Car insurance - we all have it, but how much do we really know about how much we’re covered? From confusing jargon to pricey add-ons, choosing an insurance plan isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

When it comes to picking the right car insurance for your vehicle, we’re usually focused on covering the “big” things. But one often overlooked expense for your vehicle is windshield replacement. While it’s perhaps one of the most forgotten expenses for your car, it’s also one of the most frequent, and increasingly, one of the most expensive as well! That’s why as boring as it sounds, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of standard insurance policies so that you know exactly what you’re getting into!

Being windshield protection experts, we’re here to give you a full review of the standard options for windshield coverage, what happens if you do have to file a claim, and what you can expect from your insurance company.

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What is Car Insurance?

You can feel free to skip this one if you’re a seasoned pro, but we also know that navigating the world of car insurance can be confusing at best, especially when you’re first starting out - so we’re here to bring you back to the basics!

Car insurance essentially provides you with basic financial protection in the event that your vehicle suffers accidental damage (whether in a collision or non-collision event) or if your vehicle is stolen. You pay a premium (which is a fancy word for what you pay for your insurance policy) to have your insurer cover some or all of the costs you incur in the event of damage.

As you might be able to imagine, if you pay a higher premium, your insurer will typically pay more for a wider variety of things you claim down the road.

The amount you pay for car insurance depends on a lot of factors, including your driving history, the car you drive, where you live, your age, the position of the moon at your time of birth, you know - the usual. You also do get some choice of what level of coverage you want to pay for.

You’ll also hear people talking about their “deductible”. This is the amount that you have to pay out of pocket when you make a claim. So for example, if you have a $500 deductible, if you get into an accident that causes $6000 of repairs, you pay the first $500, and your insurer will cover the remaining $5500 (assuming the repairs fall within what your policy covers).

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Types of Car Insurance Policies

Insurance policies and options tend to vary widely depending on where you live - down to which state your vehicle is insured in. That being said, insurance providers generally offer two kinds of auto coverage: minimum coverage (often called liability insurance) and full coverage.

Minimum/Liability Coverage

Minimum coverage or liability coverage provides what its name suggests, minimum coverage. This kind of coverage usually gives you the base amount of insurance coverage that is legally required in your state for you to operate a vehicle. It includes things like bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. On its own, minimum coverage does not include any coverage for your windshield in the event that you need to repair or replace it for any reason, although there are certain add-ons that you can opt for through your insurer on top of your minimum coverage plan. This insurance is usually broadly defined as the base amount of coverage you legally need to drive in your state or province.

If you’re looking for a little more than just the minimum, but don’t necessarily need full coverage, you typically have the option to choose add-ons that give you additional coverage for things that matter to you. We won’t go into every single option for add-ons in this article (this also depends on your state or province) but keep reading to learn about options for windshield repair or replacement coverage.

Full Coverage

Full coverage provides you with complete coverage over your vehicle by adding comprehensive and collision coverage on top of your minimum insurance policy. These additional add-ons will protect you against unexpected costs like fire, flooding, theft, vandalism, and damage to your car or vehicle from an at-fault accident. With both collision and comprehensive coverage, your windshield will be in safe hands.

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Insurance Coverage for Windshields

Believe it or not, windshields are one of the top insurance claims made by vehicle owners. While we tend to think of insurance covering us in the case of a major accident, windshield damage during normal driving is a much more common occurrence.  

While most insurance providers offer some kind of windshield insurance coverage for your vehicle, the actual amount of coverage you actually have really depends on your specific insurer and plan.

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Popular Windshield Coverage Add-ons

If you only have minimum/liability insurance, you can typically opt to include add-ons to your insurance plan to make sure you’re protected against a wider range of events. These add-ons are only available to people with minimum coverage, since full coverage includes these options as standard.

Keep reading to take a look at both collision coverage and comprehensive coverage add-ons to see what each option covers. We’ll also go into your options for full glass coverage, which is an add-on some insurance providers offer for minimum coverage policies.

Collision Coverage

Collision insurance is a popular add-on that pays for any losses and repairs done to your vehicle resulting from a crash. If your windshield gets cracked because you rear-ended another vehicle or drove into a stationary object, the collision insurance coverage will likely cover the windshield damage minus the deductible amount you chose for this coverage.

Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage is designed to provide you with coverage that protects you against events not caused by a collision/accident. Events like a tree falling on your car, a rock hitting your windshield, or a hailstorm causing damage to your vehicle's bodywork would all be covered with comprehensive coverage minus your deductible.

Full Glass Coverage

Some insurance providers offer full glass coverage as an add-on to your insurance package. This coverage provides complete coverage against any windshield damage or glass repairs/replacements, and in most cases, it comes with a zero-dollar deductible option. The benefit of this add-on is that you have peace of mind when it comes to windshield damages or replacements.

The downsides are that sometimes you may be forced to use windshield dealers with poorer reputations, or you may have aftermarket glass installed onto your vehicle which may not be to the same quality as the manufacturer specifications.

Keep reading to find out the process of making a glass claim with your insurance provider and what steps you’ll most likely need to take once the claim is filed.

