Windshield decision tools
The short answer
- Start with the damage identifier if you do not know what you are looking at, then the repair or replace checker for the verdict.
- The cost estimator builds a line by line price range so you can judge whether a quote is normal, inflated or suspiciously cheap.
- The claim calculator answers the question most drivers get wrong: whether filing on a replacement is worth it against your deductible.
- Every tool shows its reasoning and links the rule behind each output. Nothing is a black box, and nothing is a lead form.
Four tools that take your specific damage and give you an answer rather than a page of general advice. They run entirely in your browser, they collect nothing, and none of them ends in a quote request.
The order that works
- Identify the damage. Break shape decides almost everything downstream. The damage identifier names it in three questions.
- Decide repair or replacement. The repair or replace checker applies the size, edge distance, depth, location, age and count rules, and tells you which rule drove the verdict.
- Price it. The cost estimator builds a range line by line, including glass tier, feature glass and ADAS recalibration.
- Decide how to pay. The claim calculator compares cash against a comprehensive claim using your deductible, your coverage type and your recent claim history.
Why a tool beats an article here
Windshield questions look general and are actually specific. "Can this be repaired" has seven inputs. "What should this cost" has a dozen. "Should I claim it" depends on two numbers and one piece of history that no article can know. Every generic answer you find online is either hedged into uselessness or confidently wrong for your case, because it is answering an average that does not exist.
These tools are built from the same limits technicians use: the repairability thresholds published in industry repair standards, the price structure of an itemised glass invoice, and the deductible arithmetic on a comprehensive policy. Where a judgement is contested, such as repairing damage in the driver's viewing area, the tool says so instead of pretending there is one right answer. The full reasoning behind the price bands is in the methodology.
What happens to what you enter
Nothing. There is no server behind these calculators, no analytics event carrying your inputs, no form post, and no way for us to see what you typed. That is a deliberate design choice: a tool that harvests your vehicle details and deductible in exchange for an answer is a lead generator, and a lead generator has an interest in your answer. See about this site and the privacy page.
Every guide in this section
Ordered so you can read straight through, from the decision you make first to the details you only need later.
Repair or replace: check your windshield damage
Answer seven questions about your chip or crack and get a repair or replace verdict, with the rule behind every answer and what to do next.
Windshield cost estimator
Build a realistic price range for a chip repair, crack repair or windshield replacement, line by line, including glass tier, features and ADAS calibration.
Glass claim calculator
Compare paying cash against filing a comprehensive glass claim, using your deductible, your coverage type and your recent claim history.
Windshield damage identifier
Identify your windshield damage in three questions: bullseye, star break, combination, edge crack, floater, stress crack or pitting, with repair outlook for.
Frequently asked questions
Do these tools collect my information?
No. Every calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or sold, and there is no form submission, no account and no quote request behind any of them.
Which tool should I use first?
If you can name the break, start with the repair or replace checker. If you cannot, use the damage identifier first, since the break type feeds directly into the repairability decision.
Are the prices real quotes?
No. They are typical 2026 US ranges built from published price bands and standard shop practice, intended as a sanity check on the quotes you receive. Your actual price depends on your vehicle's option codes and local labor rates.