Auto glass protects you from weather elements and flying debris from oncoming speeding cars. However, windshields are prone to extensive damage due to impact by hard objects or accidents. In such cases, car windshield replacement is essential. However, new windshield installation costs money, and you require a budget. As you create your auto glass replacement budget, consider these factors.

Auto glass Type

The windshield type you select for your vehicle influences the final replacement cost. The two main windshield types are:

• Original Equipped Manufacturer (OEM) glass. This auto glass contains all the features in your car's original windshield as specified by your vehicle's manufacturer. In addition, this glass has enhanced characteristics, including improved security, longevity, and visibility.

• Aftermarket glass. This is a replica of the original auto glass. While the manufacturing standards of aftermarket glass may align with the original glass, the quality is lower. Hence, aftermarket glass is less expensive than OEM glass.

Service Provider Choice

The market contains many car windshield replacement services, each offering a special price. Therefore, get quotations from different companies and compare them. This way, you can quickly identify a service that will install a new windshield at an affordable price. Nonetheless, as you consider the price, consider the service quality. Ensure that the service quality you get is worth your money.

Extra Features

Car windshield replacement expenses may increase if your new windshield requires extra attachments. For instance, features like rain sensors and special tint are costly. Additionally, installing these features requires more labor hours, increasing installation costs. However, these extra costs are worthwhile since these features improve your windshield's performance.

Insurance Coverage

Your car insurance may cover your car windshield replacement expenses or not, depending on your policy. If your coverage caters to windshield replacement, this minimizes the money you spend on your new windshield installation. However, you may pay more premiums for insurance policies offering such coverage. Thus, understand the various vehicle insurance coverages and choose what fits your budget.

Vehicle Model

Every vehicle model has unique windshield features, including size, shape, and specifications. For instance, car windshield replacement costs for high-end vehicles are higher than for non-luxury models. Likewise, bigger vehicles like SUVs have large windshields. So, you'll spend more replacing larger windshields than smaller ones.

The factors influencing car windshield replacement costs include the auto glass type, service provider choice, insurance coverage, and extra features on your windshield. Consider these factors to estimate your car's glass replacement budget accurately.