What Is Full Glass Coverage—and Is It Worth It?

Full glass coverage can help pay for a damaged windshield or other auto glass without needing a deductible first, often for several dollars a month.
Written by Melanie Krieps Mergen
Reviewed by Bellina Gaskey
background
Full glass coverage is an optional type of car insurance coverage that covers repairs for your vehicle’s damaged glass—without needing to pay an out-of-pocket deductible first. It often costs less than $50 to add to your
auto insurance
policy.
  • Full glass coverage helps pay for covered damage to windows, windshields, or other glass parts on your vehicle.
  • Full glass coverage is often available for as few as several dollars per month and doesn’t have a deductible.
  • If you live in a state that requires comprehensive deductibles for glass damage to be waived, you may not need full glass coverage.

What is full glass coverage?

Full glass coverage is a type of insurance coverage that can help pay for the cost of repairing or replacing glass on your vehicle—like a window or your windshield—after it’s damaged.
Full glass coverage isn’t the only type of protection that covers vehicle glass.
Comprehensive coverage
and
collision coverage
both pay for repairs including glass damage after your vehicle is damaged for covered reasons. 
However, with full glass coverage, you typically won’t have to pay a deductible for your insurance coverage to kick in with claims where only the glass is damaged.
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How does it work?

You’ll typically need to have comprehensive coverage before you can add full glass coverage to your policy.
If you have full glass coverage on your vehicle, you can
file a car insurance claim
to get applicable glass damages covered. Check with your car insurance agent if you’re not sure what their claims process involves.
Just like with other types of insurance, if your glass claim is approved, your car insurance coverage will pay to repair or replace the damaged glass on your vehicle up to the vehicle’s cash value.

Do all insurance companies offer full glass coverage?

Not all insurance providers offer full auto glass coverage, but the following are some that do:
  • Amica
  • Progressive
  • The Hartford
  • Allstate
Note that the availability of this coverage will vary by state—even among the providers shown here. Certain states, including
New York
and
Minnesota
, require by law that car insurance providers offer full glass coverage.

Who needs full glass coverage?

Full glass coverage is an optional coverage type, but it’s especially worth considering for drivers who want their car insurance to cover the cost of a potential glass repair that may or may not be less than their comprehensive insurance deductible.

Can your insurance still pay for glass damage if you don’t have full glass coverage?

If you want protection for your auto glass, you’ll need to understand what your car insurance covers. Without full glass coverage, there are other ways your auto insurance policy can cover repair expenses after you get a damaged windshield or other damaged glass.
Collision insurance will cover your vehicle damage if you’re involved in an accident with another vehicle or a stationary object.
Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your vehicle after a range of other types of incidents—such as if hail or a tree branch fell on your car, or if your vehicle was vandalized.
However, with both collision and comprehensive coverage claims, you’ll be subject to paying an out-of-pocket
deductible you choose
first. 
In some cases, your provider may be willing to waive an applicable deductible if it was only your windshield that was damaged. Some states—including Florida and Kentucky—require insurers to waive deductibles for windshield repairs if the driver has comprehensive insurance.
If you’re in a car accident and another driver was at fault, their liability insurance should cover the costs to repair or replace any of your vehicle’s damaged glass. 
If you’re concerned about other drivers not having sufficient coverage,
uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
can serve as an extra source of protection.

When is glass damage not covered?

If you carry liability-only insurance, don’t expect to have coverage for glass damage to your car.
Liability insurance
only pays for others’ property damage or injuries if you were at fault in an accident.
You also wouldn’t see coverage if your insurance provider were to find out you intentionally caused damage to your vehicle.

Is full glass coverage worth it?

The cost of adding full glass coverage to your car insurance policy will vary from state to state and provider to provider. Still, it’s pretty inexpensive to add and typically costs less than $50 per year.
Auto glass repair costs can range anywhere from $50 to $250 or more, depending on the extent of the damage. If your comprehensive coverage had a $500 deductible, you’d have to pay for the entire cost of the repair yourself—but for many drivers, this expense can throw budgets out of balance.
Depending on the type of vehicle you drive, a full windshield replacement could be far more expensive than a simple repair, costing as much as $600 to $2,000. 
The more expensive the repair (and the higher your comprehensive deductible), the more beneficial this coverage gets. 

When full glass coverage would be worth it for you

To find out whether full glass coverage is worth it for you, find out what a typical windshield replacement costs—or other forms of glass replacement—for your vehicle at an auto shop and get an insurance quote to find out how much it would cost to add full glass coverage.
If you have comprehensive coverage and live in a state that already requires the deductible for a windshield replacement to be waived, you may not need to worry about adding full glass coverage to your policy. 
If your repair shop of choice offers incentives like offering to pay your deductible if you get repairs from them, that’s another scenario where full glass coverage may not be as necessary for you.
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