Visibility
Windscreen chip repair
Checked on 2 September 2025.Bumper, Windscreen chip repair cost guide, UK (as of 2 September 2025)
What does windscreen chip repair cost in the UK?
£40 to £90 fitted at an independent garage, VAT included, on a mainstream car. The midpoint of that range is about £65, and where you land inside it is decided by access, parts and wheel size rather than by the garage's postcode.
Resin is injected into the chip under vacuum and cured, which stops the damage spreading and restores most of the clarity. Bumper put chip repair at £40 to £70 and National Windscreens publish single chip repair from £90. Whether the screen can be repaired depends on the size and position of the damage and whether the chip has already become a crack. Replacement costs £180 to £400, or up to about £1,000 for a screen with a heating element, head up display or camera that needs recalibrating. Check your policy before paying because comprehensive cover often includes chip repair with no excess and no effect on the no claims discount.
Price range compared with other repairs
| Job | Area | Fitted price |
|---|---|---|
| Front wiper blades | Visibility | £19 to £45 |
| Windscreen chip repair | Visibility | £40 to £90 |
| Exhaust section or full system | Noise, emissions and leaks | £100 to £1,200 |
What happens to a windscreen when a stone makes a chip?
A stone usually marks the outer layer of laminated windscreen glass. The impact may leave a small pit, a circular mark under the surface, or fine branches running away from the centre. Light catches those broken surfaces, so a spot that looks tiny from outside can be distracting from the driver's seat. Dirt and water entering the opening make a later repair less clear. Changes in temperature, body movement over a rough road and another impact can also turn a contained mark into a longer crack.
A glass technician inspects the whole damaged area, including branches that are difficult to see without good light. For a suitable chip, the technician removes trapped air, feeds repair resin into the break and cures it. The aim is to stabilise the damaged glass and improve the view. A filled chip can leave a faint mark. A promise that every repair will vanish completely would be misleading, especially if the break has collected contamination.
How can you tell if a chip needs attention today?
Sit where you normally drive and look through the mark towards the road, rather than judging it from the pavement. Note whether it catches oncoming lights, sits in the part cleared by the wipers or obscures a pedestrian at the kerb. Then look outside for lines radiating from the impact. A mark that has started to run across the glass is a different job from a compact stone chip.
- Look for a white or silver centre, with dark branches that change as you view them from another angle.
- Check the driver's view from the seat in daylight and in safe, stationary conditions after dark.
- See whether a wiper crosses the impact and catches on a raised edge.
- Tell the repairer if a forward camera, lane assistance or automatic braking equipment sits against the screen.
- Avoid pressing on a crack or testing it by flexing the glass.
When does a windscreen chip fail the MOT?
DVSA section 3.2 tells testers to look for damage more than 10mm across in zone A and more than 40mm across in the rest of the swept area. Zone A is the 290mm wide strip centred on the steering wheel within the area reached by the wipers. These dimensions guide the inspection. The manual also says a failure for damage is justified only where the driver's view of the road is significantly affected. Size alone is not an automatic fail rule.
A damaged screen that does not adversely affect the view is recorded as a minor defect under 3.2(a)(i). Damage affecting the road view or the view through an obligatory external mirror is major under 3.2(a)(ii), which fails the test. Glass in a condition that seriously affects visibility through the swept area can be dangerous under 3.2(c)(ii). A technician's neat repair is assessed by what remains visible: the manual says a barely detectable repair finished flush with the glass does not count as damage.
| Location or finding | Inspection point | Possible result |
|---|---|---|
| Zone A, within the wiper sweep | Damage more than 10mm in diameter | Assess whether the driver's road view is significantly affected |
| Other swept glass | Damage more than 40mm in diameter | Assess the same visibility question |
| Damage without adverse effect on view | Section 3.2(a)(i) | Minor defect |
| Damage affecting road or obligatory mirror view | Section 3.2(a)(ii) | Major defect and test fail |
| Condition seriously affecting view through swept glass | Section 3.2(c)(ii) | Dangerous defect and test fail |
Source: DVSA MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles, section 3.2, checked 26 September 2026.
How do you book a chip repair and use glass cover?
Start with your insurance schedule, not an assumption about what comprehensive cover includes. Look for the glass section, its repair excess, any approved supplier condition and the process for reporting a glass claim. A provider such as Autoglass says an insured customer with glass cover usually pays only the relevant excess and normally keeps the no claims bonus. Your own policy wording and insurer decide what applies to you, so check before booking outside its network.
