Windscreen Cover: The Definitive Guide

At some point in your driver’s life, you’re going to come across a cracked windscreen, and the most important thing on your mind will be getting it fixed. The best, and most affordable way to do this is through the windscreen cover on your car.

You don’t know much about it?

In today’s guide, we’re going to detail everything you need to know when it comes to affordable and comprehensive windscreen cover, all to help you fix the problem while not having to spend a fortune.

Stay tuned!

What is windscreen cover?

Windscreen cover is an add-on that you can choose to have on your car insurance policy that will cover any kind of crack or chip that appears in your windscreen. In some of the more premium policies, you may have this included as standard, but you’ll always need to check to make sure.

Perhaps one of the most common problems you’ll face when owning a car is finding out you have a cracked windscreen. This can happen any time of day for any kind of reason, whether it’s a stone hitting into you, or even a small chip in windscreen cracking after going over a bump.

If you ever find yourself in a position where you have a cracked windscreen, you can simply call up your insurance company and they’ll organise and pay for the appropriate car windscreen repairs to be made, ensuring you’re not left out of pocket, and your car is road legal.

What are the best windscreen cover deals?

As you can see, it’s well worth getting windscreen cover in your car insurance policy because you only need to use it once and it’s paid for itself.

However, that doesn’t mean you still can’t get compare windscreen replacement prices to find the best, which is exactly what we’re sharing with you below.