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Windshield Insurance FAQs

Do I have to pay for windshield replacement if I only have minimum coverage?

If you don’t have comprehensive or collision coverage, the good news is that you may still be able to replace your windshield. The bad news is that it can take a little longer, and the process may be a little more complicated (insurance companies aren’t exactly known for being easy to deal with).

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Will I have to pay a deductible for windshield replacement or repair claims?

Unless you live in zero-deductible states like Florida or Kentucky, you will be required to pay a deductible in most cases of windshield repair.

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Will a windshield claim affect my policy premiums?

The “official” answer to this question varies between insurance providers and states. We recommend speaking to your insurance provider to determine if your policy premium will change if you make a glass or windshield claim.

The general wisdom we’ve heard from drivers across the country is that one windshield claim may have only a minor impact on your premiums, but 2 or more may mysteriously cause your monthly payments to go up. Unfortunately most of us get very little insight into what causes these price changes from insurers, which can make it difficult to predict.

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How do I file a windshield claim?

The filing process for windshield claims varies from insurer to insurer and state to state. But it’s generally pretty straightforward.

Step 1: Contact your insurance agent or insurance company to see if you’ll need to file a claim online, in person, on their mobile app, or at the glass shop directly.

Step 2: Either file the claim with your insurance provider or file the claim directly with the chosen glass shop (most insurance companies have a network of glass shops they work with).

Step 3: Schedule your repair and pay your deductible. Depending on your insurance company's procedure, you will pay your deductible directly to your insurance company or the glass shop.

Some insurance companies will ask you to fill in your claim online or over the phone. Others may refer you to their third-party provider to handle your claim. If your insurance company is handling your claim directly, it’ll be essential to keep the following details ready when they ask:

Your policy number and contact information

If your insurance company uses a third-party claims service that works directly with several different glass shops, you can go to the glass shop of your choice to get the work done. The glass shops then notify your insurance provider and file the windshield claim on your behalf. Your deductible, if you’re responsible for one, will need to be paid directly to the glass shop once the repair or replacement is finished.

If this is your situation, be aware that the glass repair shop may ask you for some or all of the following information when you go for the replacement:

Who is your insurance provider isWhat is your auto insurance policy numberWhat is your deductibleYour cars year, make, and modelYour cars VIN or vehicle identification number

If you have to file a claim directly with a glass shop, it’s always a good idea to shop around and look for the best or cheapest option. Some glass shops also offer incentives for your windshield repair. For example, they may pay a portion of your deductible if you decide to work with them instead of another glass shop. Depending on the glass shop's policies, this may come in the form of a gift card or cash.

Some repair shops might even have options where they come directly to you to perform the repairs or replacement, which can save you a lot of time.

Always speak with your insurance provider to understand how their windshield claims process works.

• Date and time the accident or damage occurred
• Vehicles involved
• Details of how the damage or accident happened
• Your policy number and contact information
  

If your insurance company uses a third-party claims service that works directly with several different glass shops, you can go to the glass shop of your choice to get the work done. The glass shops then notify your insurance provider and file the windshield claim on your behalf. Your deductible, if you’re responsible for one, will need to be paid directly to the glass shop once the repair or replacement is finished.

If this is your situation, be aware that the glass repair shop may ask you for some or all of the following information when you go for the replacement:

• The name of your insurance provider
• Your auto insurance policy number
• Your deductible
• Your vehicle year, make and model
  
• Your vehicle identification number (VIN)
  

If you have to file a claim directly with a glass shop, it’s always a good idea to shop around and look for the best or cheapest option. Some glass shops also offer incentives for your windshield repair. For example, they may pay a portion of your deductible if you decide to work with them instead of another glass shop. Depending on the glass shop's policies, this may come in the form of a gift card or cash.

Some repair shops might even have options where they come directly to you to perform the repairs or replacement, which can save you a lot of time.

Always speak with your insurance provider to understand how their windshield claims process works.

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The Final Verdict: Paying for Windshield Replacement

Whether or not your windshield replacement is covered understandably depends on the type of coverage you have. If you only have minimum coverage, it’s unlikely that your insurance company will pay for your windshield replacement, and it will have to be paid completely out of pocket. This can be a pretty big expense, and for any vehicles manufactured in the last 5-10 years, you’re likely looking at a hefty $1000+ bill. If you have full coverage, some or all of this replacement cost may be covered by insurance but keep in mind that there are several caveats; you likely won’t be able to choose the glass repair shop to fix the windshield and you may not have full coverage for OEM glass.

These downsides are a big reason why new products like windshield protection film are gaining popularity. ExoShield, for example, is designed to make your windshield 6X less likely to break in the event that a rock hits your glass while driving, reducing the chances that you’ll even need insurance to cover the repair or replacement. This can be a great option for drivers who (a) don’t want to have to deal with their insurance companies over regular replacements, and (b) want to maintain their high-quality OEM glass.

All in all, if you haven’t taken a look at your insurance policy lately, take this as your sign to go read that fine print, so that you can make the best choice for you!

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Looking for windshield protection? Check out our list of trusted installers all over the world to talk to an expert!