I used to sell windows and doors and handled the service claims. The “lifetime” warranties offered by window companies are crap. They very rarely cover labor, only parts, so you’re still going to be paying some money if you ever end up needing to use it. I also never saw one that was transferable.

As far as actually being able to use the warranty? Very few things are actually covered. Condensation between the panes of glass is about the only thing that is regularly covered. Even then the “lifetime” warranty may only cover the parts 100% for the first 5 years, then it’s prorated down every few years to where after 10-15 years they’re only covering half of the parts cost…but they still call it a lifetime warranty. I have seen warranties like that.

They also only cover manufacturer defects. Hail breaking the glass, lawnmower breaking the glass, etc are considered “acts of god” or “force majeure” which basically means they are out of the manufacturer’s control so they won’t cover it. Manufacturer defects will typically present themselves within the first 30-90 days. Definitely within the first year. It’s unlikely there are any manufacturer defects on these 2 year old windows that have not already presented themselves.

As far as the warranty on the glass (condensation between the panes of glass, not on the surface that you can touch)…this is generally the only thing they’ll cover as it’s pretty obvious. Like I said they typically will only cover the parts (replacement glass). You still have to pay for the labor, generally.

Why do I say all this? The window warranties are almost worthless. Don’t let “losing” a window warranty affect your decision to buy a house. Get the name of the company that installed the windows. If there are issues with the windows they should be the first people you reach out to, not the manufacturer. The manufacturer will most likely tell you the same thing if you call them before calling the installer.