FAQs

Whether you are at home, at a friend’s or even at work, our fully mobile service means we can travel directly to your location to repair and replace your windscreen.

Yes, we offer free, no obligation quotes on all of our work. Simply contact us today by giving us a ring or completing our online contact form to arrange your free quotation.

• 24 hour repair service
• Insurance direct billing
• Fully mobile service
• All makes and models available
• Most windscreens in stock
• Credit accounts available
• Fully accredited technicians
• Fully comprehensive insurance

We will source the most suitable windscreen parts for your vehicle model and carefully fit them in line with relevant regulations.

We offer various payment methods, including debit cards, Visa and Mastercard.

Our average windscreen repair cost (for example, to fix damage caused by a stone chip) for first-time customers is £40 + VAT. Any other repairs to the same windscreen after this will cost £20 + VAT.

There are a number of different factors that go into pricing a windscreen repair, such as the age, make and model of a vehicle, so it would be very difficult to give an exact cost. However, we can assure you that 1st Call Windscreens offer very competitive prices!

Yes, if a competitor is offering a lower price we will always try to match this and offer lower if possible.

Yes, we offer free, no obligation quotes on all of our work. Simply contact us today by giving us a ring or completing our online contact form to arrange your free quotation.

We offer various payment methods, including debit cards, Visa and Mastercard.

Windscreen insurance cover enables you to reclaim the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle’s windscreen, side windows or rear window should they become broken or cracked.

If you have a comprehensive car insurance policy, your windscreen should be covered in a similar way that all of the other car parts are covered. As such, if your windscreen becomes damaged and you want to get it repaired, you can make a claim and pay the full excess to get it fixed.

Alternatively, many insurers offer dedicated windscreen cover as part of the insurance policy, meaning that there is a separate part of the policy specifically for the windscreen which can cover the cost of any repairs and replacements. Whilst you will still need to pay the excess for the claim, it is lower than the standard excess charge and won’t usually impact your no claims bonus.

For complete convenience, 1st Call Windscreens deal with most major insurance companies to save you time and hassle.

Comparison sites are a great way of finding the best deal for the most affordable price. It’s imperative to read all of the documentation carefully when signing up for a new insurance policy, so you know the exact details of your cover. If you are unsure whether your insurance policy covers your windscreen, make sure you refer back to any documentation or ask your insurer for confirmation.

There’s a possibility that you can invalidate an insurance claim by waiting too long to take action and have your windscreen repaired or replaced. As such, if your windscreen suffers from a chip or crack, we recommend that you have it dealt with by a professional as quickly as possible before the problem escalates. If you are wondering whether your windscreen needs to be repaired or replaced, take a look at our simple guide.

At 1st Call Windscreens, we deal with most major insurance companies and if you have fully comprehensive insurance, your repairs with us are completely free.

Whether or not your no claims bonus will be affected by a windscreen repair will depend on the details of your specific insurance policy. In many cases, this sort of repair won’t affect your NCB because it’s considered a different claim category to things like accidents or theft.

If your windscreen is suffering from a chip or crack, it’s important to identify the exact type to ensure the most appropriate remedial action is taken to fix it. From star breaks and bull’s eye cracks to half moon and floater cracks, the damage can take on several different forms. Take a look at our infographic to learn more about the different types of windscreen cracks and what they look like.

With increasingly busy lifestyles, many overlook the importance of having a windscreen chip or crack fixed. Although it is clearly very dangerous, is driving with a chipped windscreen breaking the law?

Driving a motor vehicle in what is considered a dangerous condition e.g. with a chipped or cracked windscreen is an offence under section 40 of the Road Traffic Act. As such, if you were caught driving in this condition, you could receive 3 penalty points on your driving licence and a fine. If the case is taken to court, you may find yourself receiving a larger fine or even disqualification if you have previous convictions.

Finally, a windscreen with a chip or crack could cause your vehicle to fail its MOT, so it’s important to have the problem fixed before it escalates. Take a look at our guide to find out whether your windscreen needs to be repaired or replaced.

Yes. When it comes to windscreen repairs and maintenance, HGV vehicles, such as trucks and lorries, need their own specialist care. The large size of HGV windscreens means that there are different zones in which cracks and chips can fall into. ‘Zone B’ covers the majority of a vehicle’s windscreen which does not fall into the driver’s line of vision. If chips and cracks fall within this zone, a repair is more likely to be needed than a full windscreen replacement as it is considered less of a safety risk.

However, if the damage is obscuring the driver’s view then it falls into ‘zone A’, meaning that a replacement is required. Whilst this is similar to cars, for HGVs cracks of up to 150mm/15cm in length can be repaired, as opposed to cars where the crack must be smaller than £2 coin.

For larger fleet vehicles – such as buses, coaches and agricultural vehicles – certain marks or blemishes would not even require repairs, let alone replacement. For example, a number of light scratches spread over a large area of the windscreen will not need immediate attention. However, a collection of heavy scratches may be caused by a problem with the windscreen wipers which may require separate attention.

No, once your repair has been completed your windscreen will look as good as new – assuming you’ve chosen a reputable repair specialist like 1st Call Windscreens!

If we’re talking about a simple chip repair, this usually takes between 20-35 minutes.

Normally, windscreen recalibration is required in any of the following instances: after a windscreen replacement, after an ADAS malfunction, or after a service or maintenance check by a professional. A good rule of thumb though – if your ADAS system is faulty, you probably need recalibration!