Does Insurance Cover a Windshield Chip Repair?

A chip in your windshield often costs you nothing out of pocket to fix. That surprises a lot of people the first time they hear it, so it's worth walking through why insurers treat a small repair so differently from a full windshield replacement, what the process actually looks like when you call Fas-Break Auto Glass Service, and what you should check before you assume the cost is covered.

Why most insurance waives the deductible for a repair

Most auto insurance policies that include comprehensive or glass coverage will waive your deductible entirely for a windshield chip repair, meaning the repair itself doesn't cost you anything beyond what you already pay for coverage. The logic makes sense from the insurer's side too. A quick repair that stops a chip from spreading is a much smaller claim than a full windshield replacement down the road, so insurers would rather pay for the small fix now than the bigger one later. That said, every policy is different, and coverage depends on the specific plan you carry, so check your policy or call your agent to confirm what your coverage includes before you assume it applies to you.

If it turns out your policy doesn't waive the deductible, or you'd rather not file a claim at all, you can always pay for the repair yourself. A chip repair is a small job compared to a full windshield, so plenty of customers decide it's simpler to just handle it directly instead of adding anything to their claims history, especially if they've had other claims recently. There's no wrong choice here, it's whatever makes sense for your situation. We'll quote it either way and let you decide how you want to pay for it.

We handle the insurance paperwork for you

One of the most common things we hear from customers is relief that they didn't have to deal with the insurance side themselves. One recent customer wrote that our technician Brandon "explained every step of the way and handled all of the insurance process as well," and that's how we try to run every repair here. You shouldn't need to spend your afternoon on hold with your insurance company just to get a chip fixed. Give us your policy information and we'll take care of contacting your insurer and filing what needs to be filed, so all you have to do is show up, or let our mobile van come to you. That includes gathering the details your insurer usually asks for, the type of damage, where it's located on the glass, and your vehicle information, so you're not the one tracking down paperwork mid-week.

What the repair itself looks like

A straightforward chip repair takes as little as twenty minutes. Our technician cleans the damaged area, injects a clear resin into the chip under pressure to fill the crack lines, and cures it so the resin bonds with the glass. It won't make the chip invisible, but it stops it from spreading and restores most of the strength to that section of the windshield. Because it's fast, you don't have to build your whole day around it. Plenty of customers have it done on a lunch break or while running other errands, and the car is ready to drive again as soon as the technician packs up.

Our mobile van comes to you

You don't even need to drive to our shop on N Broad St in Fremont. Our mobile repair vans go out to homes and workplaces around Fremont, Columbus and the surrounding area, so if you're at your desk or in your driveway, we can usually get to you there. That matters most for a small chip, because the whole point of a fast repair is not losing half a day to a car problem. If your car is in a garage or a work parking lot, that's fine too, as long as there's room for the van and a little shelter from wind while the resin cures. Call ahead and we'll get a van on the schedule.

Before you call, check your policy

• Confirm whether your policy includes comprehensive or glass coverage.
• Ask your insurer or agent whether the deductible is waived for a repair versus a replacement.
• Have your policy number ready when you call us, it speeds up the paperwork on our end.
• Ask us to check with your insurer directly if you'd rather not make the call yourself.

We can't tell you what your specific policy covers. Insurance terms vary by company and by plan, and only your insurer or agent can confirm your deductible, your glass coverage, and whether a repair like this is included. What we can tell you is that it's worth checking before you assume a chip repair will cost you money, because for a lot of drivers it doesn't. If you've got a chip and want to find out what's covered, call us at (402) 727-0444. We'll walk through it with you, and if your insurance covers it, we'll handle the rest.