Rock chip repair
A chip repair is a lot like filling a cavity. We clean out the break, set a little bridge over it, pull the air out, and push clear resin into every crack. A UV light hardens the resin, then we scrape it flush with the glass.
It won't disappear completely. You'll usually see a faint spot where the chip was. But it stops the chip from spreading and puts most of the strength back.
The sooner the better. A chip that's been collecting dirt and car wash soap for six months still repairs, but it looks worse afterward because all that gunk gets sealed in.
Usually $60–$110 for the first chip and $20–$40 for each extra one. About 20–30 minutes. A lot of insurance policies cover chip repair with no deductible, since it saves them from paying for a windshield later.
Windshield replacement
When the damage is too big, too close to the edge, or right in front of the driver, the glass has to come out.
A modern windshield is glued to the car with structural urethane, and it does real work. It helps keep the roof up in a rollover and gives the passenger airbag something to push against. So how it's installed matters more than whose name is printed in the corner.
Most of the job is prep. We trim the old urethane down to a thin, even layer (scraping all the way to bare metal invites rust), treat any rust we find, prime everything, and let the primer dry properly before the new glass goes in. You can't see any of that afterward, and it's what decides whether your windshield leaks two winters from now.
$250–$400 for most older cars and trucks with plain glass. $350–$600 with a rain sensor, acoustic glass or heated wipers. $550–$1,100 with a lane-assist camera, recalibration included. Heads-up displays and luxury cars run higher. Plan on an hour to an hour and a half, plus one to three hours before you drive.
Camera recalibration (ADAS)
If your car has lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control or automatic emergency braking, there's a camera mounted behind the windshield up near the mirror. It looks through one specific spot in the glass.
Swap the windshield and that camera's aim shifts a tiny bit. A tiny bit at the camera turns into a whole lane a couple hundred feet down the road. Recalibration resets it so the car steers and brakes the way it's supposed to.
Some cars get calibrated with a target board set up in front of the car. Others need a drive at a set speed on a road with good lane lines (I-25 and Powers work great). Some need both. We do it as part of the replacement, so you're not getting sent to the dealer afterward.
Usually included with a replacement. $150–$400 on its own.
Back glass and door glass
Side and rear windows are tempered glass, not laminated like a windshield. That's why they don't crack. They burst into thousands of little cubes all at once.
There's no repairing tempered glass, so it's always a replacement. It's also a cleanup job. Those little cubes get into the door, under the seats and down into the carpet, and they'll keep turning up for months if nobody vacuums them out properly. We bring a shop vac and we use it.
Back glass usually has the defroster lines and sometimes the radio antenna built in. We hook those back up and test them before we leave. After a break-in we'll also check that the window still rolls up and down.
$250–$500 for back glass, $180–$400 for a door or quarter window.
Hail damage
A rock usually leaves one chip. Hail leaves a bunch of them at once, sometimes with little cracks running between them. One or two can be repaired. Four or five in the same area means a new windshield.
After a big storm out east (Falcon, Peyton and Calhan get hammered), every glass shop in the region is busy for a week or two. Call as early as you can. If the damage is right in front of you, tell us, because that moves you up the list.
If you're filing a claim for body damage too, put the glass on the same claim. Here's what to do after a hailstorm.
Questions about the work
Can you replace a windshield in my driveway?
Yes. That's where most of our work happens. We need a parking space with some room around the car, a fairly level spot, and dry glass. A garage is great when the weather's bad.
What if the new windshield leaks or whistles?
Call us and we'll come back and fix it. Leaks, wind noise and loose trim are on us. New rock chips aren't, because no glue in the world stops a rock.
How soon can I wash the car?
Give it two days before a car wash, and keep a pressure washer away from the edges of the glass for about a week. Leave the tape on for the first day, and crack a window when you shut the doors so the air pressure doesn't push on the fresh urethane.
Can you get glass for an older or unusual car?
Usually, though it might take an extra day or two to track down. Some classic and low-volume cars are tough, and once in a while the glass just isn't made anymore. We'll tell you what we find.