Windscreen insurance claims in Queensland
Most comprehensive policies cover windscreen repair and replacement, and many waive the excess for a chip repair or include one free repair a year.
The two things worth checking before you claim are your windscreen excess and whether a glass-only claim touches your no-claim bonus. Both are in your product disclosure statement, and both are worth two minutes of reading — because there are cases where claiming costs you more than paying.
What comprehensive usually pays for
Cover varies by insurer and by policy tier, so treat this as the shape of it rather than the detail of yours.
Comprehensive
Almost always includes windscreen and window glass, whether the damage came from a stone, a break-in or an accident. Most policies apply a windscreen-specific excess rather than the standard one.
Third party property only
Covers damage you cause to someone else’s property. Your own windscreen is not covered.
CTP (the compulsory greenslip on your rego)
Covers injury to people, nothing to do with vehicle glass. A common misunderstanding worth clearing up.
Optional glass or windscreen cover
Some insurers sell it as an add-on that reduces or removes the glass excess. If you drive a lot of highway kilometres it usually pays for itself in one claim.
Fleet and commercial policies
Often have their own glass arrangements and preferred repairer terms. We work with fleet policies regularly — tell us the fleet name when you call.
Three ways policies handle the excess
This is where the money actually is. Find which of these three your policy does.
Nil excess on a chip repair
The most common arrangement, and the reason a repairable chip is usually free. Some insurers go further and include one full chip repair a year at no cost and with no claim recorded.
A reduced windscreen excess
A lower figure than your standard excess, applied to glass claims. Typically the case for a full replacement on a comprehensive policy.
Your standard excess
Some policies make no distinction. If your standard excess is high, it can exceed the cost of the job — in which case claiming achieves nothing except putting a claim on your record. Ask us for the price before you lodge anything.
Do the arithmetic before you lodge.
If your excess is higher than the job, paying us directly is cheaper and leaves your claims history clean. Ask for the price first, then decide — not the other way around.
Will it affect my rating?
Usually not, but "usually" is doing some work in that sentence.
Most insurers treat a glass-only claim differently from an at-fault accident, and a windscreen claim commonly does not affect a no-claim discount or rating. Some policies say so explicitly; a few say the opposite; and a small number treat repeated glass claims within a period differently to a single one.
The answer for your policy is in the product disclosure statement, generally under windscreen or glass cover. If you cannot find it, ring your insurer and ask the question directly: does a windscreen-only claim affect my no-claim discount or my rating? Get the answer before you lodge, not after.
One thing that is consistent across insurers: an unrepaired chip that has been left to spread into a crack is your maintenance problem, not a new event. Claiming a repair early is straightforward. Claiming a replacement caused by neglecting that repair can be a harder conversation.
How a claim actually runs
From the phone call to driving away. We do the paperwork alongside you rather than handing you a form.
Call us with the car and the policy number
We identify the glass your car needs and give you the price. That gives you the number to weigh your excess against.
Decide: claim or pay
If your excess is more than the job, pay directly and keep your record clean. If it is less, claim. We will tell you which way it falls.
Lodge with your insurer
Most insurers take this over the phone or through an app in a few minutes. You nominate us as the repairer; we are happy to speak to them directly if that is easier.
We attend and fit
At your home, work, depot or the roadside. You pay the excess, we invoice the insurer for the balance.
Calibration included where needed
If the car has a forward-facing camera, calibration is part of the same visit and part of the same claim — not a second appointment somewhere else.
Three things worth knowing
Small print that catches people out.
Preferred repairer clauses
Some policies steer you to a network repairer, and a few reduce their contribution if you go elsewhere. In Queensland you can generally choose your repairer, but check the wording so there are no surprises.
Pre-existing damage after an accident
If a windscreen was already cracked before a collision, an assessor may treat that damage separately. Getting glass sorted while it is a simple stone chip avoids the argument entirely.
A repair is not always a claim
Where an insurer includes a free chip repair, it often does not count as a claim at all. Worth asking about specifically, because it means the cheapest outcome is also the one with no consequences.
Keep reading
Will my insurance cover a windscreen replacement?
Most comprehensive policies in Queensland cover windscreen repair and replacement. Third party property policies and CTP do not cover your own glass. Check your product disclosure statement for the windscreen excess, which is often lower than your standard excess.
Will claiming for a windscreen affect my no-claim bonus?
In most policies a glass-only claim does not affect a no-claim discount or rating, but this genuinely varies between insurers and some treat repeated glass claims differently. Ring your insurer and ask specifically whether a windscreen-only claim affects your rating before you lodge it.
Is a chip repair free on insurance?
Often, yes. Many comprehensive policies apply a nil excess to chip repairs, and some include one free repair a year that is not recorded as a claim. It is the most common reason to get a chip looked at the week you notice it rather than waiting.
Should I claim if my excess is high?
Not necessarily. If your windscreen excess is higher than the cost of the job, paying us directly is cheaper and leaves your claims history untouched. Ask us for the price before you lodge anything and we will tell you which way it falls.
Can I choose my own repairer in Queensland?
Generally yes. Some policies nominate a preferred repairer network and a few reduce their contribution if you use someone else, so it is worth reading that clause. We work with every insurer and are happy to talk to yours directly.
Do you handle the paperwork?
We work through it with you. You lodge the claim with your insurer and nominate us, we attend and fit the glass, you pay the excess and we invoice the insurer for the balance. If it is easier for us to speak to them directly, we will.
We deal with every insurer
Have your policy number handy when you call and we will work through the excess with you before anything is booked. If claiming is not in your interest, we will say so.