Insurance Provider	Average Price for third-party policies	Features of the windscreen cover	Opinion on the Policy
	Included with the policy as standard	Make any claim through the 24-hour customer call line Windscreen cover protects your windscreen, door windows, rear windows, and sunroof Does not provide cover for panoramic roof windows You can choose your own repair company, but you’ll need to pay a £150 excess No excess needs to be paid on any repairs, only replacements	Holds a 4.5/4 trust rating on Trustpilot Manage all your documentation and policy details online through the dashboard All your personal and financial information is fully protected against fraud All car insurance policies include breakdown cover provided by RAC Multiple excess options available from £0 to £500 Plenty of optional extras to include on your policy including European driving cover, personal belongings cover, and courtesy car cover Third-party and fully comprehensive insurance policies available
	Included with the policy as standard	Your no claims bonus will not be affected by claims you make on your windscreen cover You may have to pay an excess on repairs depending on how bad the damage is All cover comes as standard on comprehensive policies, or as an optional extra on third-party policies	Offers 24/7 call centres all based in the UK Additional driver discounts available on all policies All policies come with an uninsured driver guarantee Plenty of flexible deposit options available Access your policy account online at any time to manage all details and information You can add business use to your policy or even change your insured vehicle online Free breakdown cover and motor legal protection included with every comprehensive policy
	£19.95 per year	If the accident is not your fault, you can claim back the entire costs of repairs or replacement Claims made on your windscreen cover policy will not affect your no claims bonus If you are at fault, you may need to pay a fee, depending on how much damage has been caused Grants access to a 24/7 emergency hotline to call whenever you need someone Courtesy cars available in your car is undergoing windscreen crack repair	Get a personalised car windscreen cover quote quickly and easily online Windscreen cover included for free in all comprehensive policies You can be insured to drive cars other than your own over the age of 25 Third-party, comprehensive, and black box car insurance policies available Plenty of optional extras you can choose to add onto your policy
	£19.95 per year	Access all your information online or through your smartphone Includes a courtesy car to cover you while your vehicle is being repaired You will not need to pay any excess when making a claim on your windscreen cover Making a claim on your windscreen cover does not affect your no claims bonus	Plenty of optional extras you can add onto your policy, including motor legal protection, personal injury cover, breakdown cover, and keycare cover If your windscreen breaks, you can claim back the cost of all repairs so the repair is free for you, regardless of the bill Named drivers on your policy can earn their own no claims discounts Personal belongings cover included up to a value of £1,250
	£19.95 per year	Access to a 24/7 emergency line whenever you need to call them You can claim on all car windows, including the windscreen, the side windows, and even the sunroof Windscreen cover can added as an optional extra, or included for free in fully comprehensive policies Windscreen cover is not applicable of courtesy cars Provider will pay for repairs on scratches caused by broken glass Making a claim on your windscreen cover will not affect your no claims discount	The provider have sold more than 15 million policies to UK drivers in the last 25 years Voted the best car insurance provider in both 2018 and 2019 Their customer service team hold a 98% customer satisfaction rating This insurance provider is rated five-star by a range of expert reviewers, including Defaqto A range of optional extras available, including courtesy car cover, European cover up to 90 days and personal injury cover
	£19.95 per year	Windscreen cover is included as standard on fully comprehensive policies, and available as an add-on on third-party policies If you are hit and damaged by an uninsured driver, you will be covered by the policy’s uninsured driver’s guarantee Cover protects you if you need to pay for either a repair or a replacement	If you need your windscreen repaired, you will need to pay a £25 excess If you need your windscreen fully replaced, you will need to pay a £95 excess Claims made on your windscreen cover will not affect your no claims bonus You will not need to pay for repairs if the damage was not your fault, or you were hit by an uninsured driver
	Only available on fully comprehensive policies	There is no excess to pay on any replacement windscreen cover claim you make All window repairs, including windscreen, door windows, and sunroofs are covered under this policy Policy does not cover the windows on a courtesy car	Making a claim on your windscreen cover does not affect your no claims discount You can add windscreen cover to your policy as an optional extra, or it is included as standard for free on fully comprehensive policies In a situation where the damage was caused by you, you may need to pay a small fee to get the damage repaired
	£25.00 per year	Windscreen cover is only available on regular and premium insurance policy plans Claiming on your windscreen cover does not affect your no claims bonus You can claim on your policy for windscreen, door window, and sunroof glass damage and repairs	You will need to pay a £75 excess on any repairs made If you are hit and sustain damage from an uninsured driver, you are covered by Aviva’s uninsured driver’s guarantee
	Only available on comprehensive policies for £34.99 per year	If you claim on your windscreen cover for a window repair or replacement, you won’t have your no claims bonus affected If you claim on your windscreen cover for your sunroof, your no claims discount will be affected There is no option of windscreen cover on third-party policies	You will need to pay an £85 excess on any windscreen claim you make If you are hit and damaged by an uninsured driver, you will be protected by the provider’s uninsured driver guarantee

All windscreen replacement quote prices above are given for third-party car insurance policies since almost all comprehensive policies include windscreen cover as standard. All prices should be used as a guideline, and are subject to change due to the independent providers.

How much does windscreen cover cost?

If you’re purchasing a fully comprehensive car insurance policy, most of the time your windscreen cover will be included within the premium you’re already paying.

However, if it’s not, or you’re opting for a third-party, fire and theft policy, the windscreen repair cost will average around £30 per year.

Here’s a rapid breakdown of what you can expect in terms of price per provider using this windscreen replacement price list.

Insurance Provider	Windscreen cover price for TPO (per year)	Windscreen cover price for Comprehensive (per year)
	£19.95	Included as standard
	£19.95	Included as standard
	£19.95	Included as standard
	£19.95	Included as standard
	£29.99	Included as standard
	£30.00	Included as standard

What is included in car windscreen replacement cover?

As the title suggests, windscreen cover is a type of insurance policy feature that covers the cost of repairing, fixing, or replacing your car windscreen when it’s broken, cracked, or chipped.

This is exactly what the feature does. In most cases, insurers will only cover the main windscreen of your vehicle, and not your side doors or rear window. However, this will depend on your individual insurance provider, so make sure you check the small print or ask their customer service team.

What is not included in windscreen cover?

