Last reviewed October 31, 2026.
Two quotes for the same openings sit on the counter, one for white vinyl and one for fiberglass, and the fiberglass number is a lot higher. Down the street, a neighbor still has the original wood windows and repaints the sills every few springs. Any of the three will hold glass. Where they split is how they move, what they ask of you, and how the warranty treats a house near the bay.
Frame materials side by side
| Vinyl | Fiberglass | Wood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed, per window | $500 to $1,150 | $1,000 to $1,600 | $800 to $2,000+ |
| Expected life | 20 to 30 years | 30 to 50 years | 15 to 30 years |
| Upkeep | low | minimal | annual painting or sanding |
| Can be painted | no, per Marvin | yes | yes |
Prices, life spans and upkeep in the table come from Long Island Windows and Siding’s October 2025 comparison. The same page gives slightly different ranges in its FAQ, so read them as a guide, not a quote.
How each frame moves with heat and cold
Frames grow in summer and shrink in winter. The glass sealed inside them barely moves. Marvin, which makes fiberglass windows, made its case in a 2018 article hosted on the Fine Homebuilding site: fiberglass expands and contracts at a rate almost identical to glass, while vinyl and vinyl-based composites move at much higher rates and can strain the seal between glass and frame. Marvin also says all-vinyl windows cannot be painted, because paint does not hold on a surface that keeps moving, while fiberglass takes paint well. Remember who is talking: a fiberglass maker.
For a more neutral take, a 2004 Department of Energy retrofit guide from Oak Ridge National Laboratory sums up all three. Vinyl is a versatile plastic with good insulating value that can be reinforced for strength. Fiberglass has good structural strength and durability and needs minimal maintenance. Wood insulates well but has to be protected from the weather.
Paint, sanding and other upkeep
Wood is the frame that asks for your weekends. Long Island Windows and Siding says wood windows need annual painting or sanding and must be protected from sea spray, and All American Home Improvement says wood needs regular upkeep to prevent rot, warping and insect damage. Both companies describe vinyl and fiberglass as low maintenance.
Want wood inside without the outside chores? Clad wood wraps the exterior in a protective jacket. The Andersen and Pella pages list which of their lines are clad and in what.
Frames near salt water
Long Island Windows and Siding says modern vinyl resists salt corrosion and fiberglass does well in the humid, salty, windy conditions along the coast. For wood near the water, it recommends a clad window with an aluminum or vinyl exterior.
The warranties get stricter about salt. Harvey’s vinyl window warranty excludes damage caused by airborne pollutants such as salt or acid rain. Marvin’s warranty, effective January 12, 2026, cuts coverage on standard aluminum cladding finish from 20 years to 10 when the window is within one mile of a sea coast or other salt water source, and covers hardware finishes there only if they are stainless steel or PVD. If the house sits near the Sound, the bays or the ocean, ask what the hardware is made of, and read the coastal clause before you pick a frame.
Warranty terms, frame by frame
Warranties belong to brands, not materials. Still, two examples show how far apart they can run:
| Harvey vinyl | Marvin collections | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame and parts | vinyl, screens and mechanical parts for as long as the original buyer owns and lives in the house | non-glass parts 10 years |
| Insulating glass | 20 years | 20 years up to 60 sq ft, 10 years at 60 sq ft and larger |
| Exterior finish | not stated in this warranty | fiberglass cladding 10 years, aluminum cladding 20 years |
| Next owner | the next owner only, 20 years from manufacture | fully transferable |
Neither covers labor for installation, so get the installer’s own workmanship warranty in writing. The Harvey and Marvin pages go through each warranty in full.
Price by frame from Long Island companies
All American Home Improvement’s undated Long Island cost table puts vinyl at $300 to $1,100 per window installed, wood at $450 to $1,350 and fiberglass at $600 to $1,600, though another section of the same page lists different per-window figures. Long Island Windows and Siding’s ranges in the table above run higher for wood. For more companies, whole-house totals and the 2026 rebate picture, see the window replacement cost page. Style moves the price too, which the double-hung vs casement guide covers.
ENERGY STAR numbers for Nassau and Suffolk
Long Island is not in ENERGY STAR’s Northern zone. The program’s county and ZIP code list puts every Nassau and Suffolk entry in the North-Central zone, while upstate counties such as Rensselaer are Northern.
| Zone | U-factor | SHGC |
|---|---|---|
| North-Central (Long Island) | 0.25 or lower | 0.40 or lower |
| Northern (upstate) | 0.22 or lower | 0.17 or higher |
ENERGY STAR’s Version 7.0 criteria took effect October 23, 2023. The North-Central row follows Cardinal Glass Industries’ summary of the spec. In the Northern zone, a window can also qualify through equivalent pairs, such as a U-factor of 0.23 with an SHGC of at least 0.35. Every ENERGY STAR window must also carry an air leakage rating of 0.3 or less.
The ratings apply to the whole window, frame and glass together, so a vinyl, fiberglass or wood unit can qualify. When you compare, ask for the NFRC label numbers on the exact product, not the frame type.
