Windshield Chip and Crack Repair

What Can Be Repaired

A repair may be possible when the chip or crack is small, shallow and away from the edges of the glass. Three things decide it: how big the damage is, where it sits and how deep it goes. Send a photo with your quote request and we will tell you whether you are looking at a repair or a new windshield.

Chips Smaller Than a Quarter (Rule of Thumb)

Small chips, smaller than a quarter, can usually be repaired. That covers most of what a stone leaves behind: a bullseye (a round crater), a star break (short legs running out from the impact point) or a combination of the two. The quarter is a rule of thumb rather than a hard limit; the repair industry’s standard is wider, but a chip that size is the clearest case for repair.

Short Cracks Away From the Edge

Short cracks that are not in the driver’s line of sight can usually be repaired too. The repair standard (ROLAGS, the Repair of Laminated Automotive Glass Standard) calls a crack of six inches or less a short crack, and lists single line cracks up to 14 inches as repairable. In practice, the closer a crack is to the edge, the more likely it is to keep running, and a crack that reaches the edge is usually a replacement.

When Repair Is Not Safe

• The damage is large or deep, or it has gone through to the inside layer of glass.
• A crack reaches the edge of the windshield.
• The chip or crack sits in the driver’s direct line of sight, where even a good repair can leave a faint mark that distorts the view.
• The damage is in front of the camera or sensors at the top of the glass.

In those cases a full replacement is the safer option, because the windshield’s strength and clarity are part of how the car protects you. Our windshield replacement page explains that job, including camera calibration and drive-away time.

How Chip Repair Works

A windshield is laminated: two layers of glass bonded to a clear plastic layer in between. A stone usually damages only the outer layer, which is why a chip can be saved. The technician cleans the break, draws the air out of it and fills it with a clear repair resin, then cures the resin and polishes the surface smooth. The filled break stops collecting dirt and moisture, the glass regains its strength around the impact point, and the damage is far less visible than before.

Our certified specialists handle windshield crack repair as well as chips, and the work does not involve removing the glass, so the seal around the windshield is not disturbed.

Repair Now Before It Spreads

Chips grow. A cold morning followed by the defroster, a hot afternoon followed by the air conditioning, a pothole or a car wash can all push a chip into a crack. Once a crack runs to the edge or across the driver’s view, repair is off the table. Until you can get the chip repaired:

• Avoid blasting the defroster or air conditioning straight onto the glass.
• Skip the car wash and the pressure washer.
• Cover the chip with a piece of clear tape to keep dirt and water out.
• Avoid slamming the doors, which flexes the glass.

Insurance and Chip Repair

In many cases the comprehensive or glass coverage on your auto policy covers windshield repair. The North Carolina Department of Insurance lists breakage of glass among the losses comprehensive coverage pays for. Many insurance companies waive the deductible for windshield repairs, because fixing a chip early prevents a more costly replacement later. Whether yours does depends on your policy, so check before you file. We work with your insurance company and help with the claim; our auto glass insurance claims guide covers the process in North and South Carolina.

Does a Repaired Windshield Need ADAS Calibration?

Calibration of the forward camera is tied to replacing the windshield, when the camera is taken off the old glass and fitted to the new one. A chip repair leaves the glass and the camera where they are. If the damage sits right in front of the camera, though, repair is usually not the right fix; that case calls for a new windshield and ADAS camera calibration.

Mobile Windshield Repair From 48 Local Technicians

Bring the car to our Greensboro auto glass shop on West Market Street, or book mobile windshield repair and a technician comes to your home, office or job site. Impex has 48 technicians placed within 40 miles of every town we serve across both states, from Charlotte to the coast. Each town page on this site shows how we serve it. The full list of jobs we do is on our services page.

Is It Legal to Drive With a Chipped Windshield in NC?

North Carolina’s annual safety inspection checks your windshield wipers, not the glass itself (G.S. 20-183.3), and no North Carolina statute sets a crack size. That does not make the chip harmless: damage in your line of sight is still a safety problem, and a chip that spreads turns a repair into a replacement.