Should You Use Insurance for a Windshield? A Simple Test

A rock hits your windshield on the way home, and the first thing you wonder is whether to call your insurance or just pay for it. Most people guess. A better way is to run a short test with two numbers you can find easily: your deductible and the estimate for the job.

This post gives you that test, shows how it works for a chip and for a full replacement, and lists the questions worth asking before you file.

The two-number test

You need two numbers.

Number one is your comprehensive deductible. Windshield damage normally falls under comprehensive coverage, and Georgia’s Office of Commissioner of Insurance confirms that comprehensive “will also cover broken glass and windshield damage” and is optional. See the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s auto insurance page. Your deductible is on your policy or in your insurer’s app.

Number two is the price of the repair or replacement. For a replacement, we give a free estimate by vehicle. We need the VIN because one vehicle can have up to about 15 windshield versions, depending on its option package. For a chip, the price is a flat $85.

Now compare. If the estimate is at or below your deductible, a claim pays you nothing, so pay yourself. If the estimate is well above your deductible, a claim can save you real money, and it is worth a closer look at the other factors below.

That is the whole test. Everything else in this post is about the exceptions.

A chip: usually pay it yourself

Our chip repair is a flat $85 for up to three chips on the same windshield, and mobile service is included. We come to your driveway or your work parking lot.

For most deductibles, a claim for a chip would not pay anything beyond the deductible, so a claim is not needed. Paying $85 and moving on is simple, and it keeps a small repair from turning into a bigger one. Our guide to a rock chip, repair or replace shows what a repairable chip looks like.

There is one wrinkle. Some insurers cover chip repair with no deductible. Progressive says on its windshield damage page that with Progressive, if glass can be repaired instead of replaced, you will not have to pay anything in most cases. That is Progressive’s policy, and other companies differ. So for a chip, ask your insurer one question: “Do you waive the deductible on a chip repair?” If yes, you may not need to spend the $85. If no, or if you do not want a claim on your record, pay it yourself.

Do not wait long either way. Progressive’s same page notes that a chip or crack spreads the longer you wait, and that you should file before repairs are made if you plan to claim. That second part matters: if you want your insurer to pay, call them before the work, not after.

Thinking about a claim? Text us a photo of the damage and the VIN for a free estimate, then put it next to your deductible. We come to your home or work. Get a free quote

A replacement: get the estimate first

A full replacement is where the choice gets real. The estimate can be well above or well below your deductible, and you will not know which until you have it.

Our replacement estimate is free, so the order is easy. Get the estimate first. Then check your deductible. Then decide. You do not have to commit to anything, and you do not have to call your insurer to find out the price.

If the estimate is above your deductible by a comfortable margin, filing a claim is usually reasonable. If it is close to your deductible, the claim saves you little, and you may prefer to skip it.

Keep in mind that Georgia is not a state where the glass deductible is waived by law. Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina do that, as Progressive explains, but Georgia is not on that list. We cover that fully in our post on full glass coverage in Georgia. Unless your own policy has a separate glass deductible, your regular comprehensive deductible applies.

If you do not carry comprehensive at all, there is no claim to file. Then the free estimate is simply your price, and you can pay by cash, check, credit or debit, Venmo, Zelle or Cash App.

The other factors that can tip the choice

The two-number test handles most cases. A few other things can change your answer.

Your claim history. State Farm says on its page about claims and rates that one claim may have minimal impact, but several losses in a short period can affect savings, eligibility or renewal pricing. If you have already filed a hail claim or another comprehensive claim recently, think twice about stacking a small one on top. We cover this in does a glass claim raise your rates.

Claims-free savings. The same State Farm page says a claim may affect savings such as a claims-free or accident-free reward. Ask whether a glass claim counts.

Whether it is a repair or a replacement. State Farm notes a replacement may affect premiums differently than a repair, and any glass loss may still be recorded as claims activity. Ask how your insurer records each one.

The size of the gap. A small difference between estimate and deductible is not worth the paperwork. A large one is.

None of these is a reason to avoid claims in general. You pay for comprehensive coverage so you can use it. They are reasons to look before you file.

Four real cases, in plain words

Numbers are easier to feel with a story, so here are four common situations. We leave out dollar amounts on purpose, since yours will differ.

The commuter with a chip. A driver on GA-400 hears a ping and finds a chip. Her comprehensive deductible is higher than $85. A claim would pay nothing beyond the deductible, so she texts a photo and pays the flat $85 for the repair. No claim, no record, no paperwork.

The new SUV with a long crack. A crack has run across the glass on a newer SUV. The replacement estimate is well above his deductible. He files, since a claim saves real money. He also plans a visit to the dealer for camera calibration afterward, because we refer calibration to the dealer.

The older car with no comprehensive. She dropped comprehensive years ago to save on the premium. There is nothing to file, so the free estimate is simply her price, and she pays by card or Zelle.

The driver with two recent claims. He had a hail claim last spring and a theft claim before that. The estimate is only a little above his deductible. He weighs the small savings against State Farm’s warning about several losses in a short period, and decides to pay himself.

None of these is a rule. They show how the same two numbers lead to different answers.

Mistakes to avoid

A few errors cost people money or time.

• Repairing first, then calling the insurer. Progressive advises filing before repairs are made. If you want your insurer to pay, call first.
• Waiting too long. A chip that spreads becomes a replacement, and that changes the math. See why windshields crack.
• Taking the first answer on the phone as final. Ask for it in writing, especially about deductibles and shops.
• Skipping the estimate. You cannot run the test without the second number, and our estimate is free.

Questions to ask before you file

Call your insurer or open the app and ask these, one at a time:

1. What is my deductible for a windshield claim?
2. Do I have a separate glass deductible?
3. Is a chip repair covered with no deductible?
4. Will this claim be recorded, and could it change my renewal?
5. Can I choose my own glass shop? In Georgia you generally can, and we explain that in choosing your own glass shop in Georgia.

Write the answers down. If the person on the phone is unsure, ask them to send the answer in writing.

How we help once you decide

If you decide to file, you have three simple routes. You can file in your insurer’s app, which is what most people do. You can give the insurer our number when you file, since we are a preferred insurance vendor for all major insurance companies. Or you can give us the information and we can file the claim for you.

If you decide to pay yourself, the estimate is free, and you will know the price before we start. Our process page shows what happens on the day, and our workmanship warranty lasts for the life of the vehicle either way.

Drivers in Cumming, Alpharetta, Milton, Suwanee and across Forsyth County can book from the driveway. If you take GA-400 to work and a truck kicks up a rock, text us a photo, run your two numbers, and you will have an answer without guessing.