Windshield replacement cost is the first thing most people search once the crack has spread, and the honest answer is that it depends on the car more than on the shop. Two cars of the same model can need different windshields; one may need a camera calibration and the other not; one owner may claim on full glass coverage and the other pay out of pocket. This guide explains each thing that moves the price, so that a quote for your car in Cary makes sense. Cary Windshield is a mobile service of Impex Auto Glass, which quotes each car by its VIN rather than from a price list.
Why there are no prices on this page
A price list would be wrong for most cars. Impex checks the part against your VIN and gives a fully inclusive quote for your car. Call or use the form, and you will have a real figure rather than a range.
Want a real figure for your car? Call Impex Auto Glass with the VIN.
Repair or replacement: the biggest difference
The least costly windshield is the one you do not have to replace. A chip or a short crack can often be repaired with resin, which costs less than new glass, keeps the original windshield and needs no calibration. The ROLAGS repair standard says stone breaks up to two inches across and single line cracks up to 14 inches are repairable, and Impex’s rule of thumb is damage that is small, shallow and away from the edges, such as a chip smaller than a quarter. Impex says timely repair helps prevent costly replacements.
Source: ROLAGS, rolags.com/repairable-damage; Impex Auto Glass, impexautoglass.com and its windshield replacement page. More on windshield repair in Cary.
Tell Impex the car and the damage. Impex checks the glass against your VIN and comes back with a quote and a time.
The glass itself: OEM or aftermarket
There are two kinds of replacement windshield. OEM glass matches the car’s original specifications and usually gives the closest fit and performance. Aftermarket glass meets the same safety standards and can be less expensive, but may vary slightly in thickness, clarity or sensor compatibility. For cars with driver assistance systems, OEM or a high-quality original equipment equivalent is often recommended. Impex offers both OEM and quality aftermarket glass.
Source: Impex Auto Glass, impexautoglass.com/auto-glass-replacement and /windshield-replacement; Impex insurance guide (OEM and aftermarket glass).
What is built into the windshield
A plain windshield is one part. A windshield with a camera bracket, sensors, heating elements or a heads-up display area is another, and it costs more because it is a more complex part and the job takes longer. Impex notes that while a standard windshield often takes about 45 to 60 minutes, models with sensors, heating elements or complex designs may take longer. This is why the VIN matters: Impex uses VIN-based verification so the part ordered is the one your car actually has.
- A camera bracket at the top of the glass, for lane keeping and collision braking.
- Sensors mounted on the glass.
- Heating elements for clearing ice and mist.
- A heads-up display area, where the glass has to match the car’s projector.
Source: Impex Auto Glass, impexautoglass.com/auto-glass-replacement (timing, sensors, heating elements), /about-us (VIN-based verification), /cary-auto-glass (heads-up displays).
Camera calibration
If your car has a forward camera on the windshield, a replacement usually means a calibration. I-CAR lists windshield removal among the events that may require the camera to be aimed again, and the requirement varies by year, make and model. Calibration is a separate piece of work with its own equipment: Impex says it performs it on site straight after the replacement, static and dynamic in one visit, in 30 minutes to 2 hours. A quote that leaves calibration out is not comparable with one that includes it.
Skipping it is not a saving. Impex’s guidance is that incorrect calibration can cause safety systems to give false warnings or fail to detect obstacles.
Source: I-CAR, rts.i-car.com/crn-455.html and /crn-801.html; Impex Auto Glass, impexautoglass.com/adas-camera-calibration. More on ADAS camera calibration.
Mobile service, fees and what a quote should include
Some quotes grow on the day: a delivery charge, a fuel charge, a fee for taking away the old glass. Impex says all its quotes are fully inclusive, with no hidden fees, upsells, delivery charges, fuel fees or disposal fees. For a driver in Cary, where Impex works through its mobile service, that means the van coming to your driveway is in the quoted price. Impex’s insurance guide adds that mobile service is typically covered by insurance at no extra cost.
Source: Impex Auto Glass, impexautoglass.com/about-us; Impex insurance guide, impexautoglass.com/2026/01/auto-glass-insurance-claims. How the visit works: mobile windshield replacement in Cary.
