FAQ > Auto Glass Estimates > Windshield and Auto Glass Price Quotes

• When I called other competitors in the area they said they could install the windshield in my Honda without the windshield clip kit your Customer Service Representative said it would require, what's up with that? In an effort to offer you a lower sale price so you will think your getting a better deal, some of our competitors will omit these clip kits from their prices as well as moldings. In many instances the installation can be accomplished by what we call "a hackers method" of bedding the molding in an adhesive called urethane, the same glue used in the bonded installation of your windshield. The end result of doing a job like that is should a problem develop down the line such as a minor leak or a later windshield replacement your costs will go through the roof. In most instances it makes the moldings sacrificial which can cost from $30.00 to over $300.00 to replace "not including the cost of the new windshield". On average a clip kit costs $12.00 to $18.00 and is by far the best way to go, not only does it save you money in the long run, it can save you a significant amount of drama that can arise from the improper installation and keep your vehicle off one of our many Poor Workmanship pages of poorly done and dangerous windshield and other auto glass parts installations.

• I've obtained several quotes for a new windshield for my car in the Knoxville, Tennessee, area and found Phoenix Glass has a much lower price than the rest of your competitors. Why do the prices vary so much? Is Phoenix Glass selling poor quality auto glass and installation materials? That's a question we hear almost on a daily basis and an easy one to answer. At Phoenix Glass we only sell top quality OEM and OEE aftermarket windshield and auto glass products. We back them up with best OEM Dow Automotive adhesive system on the market today and we top them off with the best auto glass technicians available to install them. The key to the above package is that our customers end up rewarding us by providing our company with a wonderful reputation and after it's all said and done our customers, by word of mouth, become our sales and advertising staff which saves us a lot of money. Phoenix Glass is not a franchise auto glass company that has to add extra monies to your bill to generate funds to pay a franchise fee every month. Depending on the franchise chain the company belongs to, the fees range from $4,000.00 to $8,000.00 per month, adding up to as much as $96,000.00 of your hard earned customer dollars per year. Another downside to dealing with a franchise or international chain store type company is that they use their buying power to contract with auto glass windshield, door glass and back glass supply companies who offer them the lowest bids for products and supplies. Often times these supply companies are off brand manufacturers of questionable low quality auto glass as well as questionable Non OEM aftermarket low quality adhesive systems.

• When I called Phoenix Glass for a quote on installing a new windshield and door glass in my Honda the Customer Service Representative said it would most likely require a clip kit for the windshield installation. What is a Clip kit? and why does my vehicle’s windshield require one? A windshield clip kit is a package of parts that contains anywhere from 4 to as many as 50 or more necessary clips and or fasteners that maybe required to install your new or used windshield window moldings. Often times the plastic clips and/or fasteners in your vehicle are sacrificial and may not be reusable due to age or because there just isn't a method available for removing them without destroying them.

• In shopping for a new windshield I found a company on the internet that gave me an on line quote for my replacement windshield so I placed an order. When the company called me back and reviewed my order I was given a much higher price. What’s up with that? We’ve seen this happen to a lot of our customers and we’re not going to call it a gimmick, it’s more of a fishing tool to place you on the hook. We feel that it would be very difficult to price someone’s windshield, door, back glass or other auto glass part through a generic form considering all the various options that come on vehicles today. Looking real hard, if you scroll through all the data, most sites have a disclaimer somewhere usually located near the bottom. Here is an example from one site: *Disclaimer This quote is based on the information you provided and assumes a standard installation using the most common glass option for your vehicle. The auto glass technician will review the final cost with you after inspecting your vehicle and will obtain your approval before performing the work. Some factors that could affect the final cost include optional glass features that were not identified at the time of the quote (for example, heating elements or rain sensor technology) and additional charges if moldings need to be replaced. This quote is only valid if work is scheduled through the website and an appointment dispatch number is generated. This quote is valid for 30 days and is subject to part availability. This quote is void where prohibited by law and is not valid with any other offers. They are going to quote the lowest price and if you are lucky it will be that and if you are even luckier they will install it properly however odds are that won’t be the case. Most of these type of internet businesses aren’t actually an auto glass company at all, they are more or less auto glass brokers that sub contract the orders they obtain to the lowest bidder in the area that they can find. Phoenix Glass has been approached by several of these types of companies through the years and at the prices they request us to do the work at we couldn’t offer reasonable products or services.