- Read the glass cover wording and contact the insurer or its named glass supplier.
- Describe the whole break, its position and any camera housing attached to the screen.
- Confirm the repair excess or cash price and ask how a replacement decision changes it.
- Keep the appointment confirmation, invoice and any calibration paperwork with the vehicle records.
Why might a glass company replace the screen instead of filling the chip?
A repair is an assessment of the actual break, not a service bought solely by choosing a price online. A long crack, an impact close to the edge, damage that reaches deeper glass layers or a mark that will still interfere with the driver's view may defeat a sound resin repair. The glass company will have its own repair standard and the vehicle maker may have restrictions around sensors. Ask for the precise reason if a booked chip appointment changes to a replacement.
What do two windscreen chip quotes actually cover?
Consider a hatchback with a small, contained impact away from the driver's direct sightline. A specialist confirms that the glass can be filled and quotes the lower end of the published £40 to £90 range. The line item is the resin repair of that chip. There is no replacement screen, camera work or MOT retest in that figure. After curing, the driver checks the mark from the normal seating position. A visible trace can remain without making the repair unsuccessful.
Example
A hatchback with a contained stone chip outside zone A
- Published chip repair range
- £40 to £90
- Proposed job
- One inspected, repairable impact
- Confirm the break is suitable for resin repair rather than a new screen.
- Check the written quote names chip repair and any callout charge.
- Inspect the remaining mark from the driver's seat once the resin has cured.
The cash quote should fall within the published £40 to £90 repair range if it covers that same service; replacement requires a separate quotation.
Can you repair a chip yourself with a resin kit?
A retail kit can fill some simple surface breaks, but the difficult part is judging whether the glass should be repaired at all. The kit cannot tell you whether a branch reaches an edge or sits inside an exclusion area for a camera. Dirt trapped under home applied resin may leave a more visible mark that a specialist cannot easily undo. Poorly levelled resin can also catch a wiper, putting the view back at risk.
What happens after a windscreen defect appears on your MOT record?
If the screen is fixed away from the testing station, return to the same station by the end of the next working day for a free partial retest of windscreen glass, under GOV.UK's listed conditions. A return within 10 working days can receive a partial retest with a possible fee. If the vehicle stays at the test station for repair and is retested within that period, the partial retest is free. Beyond those arrangements, you need a full test and fee. Book the glass appointment with the retest window in mind.
If you think the tester assessed a repaired chip incorrectly, discuss it before anyone alters the glass. DVSA's appeal form VT17 must be sent within 14 working days after a failed test in Great Britain. Repairing first can affect the appeal because the examiner can no longer see the original condition. This is a choice between prompt repair for a car you need and preserving evidence for a dispute; a blocked road view should never be ignored while paperwork is considered.
Do the same windscreen rules apply to vans and Northern Ireland?
The DVSA manual used here covers the usual car and light commercial vehicle MOT classes in England, Scotland and Wales. A van with a windscreen is inspected for the driver's view under the relevant class rules; a taller seating position does not turn a chip into a harmless defect. Give a glass supplier the exact van variant, since a heated screen, camera housing or body conversion can change the replacement specification. If a converted vehicle has unusual glazing, make sure the supplier knows before ordering.
Northern Ireland uses the Driver and Vehicle Agency's test system. Its public test procedure also lists the windows, windscreen, washers and wipers among the items checked, but do not assume every DVSA retest or appeal deadline on this page applies there. Use nidirect's vehicle test guidance and the result from your DVA centre for the local route. A visitor with foreign plates must still keep a clear view and deal with damaged glass before a journey, even if there is no British MOT history entry to consult.
Motorcycles usually have no windscreen comparable with a car's laminated front glass. A fairing screen is not a reason to apply the car's zone A measurements to a bike. Likewise, a side window impact is not a windscreen chip repair: DVSA section 3.2 covers windows as well as the windscreen, but the zone A and swept area measurements apply to the windscreen, and the glass specialist should quote for a side panel on its own terms.
Other visibility work
| Job | Fitted price | Labour |
|---|---|---|
| Front wiper blades | £19 to £45 | 0.25h |
Common questions
- How much does windscreen chip repair cost?
- £40 to £90 fitted at an independent garage, including VAT, for a mainstream car.
- How urgent is it?
- Do it early, because a chip that can be filled today may be a crack and a new screen next month. How serious it is depends on where it is. Damage more than 10mm across inside zone A, the 290mm wide strip centred on the steering wheel, is a major defect, as is damage more than 40mm across in the rest of the swept area.
