Rock chip repair in Vancouver: what it costs and how the ICBC claim works

The short version

If you have ICBC Comprehensive coverage and the chip meets ICBC's guidelines, the repair costs you nothing. There is no deductible on a chip repair, we open the claim for you, and ICBC pays us directly. If you are paying yourself, it is a flat price we tell you before we book, and the job takes about half an hour at your address.

If the chip has already run into a crack, it is no longer a repair. It is a windshield replacement, and on an ICBC claim you pay your deductible for that. The difference between the two outcomes is usually a week or two of waiting, which is why we tell people to book the repair the day they notice the chip.

What the repair is

A chip is a small break in the outer layer of the laminated glass. The repair cleans the break, pulls the air out of it under vacuum, and fills it with a clear resin that is cured with ultraviolet light. Done properly, the resin bonds the glass back together so the break cannot spread, and the mark that is left is a fraction of what was there. It does not disappear completely. What you are buying is a windshield that stays a windshield.

ICBC's rules for a free repair

ICBC's glass claims page sets out when a repair is covered without a deductible. The damage is "smaller than a loonie". The repair "leaves no residual damage greater than ¼ inch in the driver's line of vision". The damage is not "a long crack", and there is no pre-existing damage that does not qualify. ICBC adds that these are "general guidelines only" and that the facility decides whether the damage is safe and appropriate to repair.

One line from the same page matters more than people realise: "Chip repairs are only covered when done by an ICBC approved glass repair program facility." A repair at a shop that is not on the program is not a free repair. We are on the program, and we come to you.

How the claim works

You do not call ICBC. You call or text us with your plate number and a photo of the chip. We confirm your Comprehensive coverage, open the claim in ICBC's system, and book a time at your driveway, your workplace lot or your parkade. The repair takes about thirty minutes, you can drive as soon as we are done, and ICBC pays us. Nothing comes to you. ICBC's own coverage page also states that a windshield repair does not affect your future deductible amounts or your premium.

When a chip has become a replacement

A crack longer than a few centimetres, a chip that sits in the driver's direct line of sight, damage at the edge of the glass, or a break that goes through both layers are all beyond what a repair can hold. At that point the plain answer is a new windshield. We tell you that before we come out, not after, and we quote the replacement with camera recalibration included when your vehicle needs it.

Why waiting costs more

Glass moves with temperature. Every cold morning with the defroster on high, and every hot afternoon with the cabin sealed, works at the chip. Dirt and water get into the break and make the resin bond weaker when the repair is finally done. A chip repaired in the first week is the cheapest job we do, for you and for ICBC. The same chip a month later is often a replacement, with a deductible attached.