• Are the price quotes given from Phoenix Glass guaranteed final prices? 9 9% of the time they sure are. There are many options on vehicles these days. It's difficult to tell but some windshields are heated and have a variety of options in or on them from rain sensors to heads up displays. For example windshields are available in a variety of different color schemes such as a windshield with a green tinted lower and a blue shade band across the top or blue tinted lower with a green shade band across the top. Then there are custom logos on the glass such as Fords Mustang logo or a F250 logo embedded into the top of the windshield. The options available to you will depend on the type of vehicle you have. Side windows like door or quarter glass are getting to be as complicated as windshields in that some have logos and antennas built into them as well as different tint options and possibly the option of being made from laminated or tempered glass. Rear back glass windows these days also have many options such as logos, tint colors, defrosters, antennas, third brake lights, rear wipers, laminated, tempered and even in some cases air spoilers. All that being said sometimes it's difficult for us (especially over the phone) to obtain the correct price for your specific vehicle. The Customer Service Representatives at Phoenix Glass have the very best, most up to date software and data on hand and use it as well as their many hands on years of experience to do their best to walk you through the process of correctly identifying your auto glass options. We should note that Our quoted prices are for normal installations. Anything out side the norm may possibly be subject to an additional charge or charges.

Phoenix Glass doesn't participate with any Auto Glass Networks or Third Party Administrator companies that require a monthly payment in order to obtain business from them. That saves us at or around $800.00 per month, per company, which adds up to $9,600.00 per year.

The reality of it all is that someone has to pay for big business and in most cases it's you the consumer. With Phoenix Glass, You get what you pay for and more! With them, you pay for a lot you don't get.

• Some of the windshield prices I’ve seen from a few of these Web based companies are hard to resist, If I do choose to take a chance and use one of them how can I tell if the installation was done correctly? You don't! Without removing the windshield, it's impossible to tell if the windshield was prepped correctly, if critical primers and proper flash times were used, or even if the proper amount and type of urethane was used. Once a windshield is installed all the critical installation preparation steps are hidden under the moldings and black ceramic band. If it looks like a clean windshield, back glass or other type of auto glass installation and the moldings are lying correctly you can only guess it was done right and in reality those things are only cosmetic, it's what is underneath and when and how it was done during the replacement installation process that counts. The only sure way to tell if a windshield or other type of auto glass is properly installed is to crash test it, but we sure don't recommend it.

The next best way to know is to know the reputation of the company that installed it. Make sure the company has an actual address complete with an actual store front as there are many gypsy type auto glass companies operating in and around Knoxville as well as it’s surrounding areas. No store front usually goes hand in hand with a pick up truck and a cell phone. You can easily accomplish this using Google Maps Street View . Google allows you to see if the company your considering using for the installation of your new replacement windshield turns out to be a home, an apartment complex or even an empty lot. With the power of the internet anyone can make a attractive website to lure you in. They typically have no liability insurance and when something goes wrong you are on your own since they are very difficult to track down and with the power of Caller ID they stop answering your repeated phone calls. Due to poor workmanship during the average month here at Phoenix Glass we re-do auto glass in about 6 vehicles per month from this type of so called auto glass company. By the time you add up the expenses of a new glass, mouldings and repairing the body damage that was done to the pinchweld the price for repairing a vehicle in this type of situation is usually 3 to 4 times what it would have cost if it were done right in the first place. Unfortunately most of these installers are or were employed and trained by some of the major chain outfits where they learned these corner cutting traits to make more money and actually have convinced their selves to believe that they are doing the work properly. Typically these employees are paid by salary plus commission. In slow times the employee gets the minimum pay to save the company money but when times are busy as an added incentive the employee is given a commission based on production. The more jobs completed the more pay received and the only way that can happen is by speeding up the installation process which is where something has to suffer in order to make that happen and it’s usually you and your vehicle. In the event these short cuts lead to a problem at the very least your going to loose some valuable time having your vehicle redone and at the very worst it can lead to serious injury or the loss of your life or that of someone you love so be very careful when choosing who you let install your windshield or other glass in your vehicle.

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