WR Adelaide

adas guide

7 Questions to Ask Before Booking a Windscreen Replacement

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In short: Before booking a windscreen replacement in Adelaide, ask 7 questions: does my car need ADAS calibration and is it included; is the glass OEM or aftermarket; what is the safe-drive-away time; what warranty comes with the glass and fit; will you handle my insurance claim; is there a mobile callout fee; and is this the total all-in price. The answers tell you whether the quote is genuine or stripped down to look cheap.

Key takeaways

  • The right 7 questions expose a stripped-down quote before you commit.
  • Calibration and glass type are the 2 that change the price most.
  • A realistic safe-drive-away time is a sign of a careful fitter.
  • Confirm the quote is total and all-in, not a headline figure.
  • A good company answers all 7 clearly and in writing.

A windscreen replacement is not a job you want to redo, and the difference between a good outcome and a bad one usually shows up in the quote conversation, not on the day. These 7 questions take 2 minutes to ask and reveal whether a company is quoting the whole job or just the parts that make the number look small.

The 7 questions

#QuestionWhy it matters
1Does my car need ADAS calibration, and is it included?On a 2018+ car this is $350 to $850. Left off, the price jumps later.
2Is the glass OEM or aftermarket?Your insurer may require OEM; the camera needs the right optical zone.
3What is the safe-drive-away time?The bond needs to cure. Too short is unsafe in a crash.
4What warranty covers the glass and the fit?A written lifetime workmanship warranty is the standard to aim for.
5Will you handle my insurance claim?A good fitter lodges the claim and bills the insurer directly.
6Is there a mobile callout fee?Some add it, many include it. Confirm before booking.
7Is this the total, all-in price?One number, including calibration, mouldings, disposal and callout.

Why these 7 and not others

Questions 1 and 2 move the price the most, because calibration and glass type are where a cheap quote hides its shortcuts. Question 3 is about safety: the urethane bond gives the windscreen its structural role, so a fitter who tells you to drive off immediately is skipping the cure time that matters in a crash. Questions 4 and 5 protect you after the job. Questions 6 and 7 stop the number moving between the quote and the invoice.

What a good answer sounds like

A specialist answers without hesitation: "Your 2020 RAV4 has Toyota Safety Sense, so it needs dynamic calibration, which is included. We use quality aftermarket glass unless your insurer specifies OEM. Safe-drive-away is about 2 hours. Lifetime workmanship warranty. We lodge the claim for you. No callout fee. The $980 is the total." That is the level of clarity you are looking for.

If a company is vague on questions 1, 3 or 7, treat the quote as incomplete. A stripped-down number is not a saving when the missing pieces land on you on the day.

Ask once, compare cleanly

The point of the 7 questions is to make quotes comparable. Once every company has answered them, you are comparing the same all-in job, and the cheapest genuine quote is easy to spot. Get matched with vetted Adelaide specialists who answer all 7 upfront, so you can compare free quotes on a like-for-like basis.

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Frequently asked questions

What should I ask before booking a windscreen replacement?

Ask whether your car needs ADAS calibration and if it is included, whether the glass is OEM or aftermarket, the safe-drive-away time, the warranty on glass and fit, whether they handle your insurance claim, whether there is a callout fee, and whether the quote is the total all-in price.

What is the most important question to ask a windscreen fitter?

On any car from around 2018, whether ADAS calibration is required and included. It adds $350 to $850, and it is the item most often left off a cheap-looking quote, so confirming it upfront prevents both a safety gap and a price jump.

How do I compare windscreen quotes fairly?

Get every company to answer the same 7 questions so you are comparing the same all-in job. Once calibration, glass type, warranty and callout are on the table for each quote, the genuinely cheapest option is easy to identify.

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