Serving All 50 statesWindshield Brief connects you with licensed local auto glass companies. We are not an auto glass contractor.
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About Windshield Brief

What Windshield Brief is, how it makes money, and why that is stated plainly.

About Windshield Brief
What is Windshield Brief?

Windshield Brief is a reference and referral site for vehicle glass. We publish what the work costs and what the rules are, then connect drivers with licensed local auto glass companies. Windshield Brief connects you with licensed local auto glass companies. We are not an auto glass contractor.

How does this site make money?

When we match you with a local company, that company pays us a referral fee. You pay us nothing, and the fee does not change your quote.

Stating it plainly matters because it explains our bias, and we would rather you know it: we earn when you get matched. What we do not earn on is which outcome you choose, which is why we will tell you a repairable chip should be repaired — the cheaper answer.

Where do the numbers come from?

Every figure on this site has a named source and the date it was checked. Where sources disagree — and on recalibration pricing they do — we publish the disagreement rather than picking whichever number reads best. Anything we have not been able to source is not on the site at all.

Where do the numbers come from?
How it works

From “there’s a crack” to “it’s done”

Four steps, and no obligation at any of them.

  1. 1

    Tell us what happened

    Where the damage is, how big it is, and whether it sits in your line of sight.

  2. 2

    Repair or replace

    Short chips away from the driver’s view can often be repaired. Long or edge damage cannot.

  3. 3

    Check the insurance angle

    Three states waive the deductible outright. Elsewhere it depends what you opted into.

  4. 4

    Matched to a local company

    You get a licensed local company, their quote, and the calibration question answered up front.

How we work

What to expect from this site

Every number on this site has a source and a date attached — and where the sources disagree, we say so instead of picking the convenient one.

01

Answer first, then detail

Each page opens by answering its own question in a couple of sentences. The detail comes after, for anyone who wants it.

02

Ranges, not fake precision

Glass pricing genuinely varies. We publish the range our sources support rather than one confident number that fits nobody.

03

We say when repair beats replacement

A repairable chip should be repaired. That is the cheaper outcome and it keeps your factory seal intact.

04

We are not the contractor

We do not fit glass, so we have nothing to gain from talking you into replacing it. The work is done by licensed local companies.

Who we help

Personal & fleet vehicles

Personal vehicle glass
Personal

Cars, SUVs & pickups

Windshields, side and rear glass, chip repair, and the recalibration that has to follow on anything with a camera.

Fleet and commercial vehicle glass
Fleet

Vans & commercial

Downtime is the real cost on a working vehicle, so fleet glass is scheduled around the route rather than the depot.

Questions

Frequently asked

The questions drivers actually ask about glass damage, cost and cover.

How big a crack can be repaired?

Chips up to about the size of a quarter and cracks up to roughly three inches are usually repairable. Three to six inches depends on depth and position, and past six inches replacement is normally the answer. Some long-crack specialists claim up to 14 inches, but that is a minority position rather than the general rule.

Why does the position of the damage matter more than the size?

Two positions disqualify a repair whatever the length. Damage directly in the driver’s line of sight is out, because even a clean repair leaves slight optical distortion. Damage reaching the glass edge is out too, because the edge is where the bond carries structural load — the windshield helps retain the roof in a rollover.

What is ADAS recalibration and do I really need it?

If your vehicle has lane keeping, automatic emergency braking or adaptive cruise, a camera behind the windshield is reading the road. Replacing the glass moves that camera, so it has to be re-aimed. Expect about $300 on average, with a $150–$600 range; some sources report $200–$700 depending on make and model. Most comprehensive policies fold it into the glass claim.

How long before I can drive after a windshield replacement?

That is the safe drive-away time, and it is not the same as full cure — it is the point the bond can hold the glass in a crash and support airbag deployment. Standard-cure urethane runs about 24 hours below 70°F, fast-cure about an hour, and express products as little as 30 minutes under controlled temperature. Cold slows it sharply: a one-hour adhesive at 70°F can need 8+ hours at 35°F.

Which states replace a windshield with no deductible?

Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina require the deductible to be waived if you carry comprehensive cover — Florida for the windshield, Kentucky and South Carolina for all auto glass. Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota and New York let you purchase no-deductible glass cover separately. It is a deductible waiver, not a free service, and it depends on the cover you already carry.

Get matched with a local auto glass company

Tell us what the damage looks like and we will put you in front of a licensed local company — no obligation.

51States covered
Answersfirst, then the quote
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