How Much Does Windshield Replacement Cost Without Insurance?
Filed under: Auto Related, Replacements, Windshield Repair
There are many different living expenses which surround our lives each month and one fixed expense that falls into our monthly budget is auto insurance. If you drive a car then chances are you have auto insurance. Automotive insurance is something we all need in order to be responsible drivers. Keeping our monthly premium as low as possible is very important and filing a claim could potentially cause this premium to increase. This has many of us questioning whether or not to file a claim if the cost of a repair service isn’t too much higher than our deductible.
Let’s take the cost of a windshield replacement for example. So, how much does windshield replacement cost without insurance? 
Well, this would depend on the type of vehicle you’re driving. The costs could range from $149 on the low end to more than $1,000 dollars on the high end. Unless you’re driving a Bentley or Ferrari it’s safe to say you will more than likely fall within the low to mid range and spend around $175 to $250 for a windshield replacement.
Research has demonstrated that the most popular windshield replacement searches taking place over the internet surround the following 7 vehicle types.
(Chevy, Buick, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and Jeep)
I’ve created a short list of average windshield prices by vehicle make and model using the information above. The price estimates listed below do not include taxes and could be higher or lower depending on the manufacturer year of your vehicle.
- Chevy Tahoe – $175 to $225
- Chevy Impala – $190 to $215
- Buick Enclave – $340 to $375
- Honda Civic 4 Door – $220 to $225
- Ford Expedition – $235 to $250
- Toyota Forerunner (4Runner) – $169 to $190
- Ford F 150 – $180 to $212
- Nissan Murano – $180 to $199
- Jeep Wrangler 2 & 4 Door – $199 to $225
As you can see from the prices above, the cost for a windshield replacement can potentially be far less than your deductible. However, if you have a deductible that’s less than $100 dollars then you may want to file a claim to have the work performed. There’s also a handful of states which have laws in place to waive deductibles so be sure to check with your agent and verify what expenses you’ll be responsible for paying prior to setting up service.
In closing, I would like to go back to discussing our fixed expenses and monthly budget to answer another question I hear quite often. Will my insurance premium go up if I file a claim to have the windshield fixed? It’s possible. There are shops that will tell you a claim won’t increase your premium but they’re not your agent so how do they know. I’ve had agents explain to me that comprehensive glass claims alone won’t cause an increase in premiums but it does count towards the overall claims filed per calendar year on a policy. So, if you’ve had other insurance claims throughout the year then filing an auto glass claim could possibly trigger an increase in your premium. In my opinion, the only person able to definitively tell you if your premium will increase from filing a windshield claim is your agent. Be sure to do some research prior to filing a claim that could potentially increase your fixed expenses and monthly budget.
Average Price For Windshield Replacement
The average price for windshield replacement can be expensive if you own a luxury vehicle such as a Mercedes, Lexus, BMW or Porsche. Having performed a number of replacements on various types of automobiles over the past 10 years I’ve personally seen prices quoted as high as $1,200. I’m sure the scale goes higher but the most I’ve ever charged for an installation was $425 and the average charge for a windshield installation in my business was around $225.
Some things to consider when calling and researching different windshield replacement prices.
- Why do the prices vary so much?
- The auto glass industry is very competitive and it can be tough for glass shops using quality glass to compete with a cheap windshield price being offered from someone using lower quality glass. Higher quality glass such as dealer glass or OEM glass will be more expensive but well worth the cost.
- What type of auto glass will be used?
- If you have a price quote that seems considerably higher than other shops then it’s very possible the higher priced shop is using OEM or dealer glass. OEM glass is generally more expensive to purchase than aftermarket glass. Be sure to ask the glass shop which type of glass is being used. Click here to learn more about different glass types.
There are other factors such as acoustic inner-layers and rain sensors which could cause the price to be higher than normal. If the cost of your windshield replacement is higher than the average price of $225 then you may consider having your insurance pay for the work. If you have a low deductible then filing a claim and paying the deductible will definitely help you save some money.
Windshield Replacement and Comprehensive Insurance
Is the cost of a windshield replacement covered by the comprehensive portion of an automotive insurance policy? Yes, but you might be responsible for a deductible and in most cases the deductible is more than the cost of the install. However, there are a number of states which consider the need for a replacement as “no fault” and will either charge a much smaller deductible or nothing at all.
If you’re responsible for paying a deductible to have a windshield installed and know what your deductible is then call and get price quotes from various auto glass shops before scheduling service. This will help you determine whether it’s cost effective to file a claim on your insurance or just pay cash. A comprehensive claim shouldn’t raise your insurance premium on its own but it does count towards the total volume of claims that you file in a calendar year. This was explained to me by an insurance agent I had to deal with in the past. I had filed a $59 windshield repair claim for a customer in the past and a month later had to work with the insurance agent to remove this claim in order to cancel the increase my customer incurred on her policy. The customer ultimately paid me cash and her monthly premium returned to its normal amount. From that day forward I always let customers know that filing a windshield repair or replacement claim could cause an increase in their premium if they’ve had other claims which were filed during the year. I also tell them that the only person qualified to give a definitive answer as to whether a comprehensive claim will increase their insurance premium or not is their insurance agent.
Know what your deductible is prior to calling glass shops so you can determine whether or not to file a claim before scheduling service. My recommendation is to not risk an increase in your insurance premium if your deductible is only going to save you $50 to $100.
