Glass Insurance - Should I get it?

Vehicle insurance can cover many different types of damages or losses. One of the items that your auto insurance will not likely cover is your automotive glass. Your windshield, side windows, back glass, and a sun/moon roof on your vehicle are all components that could be damaged and not have coverage. For this very reason, you can purchase a supplemental glass insurance policy to cover chips, cracks, or broken glass on your car. 

What is Covered on a car glass insuarnce policy?

• Windshield
• Window glass
• Back glass
• Glass vents
• Sun/moon roofs

What kind of glass damage is covered?

Loss from flying objects

If you're driving along and a rock or other object flies up and cracks or smashes your glass, a glass insurance policy will have coverage. This coverage can be especially helpful for vehicles with expensive replacement windshields. 

Attempted Theft

If someone makes an attempt to get into your vehicle to steal the vehicle or contents of the vehicle, glass insurance will cover the cost of damages. This can be especially helpful for side or back windows which can be quite expensive to replace. 

Vandalism

Similarly to attempted theft, if your automobile glass is cracked or broken due to vandalism, your glass policy will cover the repair or replacement costs.

Hail 

Sometimes the Alberta weather can be unpredictable. In 2022 we saw extremely violent hail that caused incredible amounts of damage. If your vehicle has sun roof or moon roof, hail can easily cause thousands in damages to your auto glass in a matter of moments. With a supplemental glass policy, you're covered for the hail damage. 

Animal Collision

While it is unusual for your auto glass to be the primary point of damage in a collision with an animal, it is not unheard of. This can happen from collisions with birds or small game. It is also possible that an animal runs into the vehicle causing damage to your glass. In this situation, your glass policy would have coverage. 

What damage is not covered by glass insuruance?

Intentional Breakage

The number one thing that is not covered by a glass insurance policy is intentional breakage. If you accidentally lock your keys in the vehicle and decide your best option is to break a window, your glass insurance will not cover the replacement costs. In this case, it is a "you break it, you buy it" kind of situation. 

Side Mirrors

Unfortunately, your glass insurance policy will not cover side mirrors on your vehicle. When one of our staff members side mirrors was broken as a result of vandalism, they would not have been covered by a glass insurance policy. That being said, if your side mirrors are quite expensive and damaged from vandalism, you can make a claim on your auto insurance. 

Headlights and Tail Lights

While windows and other glass on your vehicle will have glass coverage, headlights and tail lights are not eligible for coverage. 

How much does glass insurance cost?

As most insurance coverages, your premium can vary based on multiple factors. With that being said, glass policy premiums start at just $15 month. Over a calendar year, this will cost around $180.

When you have a claim for your glass policy, there is a $25 deductible for repairs and $50 deductible for replacement.

How much does it cost to replace automotive glass?

To give you an idea of how much auto glass costs to replace, we've put together the numbers for a 2018 Ford F-150 to give a frame of reference for replacement costs.

Conclusion

Glass insurance can be advantageous in the event that you have glass damage to your windows or sun/moon roof. Given the relative cost of glass insurance for your vehicle, you may want to consider coverage. Look at the replacement cost of your auto glass and make an informed decision on your vehicles coverage.

If you're interested, give one our brokers a call, they'd love to give you a quote.