Catch it the day you spot it
A stone chip is a race against the weather. Each rainstorm, defrost cycle and pothole bump puts pressure on the impact point and progresses the damage toward a full crack. Repair the chip the day you notice it and you're paying nothing on insurance and keeping your original glass — wait a week and you're often looking at a full replacement.
How small is small enough?
For a chip repair to work cleanly the damage needs to be smaller than a £1 coin, outside the driver's direct line of sight, and not running into the windscreen edge or seal. A "bullseye" (round impact, clean centre) is the textbook repairable case; a "star break" (cracks radiating from the impact) usually still repairs cleanly if caught early. Send a photo with your quote and we'll tell you straight.
Why insurance covers it (and why they want to)
Comprehensive UK policies treat chip repair as a no-excess claim with no impact on your no-claims bonus. The insurer pays roughly £60–£80 for a repair versus £400–£900 for a full replacement — so it's in their interest to fix the chip early. We handle the claim end-to-end; you don't call your insurer.
When can a chip not be repaired?
If the chip is in the driver's direct line of sight, larger than a £1 coin, contaminated with water or grit, or running into the windscreen edge, repair isn't safe — we won't fit a resin repair that compromises the structural integrity of the glass. In those cases it's a full replacement, and we'll quote you for that instead.
See examples of our work →