FAQ > Auto Glass Estimates > Windshield and Auto Glass Price Quotes> Additional Charges May Apply

When we quote you a price for an auto glass installation it applies to a normal installation. If your auto glass installation is outside the norm additional charges may apply. Here are a few examples of what is not within the norm.

There may be underlying damage beneath the broken glass that isn’t visible at the beginning of the removal process. If we find damage beneath the broken glass that must be repaired prior to the new glass installation there will be extra charges for the labor, parts and materials. If the vehicle has other damaged parts such as mouldings, clips and fasteners that are not included in the normal installation quote it will require extra fees to be added to the original price.

If your windshield is seriously broken it can be extremely difficult to remove because we may not be able to use the conventional tooling we normally would use that avoids damaging the body and paint. It’s also much more hazardous and it adds additional clean up time. It can also require more supplies such as wire, string, and or tool blades. The bottom line is if we have to spend a significantly more amount of time and materials do do a job we have to charge more for it.

This Chevrolet pick up truck was not only badly broken it was also lifted to the point that we had to perform the removal and installation on scaffolding and step stools. Our phone quote was for a normal 60 to 75 minute installation. When we saw the truck it was everything but normal. We had to use a much slower meticulous method removing this windshield to avoid damaging the paint around the perimeter of the windshield. The end result is that it took over 3 hours to complete this job plus about $20.00 dollars of additional materials and the job required two of our normal 1.5 hour appointment time slots. We did not sign up for a badly broken windshield or the extra time and materials along with the additional clean up that goes with it and we didn’t sign up for installing the glass in a lifted vehicle. This customer was fine with the higher price increase as well as the additional time it was going to take to over come the challenges of replacing the windshield. We have had a few customers that absolutely don’t understand and get pretty heated over it.

Badly damaged windshield removal

When we quote a price on the phone it’s for a normal windshield installation. If you arrive with a vehicle that has a glass in it that has de-lamination issues like this truck did it’s going to cost more because it isn’t a normal installation. As you can see in the images when we try to remove the original glass it just shatters everywhere it’s de-laminated which means the time and labor involved to remove the windshield and all the broken glass from the body will increase significantly.

Severely de-laminated windshields

Body work

When we quote a price on the phone it’s for a normal, in this case, back glass installation. If you arrive with a vehicle that has body damage that we are capable of straightening or repairing like this truck did it’s going to cost more because it isn’t a normal installation.

Pinchweld rust repair

When we quote a price on the phone it’s for a normal, in this case, windshield replacement. In most cases we can’t tell if there is going to be a rust issue on your vehicles pinchweld until we actually remove the glass and the original sealing/bonding material from the vehicle. If we remove your prior windshield or back glass and it has a rusty pinchweld that is only surface rusted and within our capabilities of repairing we can repair it but it’s going to cost more because at that point it isn’t a normal installation. If the rust is beyond our capabilities the vehicle will at that point have to be taken to an auto body repair center. Depending on how bad the rust is it will require materials for sanding/sand blasting to repair as well as special primers. The vehicle preparation, sanding/sand blasting materials along with the primer to repair the pinchweld are all very expensive as well as time and labor it takes to perform it all. Most customers understand the higher price increase as well as the additional time it’s going to take to perform the job. We have had a few customers that absolutely don’t understand and get pretty heated over it.

Difficult back glass installations

When we quote a price on the phone it’s for a normal, in this case, truck back glass replacement. It would take this entire page to explain how difficult and creative we have to be to perform these types of back glass installations. Needless to say it takes a lot more time to perform installations like the ones we did in the trucks pictured above. We actually had to make some one of a kind jigs from wood to make them happen. It takes a lot of creativity, labor and sometimes extra materials to perform installations in them. The alternative and correct method to replace the back glass would be to remove the utility bed for proper access. That would be nice but it would also make the turn around time to repair these vehicles into weeks instead of the two day turnaround time we typically perform the job in.

Removal and Replacement of Aftermarket Market Accessories

When we quote a price on the phone it’s for a normal windshield installation. If you show up with a vehicle that has optional aftermarket equipment like the off road lighting system on the Jeep pictured above that has to be removed to perform the windshield installation it’s not going to happen in the time slot we all planned on. It’s also not going to be the same price we quoted over the phone. It’s not just unbolting a few bolts that can and do sometimes break off from being rusted in place. Removing the light mounts also require disconnecting the wiring that powers them. In most cases that requires new Loctite, zip ties along with new dielectric grease connectors. Sometimes after cutting the connectors the wire isn’t long enough to be reattached and has to be completely replaced. Also sometimes the gaskets that go between the mounts don’t survive and new ones must be made to keep the mounts from having a metal to metal contact that can cause rust. Snorkel tubes are another item that usually have to be removed. Removing and replacing these types of accessories can at times be fairly easy and other times depending on what we run into during the process can be very difficult and time consuming. If we are made aware that your vehicle has this type of equipment up front and it’s within your capabilities we will ask that you remove it prior to your windshield replacement appointment. We will also inform you that we can not quote you a price for doing the additional work until we actually see your vehicle so we will know what will be involved. Most customers understand the higher price increase as well as the additional time it’s going to take to perform the job. We have had a few customers that absolutely don’t understand and get pretty heated over it.

Underlying damage

Interior Aftermarket Alarm, Remote start and GPS Antennas

If your vehicle has one of these small antennas we may or may not add an additional fee. Some of them are no problem but now and then we run across some that are. These small antennas along with their wiring are very fragile. If the proper type of adhesive was used to mount the antenna it’s not usually a problem. If it has been bonded to the glass with something like JB Weld or any other adhesive that sets up rock hard it’s going to be a serious time consuming problem if we can save it at all without damaging it.

If you have one of these attached to the inside of your windshield please be sure to inform us. On some vehicles just about all our work is done from the outside and these small antennas can be hidden behind the shaded strip or matrix band. Aftermarket antennas aren’t something we run across every day and we may not see them until it’s to late.

Fleet DVR and Dash Cam Cameras

If your vehicle has a windshield mounted aftermarket DVR or dash cam camera there will be an additional charge for removing and replacing it. While these cameras look like they would be simple they are far from it. Special tools are required to remove them without damaging them and the adhesive used to bond them to the windshield is also very expensive. The camera units like the ones in the images above are also hard wired to the vehicle in that there are no connectors to disconnect the wiring from the camera so the best we can do is extract the camera from the windshield and it becomes an item we have to very cautiously work around during the entire windshield replacement procedure which makes our job much more difficult and time consuming.

Head Liner Repair

If your vehicles head liner is falling down and coming unglued like the one in the photo above we can re-glue it for an additional charge. Mind you we are not a trim shop but while the glass is out we can glue it well enough to keep it from hanging down. The trim adhesive is expensive and it adds about 20 minutes to the job but on the upside it’s a lot cheaper than a new head liner installation.

Lifted vehicles

When we quote you a price over the phone for a windshield replacement it’s assumed that the vehicle has not been lifted. Vehicles that have been lifted are much more difficult to work on because we have to perform the entire windshield removal and installation process on scaffolds and stools and sometimes even ladders. In most cases we also have to cover the vehicles hood with a quilted blankets to ensure it doesn’t get scratched or dented when the old and the new windshield is carried over the hood. It takes additional equipment and labor as well as time. It also adds a much greater risk to our employees and your vehicle if something were to go wrong. Most customers understand the higher price increase as well as the additional time it’s going to take to perform this type of job. We have had a few customers that absolutely don’t understand and get pretty heated over it.