What Is a Windscreen Excess in Adelaide?

An excess is the amount you agree to pay toward any claim before your insurer pays the rest. For glass, many comprehensive policies set a separate windscreen excess that works differently, and usually more kindly, than your standard excess.

How the windscreen excess works

Say your windscreen replacement is quoted at $1,100 and your windscreen excess is $100. You pay the $100, your insurer pays the remaining $1,000, and the job goes ahead. That single excess also covers the ADAS calibration, which is part of the same claim. You do not pay a second excess for the calibration.

Windscreen excess vs standard excess

This is the part worth understanding. Your standard excess (the one you pay for an at-fault accident) is often $600 to $1,000 or more. Many insurers set the windscreen excess well below that, sometimes $0, precisely because glass claims are so common and comparatively cheap. So even though a windscreen feels like a big repair, the excess you pay is usually much smaller than an accident excess.

When you do not pay it at all

There are 2 common situations that mean $0 out of pocket. First, chip repairs: most comprehensive policies repair a small chip for free with no excess, because it is cheaper for the insurer than a later replacement. Second, excess-free glass cover: an optional add-on many Adelaide drivers take that waives the windscreen excess entirely, so even a full replacement costs you nothing.

Finding your windscreen excess

Your windscreen excess is listed in your product disclosure statement and on your certificate of insurance, usually under a heading like “windscreen and window glass excess”. If you cannot find it, a quick call to your insurer confirms it. This is general guidance only; your insurer states your actual excess.