As mentioned above, most providers will not include in their windscreen replacement cost uk, such as:

• side door windows
• the rear window
• car window blinds
• mirrors inside the car
• your wing mirrors

Is windscreen cover included in my car insurance policy?

The easiest way to check for windscreen cover using our comparator feature. Through here, you can see which insurance companies offer windscreen cover as standard, or as an optional extra. You can find this out in as little as 15 seconds!

You can also check if you already have windscreen cover included on your policy by contacting your insurance company and asking them.

You can do this by calling them up and asking them directly, so make sure you have your policy number to hand so they can quickly find out if you have it or not. Windscreen cover is usually included as an optional extra, so if you didn’t pay for it, you may not have it by default.

You can also check your policy documents which were either posted or emailed to you, or you can check your car insurance policy account online through your provider’s website.

How much does it cost to repair windscreen?

If you’re wondering how much a windscreen replacement cost would be to fix or replace on its own if you weren’t covered, this can vary depending on the type of damage that needs to be replaced, but typically it’s going to be expensive.

Looking at the Auto Glass price list, a single chip in your windscreen will cost around £167.25 to fix, including VAT. Remember, this is just a chip. If your windscreen is cracked, this can cost several hundred pounds, depending on the size and make of the windscreen needed.

Here’s a quick lowdown on other replacement prices you may be looking at:

• Full chipped windscreen repair - £200
• Cracked windscreen repair - £300+
• Complete replacement windscreen - £200 - £1,200
• Rear window replacement - £200+
• Side window replacement - £150+

Do you lose your no claims if you claim for a windscreen?

Claiming on your windscreen cover doesn’t typically mess with your no claims bonus, simply because you’re not at fault when a stone flies up and hits your window, meaning your bonus will remain intact.

However, if you were involved in a car accident that was proven to be your fault, and you wanted to repair your windscreen using your windscreen cover, this means you may lose your bonus. Ask your insurance provider to find out more.

For example, if you have a windscreen cover with Admiral, you can make a claim to get your windscreen fixed on your windscreen, all your windows, and even your sunroof, all without affecting your no claims discount, unless the damage is your fault.

Should I report cracked windscreen or windshield to my car insurer?

Yes! Always make sure you report your cracked windscreen to your insurer as soon as possible and aim to get it fixed or replaced in that time.

The longer you leave a crack, the more broken it can become and the more expensive it will be to fix or repair.

Does car warranty cover cracked windscreen?

In most cases, your car warranty won’t cover you for the general wear and tear of your vehicle, just like they wouldn’t cover you for brakes, tyres, windscreen wipers, and similar kinds of car features. This is why it’s so important to think about getting a dedicated cheap windscreen replacement cover policy.

However, this does all depend on whether your warranty covers it or not. For more information, or if you would like to invest in a warranty to cover your vehicle, you can check out our reviews here.

Does third party insurance cover windscreen?

More often than not, third-party insurance policies won’t include windscreen cover but will offer it in as an optional extra, usually costing around the £30 mark.

This does depend on the policy provider and what they have to offer, so be sure to check out our comparison table to find who is offering what, or check out some alternative repair services below.

What to do if my windscreen is chipped?

If you find your windscreen is chipped, the best thing you can do is get it replaced and fixed as quickly as possible. The longer you leave a chip, the more likely it will be to turn into an expensive crack.

To fix your chipped windscreen, you can either:

• Call up your insurance company to see if they will cover the cost and organise a repair appointment, or
• You can call a company like Auto Glass yourself to book your own appointment.

Where to get my windscreen fixed?

Below is a list of places you may want to consider that can be found throughout the UK. However, bear in mind that you may have local services in your area you can also use.

• Halfords Car Services
• Wilko Mirrors
• Argos
• Auto Glass Pop Up Stand
• Auto Windscreens
• National Windscreen Replacement
• The AA Windscreen service
• Your local garage or mechanic (you can find this by searching ‘windscreen replacement near me’ online).