How do you fix a chip in a windshield?
Reviewed by the Skyview Auto Glass technical team — NWRD-, ASE- and DINITROL-trained technicians · Updated November 2026
Quick answer
A professional chip repair follows five steps: clean the break, vacuum the air out of it, inject resin under pressure, cure the resin with ultraviolet light, and polish the surface flat. The process bonds the fractured glass, restores most of its strength, and stops the chip from cracking out. It is a short visit, and the windshield is drivable immediately after.
How windshield chip repair is done, step by step
This is the professional resin-injection process — the one that produces a structural repair rather than a cosmetic patch.
- 1
Clean and open the break
The technician washes out the chip with a cleaner, then may drill a tiny pilot hole at the pit so resin can reach every pocket of the fracture.
- 2
Vacuum the air out
A bridge fixture seals over the chip and pulls a vacuum, drawing air and moisture out of the fracture. Air left inside is what makes repairs fail.
- 3
Inject the resin
With the vacuum released, resin is pressed into the chip under pressure so it flows into every leg and void of the break.
- 4
Cure it with UV light
An ultraviolet lamp hardens the resin in minutes, bonding the fractured glass together into a solid mass.
- 5
Scrape and polish
The cured excess is shaved flush with a razor blade and polished, leaving a smooth surface the wipers pass over cleanly.
Why store-bought kits struggle with steps two and three
A DIY kit relies on a plunger to push resin in, but it has no true vacuum stage to pull the air out first — and air trapped in the fracture is exactly what stops a bond from forming. Kits can improve the look of a small, fresh, clean bullseye; on star breaks and cracks they often leave a partially filled, still-spreading break. See our repair kit comparison before you try one.
How to fix a rock chip in a windshield — what to do before the appointment
Your part of the repair happens in the hours after the impact. Cover a fresh chip with a strip of clear tape pressed flat over the pit — tape keeps dirt, water, and washer fluid out of the fracture, and a clean chip takes a much stronger bond than a contaminated one. Do not probe the pit with a pin, do not wash the car, and do not aim hot defroster air straight at the glass.
Then book the repair promptly rather than waiting for the chip to prove whether it spreads. A chip repaired while it is fresh and dry is the best-case repair; the same chip after a week of weather and car washes bonds less completely. Skyview handles chip repair in-shop or mobile across its Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois service area — chip repair service has the details.
More questions about fixing windshield chips
How to fix a small chip in a windshield — can I do it myself?
You can attempt it with a kit, and on a small, fresh, clean bullseye a kit sometimes holds. The professional process adds the vacuum stage and the controlled cure that make the repair structural, which is why shops get the difficult breaks to hold.
How to fill a chip in a windshield so it stops spreading?
The fill has to displace all the air first — that is the vacuum step — then cure hard under UV light. Anything short of a complete fill leaves a path for the crack to keep running.
How to repair a windshield chip that is a few days old?
It can still be repaired, but tell the shop its age. Older chips are inspected for dirt and moisture, and the technician may flush the fracture longer before injecting.
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Need auto glass service?
Skyview Auto Glass has 191 shops across Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, each offering in-shop and mobile service. Call us or book a visit — same-day service is often available.