Insurance: what you actually pay
For many drivers the real cost is the deductible. In North Carolina, glass breakage is a comprehensive loss, which the NC Department of Insurance says is paid less any deductible, and NC has no zero-deductible glass law. If your policy has full glass coverage, you may pay nothing for the windshield; if it does not, you pay up to your deductible and the insurer pays the rest. If the replacement costs less than your deductible, there is no point claiming.
You choose the shop. G.S. 58-3-180 says your policy must let you select the repair service, and the insurer owes the same amount whichever you choose. A glass claim is not an at-fault accident and adds no Safe Driver Incentive Plan points, though insurers may look at how often you claim. Impex’s guide notes that insurers typically pay for aftermarket glass as standard and OEM when required or approved, and that you can often upgrade to OEM by paying the difference.
Source: NCDOI, ncdoi.gov basic and miscellaneous auto coverages, FAQs and SDIP pages; G.S. 58-3-180, ncleg.gov; Impex insurance guide. The full walk-through: insurance claims.
What does not change the price, but matters
The adhesive and the drive-away time are not optional extras. The Auto Glass Safety Council describes the windshield as part of the car’s passenger restraint system: it must be installed properly for the airbags to deploy safely and effectively, and it helps keep people inside the car. The council’s installation standard is ANSI/AGSC/AGRSS 005-2022, and its minimum drive-away time is the time the car should stay parked so the adhesive can bond, which varies with the adhesive and the weather. A quote that promises you can drive off immediately after a windshield is a quote to question.
Source: Auto Glass Safety Council, agsc.org/learn-the-standard, /minimum-drive-away-times and /proper-auto-glass-replacement.
Side windows and back glass cost differently
Door windows and back glass are tempered glass and are replaced rather than repaired, so there is no cheaper resin option. They are also different jobs from a windshield. Impex’s guidance is that a side window takes about 30 to 60 minutes and can be driven straight away, while back glass takes about one to two hours and carries the defroster, which has to be reconnected and tested. Neither usually needs camera calibration. On insurance, Impex’s guide notes that the deductible usually applies to side and rear glass, so compare the quote with your deductible before you claim.
Source: Impex Auto Glass, impexautoglass.com/side-window-replacement, /back-glass-replacement and the insurance guide. See side window replacement and back glass replacement.
How to compare two windshield quotes
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the part matched to my VIN? | The same model can take different windshields |
| OEM or aftermarket? | Different parts, different prices, and it matters most on cars with a camera |
| Is camera calibration included? | Most cars with a forward camera need it after a new windshield |
| Are there delivery, fuel or disposal fees? | Impex says its quotes include them; not every quote does |
| What is the drive-away time? | The adhesive has to set before the car is safe in a crash |
| Will you bill my insurer? | Impex says it can handle the claim with your insurer |
Getting a quote for your car in Cary
Have the year, make and model, and ideally the VIN, which is on the driver’s side of the dashboard and on your insurance card. Say whether the car has lane keeping, adaptive cruise or a heads-up display, and whether you are claiming. Impex will come back with an inclusive quote and a time for the van. The full visit is described on the windshield replacement in Cary page, and other glass on the auto glass repair in Cary page.
Get an inclusive windshield quote for your car: call Impex Auto Glass.
Questions people ask
How expensive is replacing a windshield?
It depends on the glass your car takes, what is built into it, whether the camera needs calibrating and whether insurance pays. Impex quotes each car by its VIN, with delivery, fuel and disposal included.
Is it cheaper to repair a chip than replace the windshield?
Yes. A resin repair costs less than new glass, keeps the original windshield and needs no calibration, and many insurers waive the deductible for it.
Does calibration add to the cost?
It is a separate piece of work, so a quote for a car with a forward camera should include it. Impex says calibration takes 30 minutes to 2 hours and is typically covered by insurance when it follows a glass replacement.
Does mobile service cost more?
Impex says its quotes are fully inclusive, with no delivery charges or fuel fees, and its insurance guide says mobile service is typically covered at no extra cost.
Call for a quote
Impex Auto Glass, Greensboro: 4.9 on Google from 425 reviews (October 2026)