminum windows with thin frames and minimalist styling.

Milgard standard series is available in white, clear anodized, and bronze anodized colors in eight styles of window. A thermally improved aluminum window is also available.

The Milgard name is often tapped for vinyl windows; the company offers four lines of replacement vinyl windows and four lines of vinyl windows designed for new construction.

In addition to the standard white, tan, and clay colors Milgard has a premium palette upgrade that features eight colors.

Milgard has demonstrated its connection to the mid-range window marketplace by developing its Quiet Line Series of vinyl windows for homes near airports, highways, and busy downtowns. The windows are triple glazed to provide 50% more sound reduction than the average double-glazed window.

Milgard has spent much less time competing in the high-end slice of the window market. The company currently offers two high-end lines, the fiberglass Ultra Series and the wood-clad fiberglass Essence Series.

To back its workmanship Milgard covers its windows with a Full Lifetime Warranty for original owners. The warranty promises to repair or replace any defect in materials or workmanship, including parts and labor.

Note that the Quiet Line Series carries only a 10-year warranty. Milgard will also extend coverage to successive owners, free of charge, for ten years after the original purchase.

Marvin has been building windows for almost 80 years and has become one of America’s leading national brands, along with Andersen and Pella.

Marvin is a company that still hands out two nickels to children at the Fourth of July parade in Warroad, because that is what the founder used to do during the Great Depression.

When price shopping for windows Marvin’s premium-priced products will rarely be the low-cost option, regardless of the product line.

Marvin is an industry innovator with over 40 United States patents, including several this decade, in its company toolbox. As such, some Marvin lines are sold only through authorized dealers who have undergone factory training at its plant in Warroad.

Did you know? Marvin Signature Services provide customers the opportunity to create windows for any need.

Wood remains the backbone of the Marvin window line with choices of white oak, pine, mahogany, cherry, and fir standard. Western red cedar, maple, and black walnut are also offered as premium options.

Marvin has been a pioneer in pultruded fiberglass windows that provide eight times the strength of vinyl, are maintenance free, and provide reliable protection from wind speeds in excess of 140 miles per hour.

The Marvin Limited Warranty has many moving parts but essentially the standard exterior cladding is guaranteed for 20 years and the interior finish for five years.

Conclusion:

As with all window-buying decisions, do not expect to recover your investment with the energy savings new windows may provide.

However, if windows are rotted or broken or just plain unappealing it is time to research replacements.

Wood frames are often the most attractive and almost always the most expensive. They will also require painting and maintenance.

Wood frames sheathed in vinyl or aluminum are less expensive but often without the aesthetic appeal, as the range of colors is limited and cannot be changed. The upside is that these windows will be maintenance-free, save for cleaning.