Auto Glass Repair Raleigh, NC

Repair or replace

Chip, crack or new windshield: how the call is made

Most auto glass repair in Raleigh starts with one question: can this be fixed, or does the glass have to come out? Three things decide it, and size is only one of them. The others are depth and where the damage sits. Impex’s own rule is that a repair may be possible when a chip or crack is small, shallow and away from the edges of the glass. Once the damage is large, deep or runs to the edge, a full replacement is the safer job.

For size there is a published industry standard. ROLAGS, the Repair of Laminated Automotive Glass Standard run by the National Windshield Repair Division, says stone breaks up to two inches across and single line cracks up to 14 inches long are repairable. Many shops work to a tighter rule of thumb: damage smaller than a dollar bill, about six inches, is likely repairable, and a chip smaller than a quarter usually is. Those are rules of thumb, not laws, and a technician still has to look at the glass.

Signs the windshield will need replacing

• A crack that reaches the edge of the glass, where the windshield is bonded to the car
• Damage right in front of the driver, where even a good repair can leave a blemish in your line of sight
• Several chips or cracks at once, or a crack that has kept growing
• Damage in the area the forward camera looks through, behind the rearview mirror
• A break through both layers of the laminated glass

A new windshield brings a second job with it on most newer cars. The camera behind the mirror that runs lane departure warning, collision braking and adaptive cruise control is mounted to the glass, and I-CAR lists removing the windshield as one of the events that may require that camera to be aimed again. Impex performs ADAS calibration on site after windshield replacement, and its technicians can do both static and dynamic calibrations in one visit. Impex says most calibrations take between 30 minutes and 2 hours. The details are on our ADAS calibration in Raleigh page.

If the damage is small, start with windshield repair in Raleigh. If it is past repair, windshield replacement in Raleigh walks through the whole visit. For door, quarter and rear glass, see car window repair in Raleigh.

Insurance and NC law

What North Carolina law says about your glass and your claim

In North Carolina, glass damage is normally a comprehensive claim. The NC Department of Insurance lists ‘Breakage of glass’ and ‘Missiles or falling objects’ among the losses that Other Than Collision (comprehensive) coverage pays for, and it pays ‘less any deductible’. So your comprehensive deductible usually applies to a windshield. North Carolina has no law that waives that deductible for glass, as Florida and South Carolina do. Some policies include full glass coverage, so check yours before you assume the cost.

You also decide who does the work. G.S. 58-3-180 says a policy covering damage to a motor vehicle ‘shall allow the claimant to select the repair service or source for the repair of the damage’, and that the insurer pays the same amount whichever shop you pick. If an insurer recommends a shop, it has to tell you that you are under no obligation to use it. Impex works with all major insurance providers, so choosing Impex for a mobile job in Raleigh does not take you outside your coverage.

A comprehensive glass claim is not an at-fault accident, so it does not add Safe Driver Incentive Plan points to your policy. The NCDOI does note that many insurers look at how often you file claims, at-fault and not at fault, when they decide on renewals. A small chip repair is often worth asking your insurer about for that reason as well as the cost.

That inspection point surprises people. North Carolina’s safety inspection list covers brakes, lights, horn, steering, windshield wipers, directional signals, tires, mirrors and emissions equipment. No North Carolina statute or inspection rule sets a crack size for a windshield. A crack in your line of sight is still a safety problem, and the glass is part of how the car protects you in a crash: the Auto Glass Safety Council says the windshield and side glass are part of the passenger restraint system. How a claim usually runs, step by step, is on our insurance and claims page, more questions are answered on the auto glass questions page, and who Impex is is on about Impex Auto Glass.