What does a windscreen cost in Brisbane?
There is no single price, because there is no single windscreen. The same model and year can take four different pieces of glass depending on what is bonded to it, and the spread between the cheapest and the dearest of those four is large.
A chip repair is by far the cheapest outcome and is often free under comprehensive insurance. For a replacement, this page sets out exactly what moves the number — so when you ring for a quote you know what we are asking about, and so you can tell whether a number you have been given elsewhere is fair.
Repair first. Always ask.
If the damage qualifies for a repair it costs a fraction of a replacement, takes thirty minutes, and on many comprehensive policies it is free. Before you price new glass, find out whether you need it — the three-question test is here.
Seven things that move the price
None of these are upsells. They are the reasons two identical-looking cars get two different quotes.
What is bonded to the glass
Rain sensor, light sensor, heating element, humidity sensor, aerial, heads-up display projector area, acoustic interlayer, solar coating, tint band. Each one changes the part number, and some of those parts cost several times what a plain screen costs.
Whether there is an ADAS camera behind it
A forward-facing camera means the glass has a precisely specified optical window, and it means the camera has to be re-aimed after fitting. That is time and equipment on top of the glass. See ADAS calibration.
OEM, OEM-equivalent or aftermarket
For most cars there is a genuine part and one or more equivalents made to the same specification. The equivalent is usually the sensible choice and we will say so; on some vehicles — particularly where a camera or a heads-up display is involved — the genuine part is the only one we will fit.
Availability
Common Australian-market cars are in stock locally and go in same day. Low-volume models, grey imports and older vehicles may need glass brought in, and occasionally cut to pattern. That changes both the price and the lead time.
Vehicle class
A hatchback screen, a prime mover screen, a coach screen and a bonded motorhome front are four different jobs with four different glass costs, and the heavy vehicle screens are physically much larger. See trucks, buses and motorhomes.
What else the job needs
A rusted pinchweld has to be treated before new glass goes on it. A previous bad fit sometimes has to be undone first. Perished rubbers on an older RV screen get replaced rather than reused. We tell you if we find any of this before we start, not after.
Where and when
We do not charge a call-out fee anywhere in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan or Bayside, and the price is the same in your driveway as it would be in a workshop. Genuinely urgent after-hours work is the one exception and we will say so up front.
Repair versus replacement
The two outcomes, side by side. This is the single biggest lever on what you pay.
| Chip repair | Full replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| Time on site | About 30 minutes | 60–90 minutes |
| Glass cost | None — your original screen stays | The largest part of the price |
| Calibration needed | No | Yes, if the car has a forward camera |
| Typical insurance treatment | Often nil or reduced excess | Windscreen excess applies |
| Drive away | Straight away | After the stated cure time |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Depends on all seven factors above |
How a claim changes the number
For most people with comprehensive cover, the number that matters is not the price of the job — it is the excess.
Most comprehensive policies in Queensland cover windscreen repair and replacement. Many carry a specific windscreen excess that is lower than the standard excess, and a good number either waive it entirely for a chip repair or include one free repair a year.
That produces two useful conclusions. First, if the damage is repairable, claiming usually costs you nothing. Second, if the damage needs new glass and your windscreen excess happens to be higher than the job, paying directly is cheaper — and we will tell you when we think that is the case rather than let you claim unnecessarily.
The full picture, including whether a glass claim touches your no-claim bonus, is on the windscreen insurance page. Have your policy number with you when you call and we will work through it with you on the phone.
Why nobody can price a windscreen from a model name
If a quote arrives without these questions being asked, it is a guess.
Make, model and build year
Not the compliance year. Mid-year specification changes are common and the build year is what the glass catalogue works from.
The VIN, if you can reach it
The VIN resolves the exact build — which sensors, which interlayer, which camera. It turns a range into a price.
Whether there is a camera behind the mirror
Look up at the back of the rear-view mirror housing. A camera lens or a bracket there means calibration is part of the job.
Where the damage is
A photo taken from the driver’s seat tells us position and size in one go, and often tells us the job is a repair rather than a replacement.
Keep reading
Why will you not publish a price list?
Because a price list for windscreens is either wrong or so wide it is useless. One model year can take four different screens depending on sensors, heating, acoustic interlayer and whether there is a camera behind the glass. We would rather ask four questions and give you a firm number than publish a range that turns out not to apply to your car.
Is a chip repair cheaper than a replacement?
Very much so, and on most comprehensive policies a chip repair is either free or carries a reduced excess. It is also thirty minutes rather than ninety, and it needs no camera recalibration. If the damage qualifies for a repair, that is always the cheaper outcome.
Does aftermarket glass cost less than genuine?
Usually, yes. For most cars there is an OEM-equivalent screen made to the same specification as the genuine part, and it is the sensible choice. On some vehicles — particularly with a forward-facing camera or a heads-up display — we will only fit the genuine part, because the optical specification of that area of the glass has to be exact.
Do you charge extra to come to me?
No. There is no call-out fee anywhere in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan or Bayside, and the price is the same at your home, your workplace, a depot or the roadside as it would be in a workshop.
Will my quote change once you see the car?
Only if we find something that has to be dealt with before new glass goes on — a rusted pinchweld or a previous bad fit are the usual ones. If that happens we stop, explain it and give you the revised figure before we do any work.
Get a firm number, not a range
Call with your make, model and year — the build year and the VIN if you have it handy — and you will get a fixed price for your car, not a bracket. Quotes are free and there is no call-out fee.