Rock Chip & Crack Repair

Rock chip repair is the procedure for sealing a fresh stone chip in laminated auto glass with optical-grade resin before temperature cycling spreads it into a full-length crack, typically completed in about 30 minutes on-site.

What makes a chip repairable

Three things determine whether a chip is still a repair candidate. First, size: anything smaller than a loonie (about 26mm) is almost always repairable. Anything bigger is sometimes still salvageable but starts to push the limits of optical-grade resin. Second, location: chips outside the driver’s primary sight line are easier to repair to a visual standard you won’t notice. Chips directly in the driver’s sight line can still be repaired structurally, but you’ll see a faint ring or pit where the chip was, which some drivers prefer to skip in favour of a replacement. Third, freshness: a chip that’s collected dirt, moisture, or oil over weeks of driving is harder to bond. Fresh is best.

Why timing matters more in Ontario than most places

Ontario winters do something specific to chipped windshields. The thermal cycling between a heated cabin and a frozen exterior puts stress on the laminate, and that stress concentrates at the chip. We’ve watched a one-inch chip in November turn into a 12-inch crack by mid-January. The cure is fast and cheap: a 30-minute mobile repair in your driveway, done before the first sustained cold snap. Our winter windshield care guide walks through the physics and explains the defrost mistake that destroys more chipped windshields in this province than any other single cause.

The procedure, in seven minutes of actual work

The chip first gets cleaned with a vacuum to lift out loose glass fragments and contaminants. Then we apply a small bridge tool to the chip and inject optical-grade resin under pressure, the resin penetrates into every micro-fissure in the laminate. We follow with a UV light cure, which sets the resin permanently. The repair restores most of the original optical clarity and almost all of the structural integrity. You drive immediately afterward; there’s no cure window like there is with windshield replacement.

Why this is one of the highest-value things you can do for your car

Chip repair is the rare auto-shop service where the value math is overwhelmingly in the customer’s favour. A 30-minute repair costs roughly $100 retail. The replacement it prevents typically runs $500 to $1,500 once ADAS calibration is included on a newer vehicle, see how much windshield replacement costs in Ontario for the full ranges. Catching a chip early is the difference between a brief mobile visit and a multi-hundred-dollar insurance claim.

Insurance and the deductible question

Here’s the part most drivers don’t know: many Ontario insurers waive the deductible for chip repair specifically, because filling a chip prevents the far more expensive crack claim that would otherwise come later. So even if your comprehensive deductible is $500, a chip repair often costs you nothing out of pocket and doesn’t count as a deductible-eligible claim. Worth asking your insurer when you call. We handle the insurance claim filing for you either way.

Common reasons drivers in London delay (and shouldn’t)

The most common reason we hear is “it’s small, it doesn’t bother me yet.” That’s the exact wrong heuristic. A chip is a structural defect in laminated glass; it will spread on its own schedule, not yours, the next time the temperature swings 15°C overnight. The second-most-common reason is “I can’t get to a shop.” That’s solved, we come to your driveway in London, Sarnia, Strathroy, St. Thomas, or anywhere inside our radius. The third is the assumption that insurance will be a hassle. It won’t; we handle the paperwork end-to-end. Spot a chip, book the visit the same week.