Not sure if your damage is a repair or a replacement? Call us and describe what you're looking at — we can usually tell you over the phone.
A rock catches your windshield somewhere on 82nd Street and you pull over to look at the damage. Is that a repair or a replacement? The answer matters — repair is 30 minutes and often free with insurance, replacement takes a couple of hours and costs a few hundred dollars. Here's how to tell which you're dealing with.
This won't replace an actual assessment, but it'll get you 90% of the way there before you call.
Chips vs. Cracks — What's Actually Different?
Most people use these words interchangeably. They're not the same.
A chip is an impact point — the spot where something hit the glass hard enough to knock out a small piece. Usually round or star-shaped. Bullseye chips, star breaks, combination breaks — all chips. The glass has missing material at the impact site.
A crack is a split in the glass. It can start from a chip and extend outward, or it can appear on its own from temperature stress. Long linear damage across the windshield is a crack.
The reason the distinction matters: chips are almost always repairable. Cracks depend heavily on length and location.
When a Chip Can Be Repaired
Most chips qualify for repair if they meet these conditions:
Smaller than about an inch in diameter
That's roughly the size of a quarter. Standard chip repair resin fills impacts in this range cleanly. Larger chips may still be repairable depending on the shape — call and describe it.
Not in the driver's direct line of sight
Even a good repair leaves a faint imperfection in the glass. In the zone directly in front of where your eyes focus on the road, that matters for safety. Outside that zone, it's generally fine.
Not at the edge of the windshield
The glass carries more tension at its edges. An edge chip tends to crack outward quickly. If it hasn't cracked yet, repair might still be possible — but call soon, because the window is short.
Recent damage, not contaminated with dirt
Resin bonds to clean glass. Chips that have been sitting open in West Texas dust and rain for weeks are harder to repair cleanly. Get it fixed while it's new.
When a Crack Can Be Repaired
Cracks are more variable. The rules:
- › Under about 6 inches. This is the standard threshold. Shorter cracks can have their structural integrity largely restored with a professional resin injection. Longer than 6 inches, the strength added by the resin becomes unreliable.
- › Not in the driver's primary sightline. Same principle as chips — resin doesn't make the glass optically perfect, and any remaining distortion in the center viewing zone is a safety issue.
- › Not at the windshield edge. Once a crack reaches the edge, the seal between glass and frame is compromised. That's a replacement.
- › Not connecting two separate impact points. A crack running between two chips is usually too complex for a clean repair.
When Replacement Is the Only Option
Some damage can't be fixed with repair, no matter what:
Cracks longer than 6–8 inches
The resin doesn't restore enough strength at this length. Some shops claim to repair longer cracks — the repaired area will be structurally weaker than original glass.
Damage in the driver's direct line of sight
Repair resin is acceptable at the edges. Not in the center. If the damage is where your eyes actually focus on the road, replacement is the right call.
Edge damage
A chip or crack touching the edge almost always means replacement. The seal is compromised and the stress changes across the whole glass.
Multiple hail impacts across the glass
Repair works on isolated chips. After a Lubbock spring storm leaves 15–20 impact points scattered across the windshield, replacement is almost always what's needed.
Delamination
If you see white haze spreading from the damage, the inner laminate layer is separating. Repair doesn't fix this. Only replacement does.
Why Lubbock Heat Makes This Urgent
West Texas is one of the worst places to let a chip sit and wait. When temperatures hit 95–100°F and your car bakes in a lot on University Avenue or out near the Loop, the glass expands. Any existing damage is a stress point. A half-inch crack in early May can grow to a foot-long crack by June.
This isn't a generic warning. In Lubbock, it's real. A chip that might stay a chip for a year in a cooler climate can run in a week here.
Call us at (806) 450-8900 — we can usually get out same-day for chip repairs. Thirty minutes and often free with insurance. Don't let it become a full replacement by waiting.
What Repair vs. Replacement Costs
Chip Repair
$50–$100
Cash price. Often $0 with insurance — most TX comprehensive policies waive the deductible for chip repair.
30 min at your location
Full Replacement
$150–$500+
Depends on vehicle. Insurance covers it minus your deductible. ADAS recalibration may add cost.
1–2 hours + cure time
For a full breakdown of what replacement actually costs for different vehicles in Lubbock, see our windshield replacement cost guide. For how insurance handles these claims in Texas, read Does Insurance Cover Windshield Replacement in Texas?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I drive with a chip while waiting to get it fixed?
Yes, briefly — but don't wait more than a day or two. In Lubbock heat, chips spread faster than in most places. Once a chip cracks past the repairable threshold, you've turned a free 30-minute fix into a full replacement.
I tried a DIY repair kit and it didn't work. What now?
DIY kits use lower-grade resin and lack the vacuum injection tools that force resin properly into the damage. A professional repair can often still be done even after a failed DIY attempt, depending on whether the chip was contaminated in the process. Call us and describe the situation.
My deductible is $500 — is chip repair still free?
Check whether your policy has a separate glass deductible. Many Texas policies have a $100 or even $0 glass deductible, separate from the main comprehensive deductible. Ask your insurer specifically: "Do I have a glass deductible?" — the answer might surprise you.
The crack is 5 inches long but right at the edge. Can it be repaired?
Probably not. The 6-inch size rule is the first filter, but edge location disqualifies most cracks on its own. An edge crack has almost certainly compromised the seal between the glass and frame — repair won't fix that structural issue. You're looking at a replacement.
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Not Sure If Yours Is a Repair or Replacement?
Call us at (806) 450-8900 and describe what you're looking at. We'll tell you honestly in a few minutes — and can usually be out same-day if it's a repair. A 30-minute fix now is a lot better than the alternative.
Same-day chip repair available across Lubbock, TX