Windshield repair, before it becomes a windshield replacement
Most chips are a thirty-minute job in your own driveway, and often cost a fraction of a replacement. The trick is catching it before the break decides to run.
Work out what you’re looking at
Four kinds of damage. Only some of them need a new windshield.
Go and look at your glass, then find it below. If you are between two of these, send us a photo and we will settle it in a minute.
Bullseye
A clean cone-shaped impact with concentric rings around it. Usually from a stone thrown up by a truck. This is the most repairable kind of damage there is.
Repairable in most cases
Star break
A central chip with short legs radiating out from it. Repairable while the legs are short — but temperature swings and rough roads make them grow, so this is the one to move on quickly.
Repairable — call soon
Combination break
A bullseye or half-moon with cracks running out of it. Sometimes repairable, sometimes not — it depends on how long the legs are and how close they get to the edge of the glass.
Depends — send a photo
Long crack
Anything past about six inches, or any crack that reaches the edge of the glass. Once a crack touches the edge, the windshield has lost structural strength and resin will not bring it back.
Replacement
The one rule that overrides all four: if the damage sits directly in the driver’s line of sight, we will usually recommend replacing rather than repairing. Resin fills the break but it never disappears completely, and a permanent smear of distortion in front of your eyes is worse than the chip was.
The short version
Four things decide it
- SizeSmaller than a quarter is comfortably repairable. Up to about a dollar bill is often still fine. Beyond that, less so.
- LocationRight in front of the driver is the problem area. Passenger side and lower corners are much more forgiving.
- Distance from the edgeDamage within about two inches of the edge tends to spread, because that is where the glass carries the most stress.
- How long it has been thereDirt and moisture work their way into an open break. The longer it sits, the less clear the repair comes out.
Cover a fresh chip with a piece of clear tape until we get there. It keeps water and grit out, and it costs nothing.
What we do
Thirty minutes in your driveway
You do not need to be standing over us, and you do not need to go anywhere.
Clean out the break
Loose glass and debris come out of the impact point first. If there is moisture in the break, it gets drawn out — resin will not bond to a wet break and it will cloud if you rush it.
Vacuum, then inject
An injector bridge seals over the damage. We pull a vacuum to draw the air out of every leg of the break, then push resin in under pressure so it fills the whole void rather than just the surface.
Cure and finish
UV light cures the resin hard. We scrape the surface flush with a blade and polish it so your wiper does not catch on it.
Drive off
No cure time to wait out. The repair is at full strength as soon as it is cured, and you can wash the car the same day.
What changes the price
- How many chips
- The first one carries the trip. Additional chips repaired on the same visit cost considerably less than the first, so it is worth pointing out all of them.
- Insurance
- Many comprehensive policies cover chip repair with a reduced deductible or none at all, because carriers would rather pay for resin now than a windshield later. Tell us your carrier and we will tell you where you stand.
- How far we drive
- Salinas and the immediate area is straightforward. Down the valley or over the hill, we may group your job with others in that direction — which sometimes means a different day, not a different price.
- Whether it is repairable at all
- If we get there and it genuinely needs replacing, we tell you and quote the replacement instead. We would rather have that conversation than take money for a repair that will not hold.
Questions
About this job, specifically
How much does a windshield chip repair cost?
Chip repair is by a distance the cheapest thing we do, and far less than a replacement. The exact number depends on how many chips and where you are — call or text a photo and we will give you a real figure rather than a range.
If you carry comprehensive insurance, there is a good chance the repair is covered with a reduced deductible or none at all. Worth asking before you pay out of pocket.
Will the chip disappear completely?
No, and be sceptical of anyone who says it will. A good repair restores the structural integrity of the glass and typically removes 70–90 percent of the visual damage. You will usually still see a faint mark if you look for it in the right light.
What it does do is stop the break spreading, which is the whole point.
How long can I leave a chip before it becomes a crack?
There is no safe number of days. A chip can sit for months and then run six inches across the glass overnight because the temperature dropped, or the moment you hit a pothole on East Boronda.
Heat is the usual trigger — a car parked in the Salinas sun and then hit with cold air conditioning is a classic way to turn a chip into a crack. Get it done sooner rather than later.
Can you repair a crack, or only chips?
Short cracks, generally under about six inches and not reaching the edge, can often be repaired. Longer ones cannot be brought back to full strength with resin.
Any crack that runs to the edge of the glass means replacement, regardless of length.
Do I need to be there while you do it?
No. Tell us where the car is parked and leave it unlocked or leave us the key. We will call you when it is finished. Plenty of our chip repairs happen in work lots while people are at their desks.
Can I go through a car wash afterwards?
Yes, same day. The resin is fully cured before we leave. That is the big practical difference between a repair and a replacement — there is no waiting period at all.
Other things we fix
Free quote
Get a price on this job
Year, make and model, plus what is damaged. A photo gets you a firmer number faster. We will call you back — usually within the hour.
Faster: just call. Someone picks up seven days a week, and we can usually price a common windshield while you are still on the phone.
(831) 265-2096Or text a photo of the damage to the same number.
Get it handled
Got a chip? Send us a photo.
Text a picture to the shop number and we will tell you within minutes whether it is a repair or a replacement — and what it costs either way.
Open 7 days · Salinas and 100 miles around it · We come to you