Mobile chip repair: what happens in the 40 minutes
A mobile chip repair takes about 40 minutes where your car is already parked: the chip is cleaned, the air is drawn out, resin goes in under pressure, and it is cured and polished, then you drive off.
Before I arrive
You get a fixed price in three taps, pick a day and time, and I text you the day before for the exact address. You pay after the repair, nothing up front.
What I need where the car is parked: somewhere off the road, out of direct rain, and room to work at the front of the car. A work car park is often easier than a driveway, because the car is sitting there anyway.
The repair itself
First a check of the whole windscreen, so you know about anything else worth knowing. Then the chip is cleaned out, a bridge goes over it to pull the air out of the break, and resin is pushed in under pressure to the end of every leg. The resin is cured with UV light, the surface is finished flat and polished.
Each step, with photos, is in the guide: How a windscreen chip is repaired, step by step.
When I finish
The water repellent goes on the whole windscreen, and you get a heads up on anything a safety certificate inspector might look at. There is nothing left to set, so you can drive off straight away. The repair has a 12 month guarantee.
Do you need to be there?
Not for the repair. I need the car unlocked or the keys only if something needs moving inside, which it usually does not. Most people carry on with their day.
Booking, in three taps
The calculator asks what the damage looks like, where it is on the windscreen and how many chips there are. You see the price before you give any details. Then you pick a suburb, a day and a time, and leave your name, mobile and email. If anything needs a photo first, like a long crack or a chip you are not sure about, the calculator asks for one.
Where works, and where does not
A carport, a garage, a covered car park at work, or a driveway with some shade all work well. What does not work is a car parked on a busy road, in heavy rain, or somewhere with no room to stand at the front of the car. If you are not sure about your spot, say so when I text the day before.
What is included in the price
The repair of the chip, the water repellent on the whole windscreen, travel to your home or work, a check of the whole windscreen, and the 12 month guarantee on the repair. Extra chips on the same windscreen in the same visit are added at a set price.
After the repair
There is nothing special to do. You can drive straight away, wash the car as normal and use the wipers. If the repaired chip ever turns into a crack within 12 months, the guarantee covers it.
How long each part takes
From the moment I arrive to the moment you can drive is about 40 minutes for one chip. Most of that time is the resin going in under vacuum and pressure and the curing; setting up and the final polish are quick. A second chip on the same windscreen adds a little time, and the calculator shows it in the price before you book.
If the chip turns out to need a photo first, like a long crack, you get an honest answer before anything is booked, so nobody waits around for a job that is not a repair.
Questions
Can I drive straight after?
Yes. The resin is cured during the repair, so there is nothing left to set.
What if it rains?
I need the car out of direct rain. A carport, a garage or a covered car park works.
Do I pay up front?
No. You pay after the repair.