Windshield And Auto Glass Repair

Windshield Chip or Crack: Should You Repair or Replace It?

informational·informational·Published October 28, 2026

Should I repair or replace a chipped or cracked windshield?

A chip smaller than a quarter or a loonie, or a small crack, can usually be repaired if clear of the glass edges and the driver-assist camera zone. Long, deep cracks often need a new windshield; cracks near the edge or in the camera zone typically do. AAA's U.S. guide: USD 50 to 150 for a chip or small-crack repair, USD 250 to 1,500 or more to replace.

Where these limits and prices come from

The size limits come from two public insurers, ICBC in British Columbia and Manitoba Public Insurance, and from the AAA guide to windshield repair and replacement costs in the U.S. The driver-assist cost share comes from a December 2023 AAA study, and the repair survey from a February 2023 IIHS article, both from the U.S. The AAA cost guide gives U.S. prices in USD and shows no publication date, so the prices here are the ones the page showed in October 2026.

Chip and crack size limits in British Columbia, Manitoba and the U.S.

Chip and crack size limits in British Columbia, Manitoba and the U.S.
Where the rule applies	Chip	Crack
British Columbia (free repair under Comprehensive coverage)	Smaller than a loonie (CAD 1 coin)	Must not be a long crack
Manitoba (public insurer)	Up to 25 mm (1 in.) can usually be repaired	Up to 30 cm (12 in.) long, with ends that do not reach the edge of the windshield
U.S. cost guide	Smaller than a quarter is usually repairable	Deep cracks longer than 7.6 cm (3 in.) often need a full replacement

Where the damage sits: line of sight, glass edge and camera zone

The damage is in the driver's line of sight

The limits are tighter here. In British Columbia, a free repair must leave no mark larger than 6 mm (1/4 in.) in the driver's line of vision. In Manitoba, a repair allows at most two chips larger than 25 mm (1 in.) in the driver's critical viewing area.

A crack is near the edge of the glass

Expect a replacement. In the U.S. cost guide, cracks near the edges typically need a new windshield, and the Manitoba crack limit above excludes a crack that reaches the edge.

The damage is in the driver-assist camera zone

Expect a replacement. In the U.S. cost guide, cracks in the camera zone typically need one, for safety and so that the sensors work as designed.

The glass has sharp, exposed edges

Plan on a replacement: Manitoba's repair rules exclude a windshield with exposed sharp edges of glass.

Does a windshield chip get worse if you wait?

Yes. Bumps, door slams and cold weather make a chip or crack grow larger. Growth matters because every limit in this post is a limit of size or place. A chip that spreads into a long crack, or a crack that runs to the edge of the glass, moves from the repair side of the limits to the replacement side, and from the repair price to the replacement price.

Windshield repair vs replacement cost in the U.S. (USD)

Windshield repair vs replacement cost in the U.S. (USD)
Job or cost line	U.S. price (USD)	Source and date
Repair of chips or small cracks	USD 50 to 150	AAA cost guide, read October 2026
Full windshield replacement	USD 250 to 1,500 or more	AAA cost guide, read October 2026
Driver-assist camera calibration	Typically USD 360; the price changes with the calibration type	AAA cost guide, read October 2026
Driver-assist share of a windshield replacement bill (three 2023 vehicles)	25.4 percent on average (USD 360)	AAA study, December 2023

Does insurance pay for windshield repair?

You live in British Columbia and have Comprehensive coverage with the public insurer

A windshield repair is covered, and you pay no deductible for it when the damage meets the repair limits in the size table.

You have another insurer, in Canada or the U.S.

Glass cover and deductibles differ from policy to policy. In Canada, many car policies repair a windshield with minor damage at no deductible. The worked example below shows how a deductible changes what you pay.

Worked example: what you pay with a deductible (sample values)

Worked example: what you pay with a deductible (sample values)
Line	CAD case (sample)	USD case (sample)
Replacement quote with camera calibration (your quote)	CAD 1,200	USD 1,100
Your glass or comprehensive deductible (your policy)	CAD 300	USD 500
You pay for the replacement	CAD 300 (the deductible)	USD 500 (the deductible)
Insurance pays for the replacement	CAD 900 (1,200 - 300)	USD 600 (1,100 - 500)
Repair quote for a small chip (your quote)	CAD 100	USD 100
You pay for the repair	CAD 0 if your policy repairs glass with no deductible; CAD 100 if it does not, because CAD 100 is less than the CAD 300 deductible	USD 100: the quote is less than the USD 500 deductible, so a claim pays nothing

Windshield replacement on a car with a driver-assist camera

Carmakers require a calibration any time a crash avoidance sensor is removed and replaced or reinstalled, and windshield work often makes one necessary. In an IIHS survey of nearly 500 U.S. drivers, published in 2023, about half of those who had a crash avoidance system repaired, for any reason, reported problems with those features afterward. The same calibration rule applies to any repair that removes a sensor, including collision repairs on cars with driver-assist systems.

Related Guides

Should You Pay for Collision Repair Yourself or File an Insurance Claim?
Weigh a claim against paying yourself when a glass bill is close to your deductible.
Can a Mechanic Charge More Than the Estimate? Your Rights
Know your rights when the final bill is higher than the price you agreed to.

Key Takeaways

Two checks decide repair or replace: the size of the chip or crack, and where it sits on the glass.
In the U.S. guide, even the top of the repair range (USD 150) is below the bottom of the replacement range (USD 250).
A claim pays only the part of a glass bill above your deductible, unless your policy repairs glass with no deductible.
Have a windshield and auto glass shop inspect the damage and give you a written quote that says repair or replace, with any camera calibration listed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a windshield repair claim raise my insurance rates?

Not in Manitoba. With Manitoba Public Insurance, the province's public insurer, a claim to repair a windshield does not change your premiums or the deductibles you pay later. The rule is for repair claims, so it covers chips and short cracks that are within the repair limits.

Do I pay a deductible if my windshield has to be replaced?

In British Columbia, yes. Under Comprehensive coverage with the province's public insurer, you pay your deductible when the damage is judged unsafe and not appropriate to repair, so the windshield must be replaced instead.

Can a windshield with several chips still be repaired?

In Manitoba, yes, up to a limit. The public insurer's repair rules allow at most four chips anywhere on the windshield, and chips smaller than 25 mm (1 in.) do not count toward that maximum.

Can I keep driving with a cracked windshield?

Not when a chip or crack blocks your view of the road, or when the glass has sharp, exposed edges. For other damage, ICBC in British Columbia tells drivers to let the glass repair facility they choose decide whether the damage is safe to repair.