- What moves the price within that range?
- Access, parts and wheel size, mostly. A job that needs the bumper or an arch liner off costs an hour more than the same job on a car where it does not, and a genuine part can be several times an aftermarket one.
- Is this price for one side or both?
- The detail below says where a published price covers a pair. Where it does not, treat the range as one side and expect the second to add less than double, because the labour overlaps.
- Is a chip smaller than 10mm always legal and safe?
- No. The 10mm figure in DVSA section 3.2 is an inspection trigger for zone A, not a universal permission to drive with damaged glass. The tester considers whether the road view is significantly affected. Several small marks together, glare or a branch across your eyeline can matter even where one central pit looks tiny. Check from your normal seat and ask a glass specialist to assess the break. You remain responsible for a clear view between MOT tests, and a chip that spreads can change the answer before the appointment.
- Will a repaired chip still show up at the MOT?
- It can leave a faint visual trace, but the DVSA manual assesses the effect of the repair on vision. It says an invisible or barely detectable repair that is flush with the surrounding screen is not damage. A rough patch, trapped dirt or an obvious distortion in the road view may still be recorded. Look through the result from the driving position after the technician finishes and raise any concern immediately. Keep the receipt so you can explain what was done if another tester later asks about the mark.
- Does claiming for a stone chip use my no claims bonus?
- Autoglass says a claim under a policy with glass cover usually involves the glass excess and normally does not reduce the no claims bonus. That is a supplier description of a common arrangement, not a term of your own contract. Read the policy schedule and ask the insurer whether a repair claim must be declared at renewal, whether you must use its nominated glass company and what excess applies. A replacement can be treated differently from a small repair, so confirm the consequence if the technician cannot fill the chip.
- Should I wait until the chip becomes a crack before booking?
- No. The small break is the stage at which a specialist may be able to retain the original screen. Once a crack grows, the technician may recommend replacing the whole unit, which changes the price and may add camera calibration. Autoglass urges early repair because a chip can crack unexpectedly. Photograph the damage and arrange an assessment while its shape is still clear. If it already obstructs your view, do not plan to drive through the wait on the assumption that a future MOT pass will settle the matter.
- Can a chipped windscreen be repaired at home?
- A simple retail resin kit does not provide the judgement needed for every break. The position relative to the driver's view, an edge or a camera area can rule out a safe repair, and trapped contamination may make the result conspicuous. A professional glass technician can inspect both the visible pit and fine branches before applying resin. If you attempt a home repair, the MOT tester will judge the final view through the glass exactly as they would judge a specialist's work. A failed or messy fill is not automatically excused because the original chip was small.
- Why would a new windscreen need camera calibration?
- Some driver assistance cameras are mounted against the windscreen. Autoglass explains that removing and replacing the glass can change the camera's angle and that calibration restores the alignment needed by those systems. Tell the supplier about lane keeping, automatic braking and other forward camera equipment when booking, then ask whether calibration is included in the replacement quote. A repair to the existing glass may avoid removing the camera. If the screen is replaced, obtain the calibration record and check that the vehicle shows no related warning after collection.
- What if I disagree with a windscreen MOT failure?
- Ask the testing station to show which part of DVSA section 3.2 it applied and what it saw from the driver's seat. If you still disagree in England, Scotland or Wales, use DVSA form VT17 within 14 working days of the failed test. GOV.UK warns against repairing the vehicle before the appeal is considered because that can change the evidence. You must also keep the car roadworthy throughout; a dispute does not authorise driving with a blocked view. Northern Ireland has its own DVA appeal process through nidirect.
Sources
Each figure was taken from the publisher's information on the date shown.
- Bumper, Windscreen chip repair cost guide, UK (as of 2 September 2025)
- National Windscreens, Windscreen repair and replacement costs (as of 30 July 2026)
- DVSA, MOT inspection manual for cars and passenger vehicles: condition of glass (as of 26 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: MOT test result (as of 26 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Getting an MOT: Retest after a repair (as of 26 September 2026)
- DVSA, Appeal an MOT test result (as of 26 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Check your vehicle is safe to drive (as of 26 September 2026)
- Department for Transport, The Highway Code: Annex 6 (as of 26 September 2026)
- Autoglass, Windscreen chip repair (as of 26 September 2026)
- Autoglass, Windscreen recalibration FAQs (as of 26 September 2026)
- nidirect, Vehicle test procedures (as of 26 September 2026)